• National & state aging trends
• Nutrition & health status of older Georgians
• Live Healthy Georgia Campaign
• Live Healthy Georgia-Seniors Taking Charge Community Intervention
• Live well, age well web site
• Partnerships to promote health & wellness
• Summary

• In 2003
  • 35.9 million older adults
  • 12.4 % of the population
• By 2030
  • 75.1 million older adults
  • 20% of population

(image: bar graph titled "Population of Older Adults in the US")

• In 2004
  • 9.6% of GA is 65+
  • GA ranks 12th in nation
• By 2030 GA will have
  • 1,907,837 older adults
  • 15.9% of its population

(image: bar graph titled "Population of Older Adults in GA")

Georgia ranks very low in:

• Physically unhealthy days (38th)
  • Number of days during the previous month when older adults reported their physical health was not good
• No leisure time physical activity (38th)
  • Daily activities including walking, gardening, etc.
• Older adults who are eating 5 or more fruits and vegetables daily (45th)
• Percentage of older adults who are obese (38^th)
  • BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m²

Goal: An outreach initiative that aims to provide Georgians with ways to live healthier lives and prevent chronic diseases.

(image: Live Healthy Georgia and Be Positive logos)

• Get checked
• Be smoke free
• Be active
• Eat healthy
• Be positive

(image: Live Healthy Georgia and Be Positive logos)

(image: photo of seniors exercising)

(image: photo of a senior getting his blood pressure checked)

(image: photo of Nutrition Services exhibit)

• Educational objectives:
  —Improve knowledge and behaviors related to fruits, vegetables, physical activity, physical function, and diabetes self-management
• Partners:
  —Division of Aging Services, Aging Network, University of Georgia, Diabetes Association of Atlanta, Health Departments
• Intervention sites:
  —40 Georgia senior centers

• Participants:
  —815 enrolled in the "study"
  • 240+ with self-reported diabetes (depends on definition)
  • 600+ others
• Design:
  —Informed consent, pre-test (60 minutes)
  —Intervention (16 lessons x up to 60 minutes)
  —Post-test (30 minutes)

Program materials:

• 16 weeks, 1 lesson per week at senior centers
  —8 lessons "Serving Up Fruits, Vegetables and Physical Activity Everyday!"
  —8 lessons "Seniors Taking Charge of Diabetes!"
  —Reviewed by experts
  —Menus, recipes, handouts, games
  —All lessons include physical activity
  • Step counter
  • Walking
  • Chair exercises (NIA)

(image: drawing of a tennis playing potato)

(image: picture of Fruit and Vegetable Bingo card)

1. Six Daily Do's for Diabetes
2. Be Physically Active Everyday
3. Check Your Feet
4. Taking Medications and Testing Blood Sugar
5. Eat Healthy – Plan Your Portions and Plates
6. Eat Healthy – Meal Timing and Carbohydrate Counting
7. Eat Healthy – Take Down Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium
8. Get Checked for Your A, B, Cs

(image: drawing of a tennis playing potato)

(image: Daily Goals scorecard titled "My Goals to Follow the Six Daily Do's for Diabetes (#2)")

Training the educators:

• Diverse backgrounds
• Work with other community partners
• Provided with all materials and available online: www.livewellagewell.info/study/materials.htm
• Statewide training
• Onsite training
• Technical assistance by phone and email

Program implementation:

• 16 weeks, 1 lesson per week at senior centers
• Lessons about 1 hour
  — Diabetes self-management and/or nutrition
  — Physical activity

(image: drawing of a tennis playing potato)

(image: bar graph titled "Figure 1. High Prevalence of Chronic Health Problems in Older Adults in Georgia's Wellness Programs")

(image: bar graph titled "Figure 2. Poor Diabetes Control Shows Need for More Diabetes Self-management Skills")

(image: bar graph titled "Figure 3. Community Intervention Improves Diabetes Self-management Shown by Decreasing A1c")

(image: table titled "Table 3. Quantitative Changes in Diabetes Self-management Behaviors (5 or More Days per Week)")

(image: bar graph titled "Figure 5. Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Physical Function Need Improvement in Older Adults in Georgia's Wellness Programs")

Table 7. Improvements in Physical Activity
	Before Intervention	After Intervention
Number of days per week physically active	4.2	4.9 **
Average daily minutes of physical activity	25	32 **
Thirty or more minutes of physical activity daily	33%	45% **
Added at least ten more minutes of daily physical activity after the intervention		40%
** Significantly improved after the intervention (P < 0.05)

Table 5. Improvements in Fruit and Vegetable Knowledge and Intake
	Before Intervention	After Intervention
Know that seven or more fruits and vegetables daily are reccomended for older people	7%	58% **
Consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily	25% **	52% **
Eat at least one more serving of fruit or vegetable daily following the intervention		67%
** Significantly improved after the intervention (P < 0.05)

(image: pie graph titled "Figure 4. Satisfaction with Diabetes Self-management Program 'Seniors Taking Charge of Diabetes' ")

"Thank you for the time you've spent with us. The sessions have helped me to focus more on what I need to improve on – not only for my weight, but also for my diabetes."
Senior Center Participant

  "The people with diabetes really enjoyed the lessons. It was general in a sense, but they soon realized that they didn't know as much as they should about managing diabetes. It really helped them. Also, everyone loved the fruit and vegetable Bingo game."
AAA Wellness Coordinator

  "I participated in the Live Healthy Georgia - Seniors Taking Charge study and lost 8 pounds and am down 2 clothing sizes. Stay active - don't sit down with folded hands. Be on the move!"
Senior Center Participant

Goals:

• Promote healthy aging and healthy living
• Authoritative source of information to age well and live well
• Practical information to promote healthy aging

• Consumers: Georgians age 50+
• Families and caretakers/caregivers
• Health professionals who work with older adults

Partners:

• Division of Aging Services
• University of Georgia

• Translates "Live Healthy Georgia" messages for older adults and their families
• Provides information on healthy living, disease risk management, and links to community resources

• Georgia is aging!
• Community Intervention
  — Diabetes self-management
  — Fruits, vegetables
  — Physical activity, step counters
  — Challenges
  — Results show program benefits participants
  — www.livewellagewell.info/study/materials.htm
  
• Website: www.livewellagewell.info
  — Reinforce healthy living messages for those 50+ and their families and caregivers

(image: drawing of a smiling cabbage with legs)