Aging

Many of those in our congregations are older adults or caregivers for older adults. Here are resources that we can use in our faith communities to provide support and build our capacity to be places where older adults can thrive.

Preventing Hunger Among Older Adults

Believe it or not, many older adults struggle to get enough to eat. Sometimes that is because they are frail and can no longer cook for themselves. But sometimes it is because they just don’t have enough money to buy healthy food.

The SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is meant to help those who can’t afford enough food, but only 2 in 5 seniors who are eligible take advantage of benefits that are available to them through SNAP. With SNAP a senior living alone receives, on average, $119 a month in additional support for food.  They receive a debit card that they can use at the grocery store and some farmers markets to purchase a wide range of healthy food items. The National Council on Aging has a really good set of resources that address hunger in older adults. Check out their Senior SNAP Toolkit here.

Brain Health As You Age

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) of the Department of Health and Human Services has created a tool kit with current, evidence-based information and resources related to brain health. The Resource has four parts.

• A PowerPoint presentation (PPT, 1.81MB)that will help older adults and their caregivers learn how to reduce risks that may be related to brain health. This presentation, recommended as a 60-minute event, covers:
  • Aging and health
  • Good health and the normal aging brain
  • Threats to brain health
  • Healthy aging for your body and brain
• An accompanying Educator Guide (PDF, 1.58MB) that provides additional information for presenters to share with audiences
• A one-page handout (PDF, 534KB) for older adults and caregivers called “Brain Health as You Age: You Can Make a Difference!”
• A supplementary handout (PDF, 372KB), “Brain Health as You Age: Key Facts and Resources,” which includes basic information and resources for the topics covered in the presentation

All of the information in the slides and accompanying material was reviewed by the NIH and the CDC in 2014.