This week’s Healthy Aging Forum featured Dr. Walter Leutz’s results from his study on how to create an environment where people achieve healthy aging. The report, Healthy Aging in the Commonwealth:
Pathways to Lifelong Wellness (pdf) includes several recommendations to help all of us get there.
Importantly, Dr. Leutz equated health with ‘going and doing’ based on numerous surveys with older adults. The goal is patient-centered care. This is accomplished through organizing the community (senior centers, arts organizations, etc…) to be supportive of patient empowerment. The medical profession and the community then implement evidence-based programs that have been shown to benefit this population.
His recommendations are simple in theory, yet challenging to implement as was evident in the presentations of the remaining speakers. Nancy Whitelaw focused on the challenges of treating chronic conditions. She described a scenario where we usually think about the medical diagnosis and treat that, however in order to treat the whole person – and thereby increase the chances of healthy aging – we need to look at a whole host of community-related issues people face. These include the financial burden of aging, isolation, having less to ‘do’, pain and suffering, and not being asked for input about their own care. She drove home Dr. Leutz’s point that healthy aging is a systems change and it is our collective issue – it will not get solved by the medical system alone. Because it is a collective issue, it cannot be owned by any one person or entity – a profound statement made in the packed room.
The morning was rounded out by a panel discussion describing the current landscape in Massachusetts. Secretary Hartstein, of EOEA, emphasized that the status quo is not good enough. If we fail in this initiative the Commonwealth will lose not only lives, but employment growth opportunities. Anita Albright, from DPH, discussed DPH’s work in the community and their use of Stanford’s Chronic Disease Self Management Program, entitled “My Life, My Health.” Dr. Robert Schreiber, from Hebrew Life, drilled down into the details of what the community needs to offer people to encourage healthy aging. He noted that the community needs to work together and that the health system needs to embrace the community. Interestingly, he highlighted the need to market the programs smartly- as simple, accessible and available. Lastly, Rosa Palacios from Commonwealth Care Alliance described another aspect of the work being done in the community- training people to be champions in a culturally competent way.
There will be a second installment of the Healthy Aging Forum in 6 months- this time focused on how we build on the successes we started.
-Georgia Maheras
Aging is illness, it is possible to be ill at any age.
Any illness if to start, there will be complications.
Illness of aging begins, when restoration level becomes less infringements of an organism.
Illness of aging result: of evolution of the person. (There are not ill kinds)
There is a treatment for aging, at least, one preparation treats for illness of aging.
The preparation under the name “SUBH”, in transfer from the Tajik means: a dawn.
For economic reasons preparation ” SUBH” isn’t patented yet, on they be isn’t present on sale.
If to whom that wants on to argue on aging as not illness, I ask on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ab%C5%AB_Al%C4%AB_ibn_S%C4%ABn%C4%81 where can read about the person which searched for a medicine for illness of aging on an extent twist the life.
Despite that he lived 1000 years ago let the one who will decide to speak against aging as illness, will find argument more considerably or the person not less authoritative, than Abu Ali Hussein.
Don’t say then that didn’t know and didn’t hear.
If who divides my sights and considers aging by illness, even partially agree, it is our union. At me is what to show and than to prove. But it is required to clear away road, many small affairs and it is necessary to do all. If there is an interest in that recognized aging as illness, will unite? From me a way of treatment of aging, it is necessary to be grouped tactical strategic calculations it is necessary to coordinate. For me one too serious forces resist. Not serious opponents it is religious figures, philosophers, conservatives. Really serious opponents: they are sellers dietary supplement, physicians and pseudo-scientists which on this theme have received the academician, with these I will consult.
But I spend for it the works, lost-free that doesn’t happen so if were going to struggle reflect, there will be losses.
For the help http://www.extrat.narod.ru/