The 2024 Healthy Aging Symposium: Reflecting on RUSH initiatives that advance healthy aging
In September, CHaSCI attended the 2024 National Healthy Aging Symposium to learn more about priorities in healthy aging, apply an aging lens to the work we do at CHaSCI, and connect to other professionals doing work on social care interventions in the aging field.
The Symposium focused on innovative strategies to enhance the health and well-being of older adults. Organized by Trust for America’s Health and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the event featured a diverse array of speakers from government, academia, philanthropy, and community organizations. Notable addresses included a welcome from Assistant Secretary of Health Admiral Rachel Levine and a keynote speech by Acting Director Alison Barkoff from the Administration for Community Living, alongside remarks from other prominent leaders in the field.
Topics discussed at the Symposium included:
Maintaining brain health across the life course
Connecting older adults and boosting social engagement
Transforming transportation for older adults
Ensuring a skilled workforce to improve the lives of older adults
Empowering caregiving and strengthening support for older adults
Supporting health through affordable, safe, and accessible housing
In this blog post, we summarize each of these 6 sessions and highlight relevant projects and programs from CHaSCI and other teams within RUSH University Medical Center and the RUSH Department of Social Work and Community Health.
Session 1: Maintaining Brain Health Across the Life Course
Moderator: Renée Bouvion, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, HHS
Speakers: Peter Holtgrave, NACCHO; Michelle Moyers, Knox County Health Department; Marci Getz, Washington State Department of Health; Carrie Molke, Wisconsin Department of Health Services
In this session, speakers emphasized maintaining brain health throughout life by addressing risk factors like hypertension, physical inactivity, and social isolation. The session highlighted public health roles in promoting early dementia detection, healthy lifestyles, and caregiver support. Strategies include creating partnerships between public health and aging networks, advancing equity, and improving brain health education. Speakers underscored the importance of life-course approaches to mitigate cognitive decline and enhance quality of life for aging populations.
Relevant CHaSCI and RUSH initiatives:
Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP): The Center for Excellence in Aging launched the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) at RUSH in September 2023. The goal of this program is to identify inpatient older adults at risk for delirium and offer volunteer-driven interventions to reduce that risk. Interventions are customized to meet the unique needs and preferences of each older adult and may include cognitive stimulation activities (such as activity books, playing cards, and conversation), range of motion exercises, provision of hearing and visual aids, family support and education, and personalized discharge planning.
Delirium Screening: The Center for Excellence in Aging led the effort to implement delirium screening for patients 65+ on all general medicine units, which rolled out in November 2023.
Age-Friendly Dashboard: The Center for Excellence in Aging developed and utilizes a dashboard to track rates of outpatient depression and cognition screenings, as well as inpatient delirium screenings at RUSH.
Session 2: Connecting Older Adults and Boosting Social Engagement
Moderator: Adrienne Smith, Office on Women’s Health, HHS
Speakers: Eddie Garcia, Foundation for Social Connection; Emily Greenfield, Hub for Aging Collaboration, Rutgers University; Rebecca Freeman, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services; Deborah Lee, Positive Aging Consortium, Middle Tennessee State University
This session discussed strategies to combat social isolation and promote engagement among aging populations. Speakers highlighted the health and economic impacts of loneliness and proposed solutions such as fostering intergenerational communities, improving digital access, and supporting local initiatives like age-friendly cities and "village" models. Their work emphasizes collaboration to create inclusive environments for social connection.
Relevant CHaSCI and RUSH initiatives:
Publication | Co-Designing a Social Connections Program With Older Adults. In this study, our RUSH colleagues Erin Emery-Tiburcio, Jasmine Chandy, Padraic Stanley, and Grisel Rodriguez-Morales systematically engaged a group of older adults who struggle with social isolation to co-design a program to meet their needs. The goal of this study was to enhance our social connections program at RUSH by (1) identifying contributors to isolation, generating ideas for ideal program components, and how best to connect older adults to each other; and (2) refining the multi-component program created by staff based on the first discussion
Session 3: Transforming Transportation for Older Adults
Moderator: Lori Gerhard, Administration for Community Living
Speakers: Barbie McBee, Rocky Mountain Rural Health; Danielle Nelson, Federal Transit Administration; Virginia Dize, National Aging and Disability Transportation Center, USAging
This presentation highlighted the challenges of mobility for aging populations and emphasized accessible, affordable, and safe transportation solutions. Speakers discussed the role of public health in addressing mobility barriers through age-friendly transit planning, partnerships, and community-led initiatives. The session stressed the need for inclusive policies and innovative technologies to meet the diverse needs of older adults. By fostering collaboration among stakeholders, speakers in this session aim to improve transportation equity and enhance quality of life for seniors.
