Aging - SENIOR - Healthy Aging for Older Adults

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State-Based Examples of Network Innovation, Opportunity, and Replication (SENIOR) Grants

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The Aging States Project* (PDF- 294Kb), completed in October 2002, was a cooperative effort between the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) and the National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA) with support provided by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Administration on Aging (AoA). The project assessed the health-related needs, activities, and partnerships occurring between state health departments and state units on aging, both of which have a shared responsibility for ensuring the health of the nation's older adults. Recommendations were made to CDC and AOA to promote increased collaboration between the public health and aging services networks, and to support health promotion and disease prevention programs for older adults at the state and local level.

Although state units on aging and state health departments bring different resources, approaches, and partners to the table in addressing older adult health, many of these elements are complementary. Collaborations that combine the prevention expertise of the state health departments with the community outreach capacity of the state units on aging can build the momentum needed to address the needs of the rapidly expanding number of older adults in the United States. The SENIOR grant program is an effort to provide assistance to state health agencies interested in establishing or expanding current health and aging activities.

Historically, grantees were funded at between $10,000-$15,000 for one year projects that included local implementation of an evidence-based program or improving state level capacity to address the health needs of older adults. In 2008, the project length and funding were increased to 18 months and $25,000. The modest amount of funding provides necessary resources to implement or expand programs and some states have been very successful in leveraging additional support to expand and sustain these efforts over the history of the program.

In Fiscal Year 2003, CDC and AoA jointly built upon the needs identified in the Aging States Project to support public health and aging services agencies in 10 states (Arkansas, California, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Wyoming) that expressed interest and willingness to work together to improve the health of older adults. States selected activities in physical activity, proper nutrition, Medicare preventive services, arthritis, and stress management. The funding was minimal but supported coordination, program planning, evaluation, and communications at the state and local level through area agencies on aging, health departments, and senior centers.

In Fiscal Year 2004, CDC and AoA again funded mini-grants for state health departments and state units on aging to collaborate, but added an additional focus on implementing evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention programs for older adults. The grants were again administered through NACDD and NASUA who funded 14 states (Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia) to focus activities in one of three subject areas: clinical preventive services, physical activity, and chronic disease self management.

Fiscal Year 2005 marked the third year of the SENIOR grants. CDC and the NACDD funded 11 state partnerships (Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah) who implemented evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention programs in one of three areas offered in prior years: clinical preventive services, physical activity, and chronic disease self management. Oral health assessment and promotion was added as a fourth area of focus in Fiscal Year 2005.

In Fiscal Year 2006, 11 state partnerships (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina) were funded in one of three components. The first component was implementation of an evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention program in one of three areas: increasing regular physical activity, expanding the use of chronic disease self-management techniques, or reducing falls. The second component focused on grants to fund the assessment and promotion of older adult oral health. The last component funded the development of state health department readiness for action for healthy aging. This track, called Opportunity Grants, was also a new offering for Fiscal Year 2006 and had the following intended outcomes:

states will be able to more strategically promote healthy aging and take advantage of opportunities to improve the health status of older adults;

state health departments will have effective partnerships with state aging agencies that contribute to collaborative planning and action at the state and local levels; and

state policies will recognize the importance of initiating, supporting, and integrating specific healthy aging efforts into chronic disease and other programs.

In FY 2007, CDC and NACDD funded 3 Opportunity Grants in MI, MN and NM. These grants all were intended to focus on improving state health department readiness for action in healthy aging.

In FY 2008, 5 additional Opportunity grants were funded in the following areas: AK (oral health promotion), CT (oral health promotion), HI (Emergency Preparedness for Older Adults), NC (oral health promotion and adoption of the NC Roadmap for Healthy Aging), and OR (creation of a county-level older adult health data book ).

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