Supporting Healthy Aging and Older Adult Health: The Role of State and Territorial Health Agencies

Abstract

S tate and territorial health agencies are well positioned to support healthy aging and health equity by addressing social determinants of health and promoting healthy behaviors across the life course from childhood to older adulthood. As the number of US older adults increases, health agencies also have an opportunity to achieve population health impacts and health care savings by supporting policies, programs, and services that address older adults' health care needs and social determinants of health. Improving health equity in later life requires joint attention to healthy aging by addressing both the early-life health and social factors that affect health across the life course and in older adulthood, and older adult health specifically by promoting equitable access to preventive health, long-term care, social supports, and healthy community environments for all older adults. This article summarizes key public health interventions to address healthy aging and older adult health that health agencies are equipped to champion or support. We bundle these interventions into a "technical package," or a set of recommendations to the field to guide healthy aging and older adult health-focused public health activities. Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) technical packages are based on evidence-based interventions, promising practices, and subject matter expert recommendations. They are not intended to be comprehensive; rather, they serve as tools to prioritize efforts toward what works to address a particular public health problem and establish a proactive approach to technical assistance. The ASTHO technical package to support healthy aging and older adult health comprises 5 categories: paid family and sick leave; healthy

An Interview With Madeleine Rose Lepore, DNP, PMHNP-BC

“…With a growing concern about the number of lives lost to drug overdose, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials recently published an article identifying the need to address the epidemic through policy interventions (Pless et al, 2023). The authors identify three main strategies to address and prevent the rise in cases: (a) overdose education and naloxone distribution, (b) harm reduction, and (c) peer support programs.…”