Healthy Aging in Massachusetts: Pathways to Life Long Wellness Walter Leutz, Ph.D. Associate Professor Heller School of Social Policy and Management Brandeis University Waltham, MA

Structure of Initiative Tufts Health Plan Foundation funding for planning - Spring 2009 Mass Health Policy Forums –Issue Briefs –Conferences Steering Committee and Subcommittees Consensus plan MHPF is a collaboration of the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University

First Issue Brief - September 2009 Questions: What is "Healthy Aging"? What programs and policies support HA? What's happening in MA with HA? Methods: Research review Interviews

Ingredients of Healthy Aging Healthy Aging Seniors will …. Be physically activeBe socially engaged Lead meaningful lives Be pro-active about health Have good diets Feel safe and secure And….Communities will support older adults to achieve these goals

Health Promotion Physical, Organizational, and Social Environment Individual Behavior Healthy Aging The Social - Ecological Model of Healthy Aging This forum is cosponsored and made possible by: Policy

What’s Happening in MA? Rolling out Evidence-based HA programs - NCOA, AoA, and ARRA grants Aging Network and Health Department leadership AAAs, Councils on Aging, & others on the frontline Existing healthy communities efforts

Challenges to the Aging Network Evidence-based HA efforts ask the Network to use resources to save resources in health care Will the partners in this system collaborate? Will the health care system (or someone) pay up?

Can the Network maintain this infrastructure? October 2009

December 2009 Forum 300+ in attendance Wide range of agencies and interests Tufts Health Plan Foundation extended its support for HA:  A Steering Committee  Second Forum and Issue Brief

Steering Committee Composition:  State agency staff  Health and aging services providers  Advocates  Researchers/academics Conveners: THPF & MHPF

2010 Steering Committee Meetings March - Ideas about key elements of a HA strategy May - Ideas for actions on elements June - Decided on Core & Cross-cutting elements & to have subcommittees & Forum speakers for Core  Core elements: Evidence-based programs, Public awareness, and Healthy Aging communities  Cross-cutting elements: Systems linkages, Older adult engagement, Evaluation, and Leadership

September 2010 Forum MA state agency speakers: Ruth Palumbo - State Unit on Aging Assistant Secretary Lauren Smith - Health Dept Chief Medical Officer Outside expert speakers: Evidence-based programs - Gerry MacKenzie, NJ Department of Health and Senior Services Jennifer Wallace-Brodeur, AARP Vermont John Beilenson, Strategic Communications & Planning Launch Subcommittees

General Purposes of Subcommittees Develop plans for strengthening HA programming in the area Account for the related work by state and local government, providers, advocates, & others Interface with the other sub-committees Address systems linkages, evaluation, older adult engagement, & leadership Be politically & financially feasible & sustainable

Timeline Nov March 2011 Subcommittee meetings  March - May 2011Draft Project Plans  June 2011Present Plan to HA Steering Committee  Latter part of 2011Launch Statewide HA Initiative at 3rd Forum

Progress to Date: Public Awareness Subcommittee General ideas Improve images of older adults Raise awareness of benefits of physical activity and social involvement Consider a broad range of traditional and alternate media Specific recommendations will be developed to support the work of other two subcommittees

Progress to Date: Healthy Aging Programs Subcommittee Context: Dissemination of HA programs statewide, including training 1,700 in CDSM through ARRA grant Micro issues: The nuts and bolts Get more master trainers to rural areas Address variations in completion rates Identify and disseminate best practices Macro issues: Environmental change Lack of funding, space, employees Getting attention, buy-in, and funding at state level

Progress to Date: HA Communities Subcommittee Develop road map(s) or model(s) for communities Suggest leaders and stakeholders who may be involved Specify minimum of organizational and financial resources to start, maintain, and spur on the initiative Include HA program agencies and participants as appropriate Include evaluation, reporting, and dissemination Public-private collaboration and cross-cutting elements

Next Steps Subcommittees complete plans Steering Committee reviews and votes on plans Third Issue Brief and Forum on a state-wide strategy Launch the strategy - Fall 2011