Relevant CHaSCI and RUSH initiatives:
As part of their outreach and navigation work, our social workers, community health workers (CHWs), and AmeriCorps Members within the department of Social Work and Community Health and in the RUSH CHW Hub leverage transportation services provided by patients’ health insurance and other community resources to help get patients to their medical appointments and to other essential activities.
Rush Generations recruitment staff also utilize transportation services covered by patients’ insurance to get them to and from health promotion groups and other programs.
Session 4: Ensuring a Skilled Workforce to Improve the Lives of Older Adults
Moderator: Juan Rodriguez, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Speakers: Kezia Scales, PHI; James Moorhead, Maine DHHS Office of Aging and Disability Services; Jackie Catron, Kansas Department of Health Environment; Adam Lustig, National Network of Public Health Institutes
This session addressed workforce shortages in aging-related fields and emphasized the importance of training providers in all specialties in how to work with older adults. Speakers advocated for integrating aging-specific knowledge into public health and healthcare curricula and highlighted initiatives to recruit and retain a diverse workforce. Collaboration between public health agencies, educational institutions, and community organizations is crucial for creating sustainable workforce pipelines, with the overarching goal of ensuring equitable, effective care for older adults through enhanced workforce capacity.
Relevant CHaSCI and RUSH initiatives:
Workforce training and education opportunities from the E4 Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Disparities in Aging:
Foundational Competencies in Older Adult Mental Health Certificate Program ONLINE. This 16-hour self-paced certificate program can serve as a first step in developing competency in older adult mental health. CE & Non-CE options are both available
4Ms Behavioral Health: Age-Friendly Care for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders. The 4Ms of an Age-Friendly Health System (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility) is an evidence-based framework for assessing and treating critical issues for older adult health. A uniquely defined set of 4Ms tailored for older adults with behavioral health needs that can be used by mental health and substance abuse clinicians in diverse settings is optimal for broad dissemination of older adult mental health training.
Basic and Advanced Active Listening: Strong communication between healthcare professionals and clients is vital. Active listening skills are a foundation for improving communication. Enhanced communication helps build trust with clients and among team members, improves quality of care, and aids in reducing provider burnout and fatigue. This two-part virtual training will help build active listening skills and strengthen communication among clients and healthcare teams.
SAFE HOME: Safe – Home Opioid Management Education in Older Adults (Safe-HOME) Naloxone and Opioid Awareness. A 60 minute webinar developed for health care, home care, and community-based organization audiences to: examine risks associated with opioid use in older adults, to recognize an opioid-related overdose, and how the access to and use of naloxone can be used for the reversal of opioid overdose.
988 Education – E4 Center are online modules that were developed for the 988 and crisis call center staff. These modules train staff on best practices when engaging with an older adult caller.
Building and Sustaining Effective Behavioral Health Care for Older Adults: Strategies and Considerations: The toolkit highlights key engagement and sustainability strategies that will help advance efforts to improve behavioral health outcomes among older adults.
Utilizing Cross-Sector Partnerships to Reduce Behavioral Health Disparities in Older Adults: This toolkit describes the landscape of resources that influence older adults and their behavioral health needs and provides meaningful guidance for partnering across sectors to improve outcomes for diverse older adults.
E4 Center Policy Academies: E4 Center engages state leaders across identified SAMHSA regions to address the needs of older adults from a policy perspective.
Faith Leaders Training: In partnership with CADER (BU) we support the training of faith leaders in working with older adults who are experiencing needs related to mental health and substance use.
The E4 Center is building a library of resources for health care providers and communities to meet the mental health and substance use needs of older adults and their families. Please click for Clinician Resources.
The E4 Center offers live monthly learning communities and access to past recordings in their Webinar Archive.
E4-authored publications:
The RUSH Center for Excellence in Aging Learning Hub hosts a diverse collection of peer-reviewed learning modules about aging and health that were developed by CATCH-ON, our HRSA-funded Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program and our SAMHSA-funded E4 Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Disparities in Aging. Modules are available for clinicians and non-clinicians to ensure that the entire workforce can participate in learning about Age-Friendly practices to improve health and wellness outcomes for older adults. Most modules offer free continuing education.
