Mississippi and Washington Join New Collaborative to Expand Public Health Departments’ Capacity to Support Healthy Aging

(Washington, DC – September 29, 2020) – Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) is pleased to announce the expansion of its Age-Friendly Public Health Systems initiative to include Mississippi and Washington. These new jurisdictions join Florida and Michigan in the two-year- old initiative.

TFAH will work directly with the state departments of health in both states to explore and expand public health’s roles in healthy aging, including among other activities, improve health equity among the older adult population, build new partnerships, enhance data collection, and facilitate local health department engagement in older adult health and well-being. Mississippi and Washington were among 12 states and one territory that submitted applications for this competitive opportunity.

Over 16 percent of the population in Mississippi are older adults and 67 percent of Mississippi counties have older adult populations higher than the state average. There are several health disparities to be addressed, including a higher rate of smoking among African American older adults and higher rates of falls among older women. In Washington, the percentage of older adults age 85 and older is projected to increase 181% between 2020 and 2040. This initiative will provide support to departments of health in both jurisdictions as they access current department and community resources and build additional resources to help older people thrive.

The Age-Friendly Public Health Systems initiative is made possible by generous funding from The John A. Hartford Foundation, a private, nonpartisan philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults.

“This initiative is part of a growing movement in public health to promote the health of those who are 65 or older,” said John Auerbach, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health. “The public health sector focuses on preventing illnesses, injuries and premature death, which is much better than responding only after one’s health is threatened.  The importance of such work is crystal clear as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Demographic changes now underway are spurring an urgency among all sectors and professions to focus on the comprehensive needs of our aging society. In 1900, about three million Americans—about four percent of the total population—were aged 65 and over. By 2014, that number had risen to 46 million—about 15 percent of the population. The oldest members of the baby-boomer generation turned 65 in 2011, launching a rapid increase in the number of older adults that will continue indefinitely—by 2030, about one in five Americans will be 65 or older.

From April 2018 through March 2020, TFAH facilitated the Age-Friendly Public Health Systems pilot in Florida, working directly with two-thirds of Florida’s county health departments. TFAH provided training and technical assistance and developed new resources and tools to support the exploration of public health’s roles in aging. As a result, the county health departments established new collaborations with aging sector partners, expanded their data collection and usage on older adult health, focused on older adults in emergency preparedness plans, and updated assessments and planning with an aging lens.

“Longevity is the greatest success story of our time and it requires every sector, including public health, to adapt and address the unique needs of older adults,” said Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, President of The John A. Hartford Foundation. “We are proud to support the work in Mississippi, Washington and other states to create public health systems that are more age-friendly.”

TFAH believes that every state and local health department should make the commitment to become age-friendly.  It will share the results of the work in Mississippi and Washington with public health stakeholders and policymakers, and work with state and national partners to advance the work nation-wide.

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Trust for America’s Health is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community and makes the prevention of illness and injury a national priority.

The John A. Hartford Foundation, based in New York City, is a private, nonpartisan, national philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults. The leader in the field of aging and health, the Foundation has three areas of emphasis: creating age-friendly health systems, supporting family caregivers, and improving serious illness and end-of-life care. https://www.johnahartford.org/