Our nation is experiencing unprecedented demographic changes with the aging of the population. Older adults often struggle to maintain quality of life and independence in the presence of chronic diseases and prevailing illness; for low income elders with limited access to a resource-rich, supportive environment, these challenges are even more profound. Self-care/self-management behaviors are extremely important in the older adult population to increase quality of life and general health.
International
WHO | Aging – The World Health Organization’s webpage on aging offers a rich source of data and resources, including:
- Fact sheets about aging, elder abuse, and falls
- Age-friendly cities network
- Aging and life course program
- Information on aging stereotypes
National
The White House Conference on Aging – Held each decade since the 1960s to identify and advance actions to improve the quality of life of older Americans. The 2015 White House Conference on Aging is an opportunity to look ahead to the issues that will help shape the landscape for older Americans for the next decade. The WH Conference on Aging website offers a number of resources on aging, including:
- Statistical profile of older Americans
- Policy briefs on its four topic areas: Healthy Aging, Long-term Services and Supports, Elder Justice, and Retirement Security
- Blog on aging issues
DHHS Administration on Aging – The Administration on Aging (AOA) is the principal agency of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services designated to carry out the provisions of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA), as amended (42 U.S.C.A. § 3001 et seq.). The OAA promotes the well-being of older individuals by providing services and programs designed to help them live independently in their homes and communities. The Act also empowers the federal government to distribute funds to the states for supportive services for individuals over the age of 60. The AOA website offers several helpful resources on aging:
American Society on Aging – The American Society on Aging (ASA) is an association of diverse individuals bound by a common goal: to support the commitment and enhance the knowledge and skills of those who seek to improve the quality of life of older adults and their families. The membership of ASA is multidisciplinary and inclusive of professionals who are concerned with the physical, emotional, social, economic and spiritual aspects of aging. The ASA website offers many resources on aging:
- Web seminars – education on aging
- Videos of general sessions from the Aging in American annual conference
- Diversity in aging – a special section dedicated to sharing knowledge on aging in underserved populations, including multicultural and LGBT
- Blog on aging issues
Regional/Local
Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs – Giving older adults and people with disabilities the opportunity to live well and thrive in every community throughout the Commonwealth. Call 1-800-AGE-INFO for more information.
Foundations
The Tufts Health Plan Foundation hopes to elevate the well-being of older adults so as to enable them to live healthier lives. The Foundation funds over $2 million annually in grants to more than 60 Massachusetts and Rhode Island nonprofit organizations.
The John A. Hartford Foundation. For the last three decades, the Foundation has been a champion of research and education in geriatric medicine, nursing, and social work.