Examples of "State of the Art" Programs

AAA, Library, Senior Nutrition Partnership/Food for Thought

The San Diego County AAA and San Diego County Libraries partnered to reach older adults with innovative, fun programs that can eventually improve their quality of life. Activities include “Food for Thought” (lunch and lecture), health fairs, fitness classes, computer classes, crime/scam prevention presentations, elder abuse prevention talks, and presentations on fall prevention, nutrition and diabetes. Holding events at the library attracts older adults who might not come to a senior center.

Over 60 senior programs were offered in the libraries in May 2006. Successful pharmacist consultation days were attended by 300 people. The number of new “Food for Thought” participants increased by 209 during the first six months of operation.

Louisville-Metro ‘Drug Toss’

The Louisville Metro “Drug Toss” event educated the public about the dangers of improperly disposing drugs. It allowed local seniors to dispose of prescription and over-the-counter drug products safely, instead of putting them in the trash or flushing them down the toilet. The AAA, AARP of Kentucky, Louisville-Metro Police, TRIAD, Catholic Charities (Archdiocese of Louisville), Franciscan Health Care Center, and Louisville-Metro Solid Waste Management sponsored the three-day event at local senior living communities and one local Catholic Church.

During the “Drug Toss”, 350 pounds of pills were disposed and the plastic containers were recycled.

MEOC Physical Activity Project, Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc.

“Physical Activity Project, Increasing Physical Activity for Rural Older Adults in Southwest Virginia” is an award winning, evidence-based program aimed at improving health and quality of life for older adults with chronic diseases who reside in the mountainous, southwestern tip of Virginia. The project was developed in 2004 as a Healthy Aging Initiative to provide low-impact physical exercise in combination with health education for older adults at eight nutrition centers. The exercise program was adapted from “Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging” and set to lively “oldies” tunes.

During the first year of the project, 145 older adults, average age 79, completed more than 4,000 hours of physical activity.