Session 5: Empowering Caregivers and Strengthening Support for Older Adults
Moderator: Megan Wolfe, Trust for America’s Health
Speakers: Melinda Hogue, Caregiver Support Program, Department of Veterans Affairs; Jennifer Olsen, Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers; Jean Brown, Alabama Department of Senior Services; and Melanie Two Eagle Black Bull, Social Nutrition & Caregiver Program, Oglala Sioux Tribe
This session highlighted the critical need to support caregivers through education, resources, and systemic change. Speakers emphasized reducing caregiver stress, improving accessibility to support programs, and tailoring resources to caregivers’ unique experiences. Frameworks like the "Profiles in Caregiving" were discussed as tools for designing inclusive policies and interventions in healthcare, workplaces, and communities. Overall, speakers encourage cross-sector collaboration to enhance caregiver well-being and improve outcomes for older adults.
Relevant CHaSCI and RUSH initiatives:
The E4 Center is building a library of resources for health care providers and communities to meet the mental health and substance use needs of older adults and their families. Please click for community resources related to caregiving.
A recent three-part Evidence-Based Practice Series on Caregiving in Aging Families can also be found in the E4 Webinar Archive.
RUSH Caring for Caregivers (C4C) is a social work-led program that has been proven to have positive health-related outcomes for both adults age 60 and older as well as for their care partners. C4C uses an evidence-based framework to improve care for older adults and caregivers through education, resources and support. C4C focuses on what matters to the caregiver by assisting in developing a plan for the caregiver’s physical and emotional health and well-being while incorporating the care needs and preferences of the older adult.
C4C is this year's Innovations for Older Adults Award winner, an honor celebrated at the 23rd annual Chicago Innovation Awards.
This year, CHaSCI created and facilitated a training for the IPHA Support Groups for Dementia Caregivers initiative, which was co-led by the Illinois Public Health Association and the HAP Foundation, with funding from the Illinois Department of Public Health, Congressional District Funding, and the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). We also created an inventory of facilitator resources for this project.
Session 6: Supporting Health through Affordable, Safe, and Accessible Housing
Moderator: Karon Phillips, PhD, MPH, Policy Development Manager, Trust for America’s Health
Speakers: Jennifer Goldberg, Deputy Director, Justice in Aging; Juliana Bilowich, Director of Housing Operations and Policy, LeadingAge; Todd Stubbendieck, State Director AARP Nebraska
This session explored the intersection of housing and health for older adults, emphasizing affordability, accessibility, and service integration. Key issues include the lack of accessible housing, rising costs, and the growing homelessness crisis among older adults. Solutions include expanding affordable housing programs, such as Section 202, enhancing digital connectivity, and incorporating climate resilience. Speakers highlighted collaborative efforts that aim to address housing disparities and ensure equitable support for aging populations.
Relevant CHaSCI and RUSH initiatives:
The Rush Older Adult Home Modification Program is a home-based HUD- funded program to support aging-in-place. This program for older adults is designed to work with community and health professionals, so that they can learn how to gain additional support, with the goal of continuing to live at home, safely. (For more information, visit this link and click on “Older Adult Resources.”)
CHaSCI is a participating member in Fix our Homes Illinois, a coalition dedicated to ensuring seniors, especially in low-income and underserved communities, have access to the resources and support needed to maintain safe and dignified homes.
The RUSH Center to Transform Health and Housing aims to provide high-quality, well-coordinated health and social care to improve the health of people experiencing homelessness and to collaborate with others to end homelessness in Chicago.
Closing thoughts
CHaSCI is proud to work with so many leaders in the fields of healthy aging and older adult health—within our own department, within RUSH University Medical Center, and other local and national partnerships. We hope to continue learning from and collaborating with you all to advance healthy aging!
For more information about the Healthy Aging Symposium including presentation slides, presentation recordings, and relevant resources, visit the 2024 Healthy Aging Symposium summary page.
For more information about the RUSH partners mentioned in this post, see each partner’s webpage (listed below):
If you’d like more information about any of the programs or projects listed in this blog post, or if you’d like to collaborate with us, please get in touch! You can email us at chasci@rush.edu.