Carson City September 23, 2024
On Monday, September 16, 2024, the Nevada Division of Public
and Behavioral Health (DPBH) received Advanced Recognition as an Age-Friendly
Public Health System (AFPHS) from the Trust for America’s Health and the John
A. Hartford Foundation. Nevada joins 3 other states (California, Mississippi,
and New York) who have also received the designation.
To receive Advanced Recognition, like DPBH, a health
department must complete activities within each of the 6Cs as outlined below.
6 C's Description:
Creating and leading policy, systems, and environmental
changes to improve older adult health and well-being. To address social
determinants of health across the life course, public health needs to engage in
or lead policy, systems, and/or environmental change.
Connecting and convening multisector stakeholders to address
the health and social needs of older adults through collective impact
approaches focused on the social determinants of health. Public health can
leverage its skills in connecting and convening stakeholders and leaders from
the various sectors of our vast yet disjointed system and bring a focus of
prevention and communitywide improvements to new and existing partnerships.
Coordinating existing supports and services to help older
adults, families, and caregivers navigate and access services and supports,
avoid duplication, and promote an integrated system of care. Public health can
address the barriers to effective community offerings by identifying gaps,
increasing access to services, and coordinating to reduce duplication of
efforts.
Collecting, analyzing, and translating relevant and robust
data on older adults to identify the needs and assets of a community and inform
the development of interventions through community-wide assessment. Collection
and dissemination of relevant data can call attention to the needs of aging
adults to inform the development of interventions and target efforts to those
most in need.
Communicating important public health information to promote
and support older adult health and well-being, including conducting and
disseminating research findings, and emerging and best practices to support
healthy aging. An essential role of public health is to inform, educate, and
empower the public that can then mobilize key partnerships. Proper channels of
communication can aid in promoting healthy behaviors among aging adults and
their caregivers to create healthy aging communities.
Complementing existing health promoting programs to ensure
they are adequately meeting the needs of older adults. Aligning public health
with the broader healthcare system can aid in addressing the needs of aging
adults. Existing programs that meet the needs of this population can be
promoted by public health leaders, while others can be assessed and modified.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Nevada is only behind
Alaska in the largest percentage growth of those residents aged 100 years and
older in that nation. The growth between 2010 and 2020 was over 121%. For those
aged 85 to 99 years, Nevada saw the highest rate of growth in this population
with a 40.9% increase in that period. For more details on this data, visit the
Census “Exploring Age Groups in 2020 Census Data Visualization Tool.”
Becoming an AFPHS will better support all Nevadans
throughout their lifespan with a focus on healthy aging and help realize the
DPBH mission to “protect, promote, and improve the physical and behavioral
health and safety of all people in Nevada, equitably and regardless of
circumstances, so they can live their safest, longest, healthiest, and happiest
life.”
September also serves as Healthy Aging Month. In alignment
with the AFPHS recognition, DPBH wants to promote resources and opportunities
for all Nevadans to age healthier.
These opportunities include:
The
Nevada 5-2-1-0 Program that promotes clear guidance to improve health:
- Consume 5
or more servings of fruits and vegetables
- Limit
recreational screen time to 2 hours or less
- Engage in
1 hour or more of physical activity
- Embrace 0
sugary drinks, and prioritize water consumption
- U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services Health Aging framework:
- About
Healthy Aging
- Healthy
People 2023 Goals
- Social
Determinants of Health
- Additional
Healthy Aging Resources