Abstract
Active Aging is a global challenge. The world population is increasing at an exponential rate and a significant number of this population are over the age of 55. Medical discoveries have increased longevity, but social innovations are lagging, leading to significant issues for seniors who want to age well at home. Community-based social service agencies for seniors lack the resources to support the needs of this important group and change is slow. One of the first steps in supporting active aging in different contexts is assessment. Assessment can support seniors and agencies to identify areas of resilience and opportunities for social prescriptions. The Healthy Aging Asset Index (HAAI) was developed specifically for this purpose. The HAAI includes seven assessment areas: physical health, personal well-being, mental health, social support, physical environment, safety & security, and social engagement. Each of these areas includes three questions to assess the senior’s resilience. If the senior’s resilience is found to be low in one or more of these areas, social prescriptions are provided to the senior to support active aging using a targeted approach. The HAAI has been well received in Canada, and its spread is progressing. Content validity and inter-rater reliability will be reported in this session in addition to sharing the HAAI tool with the audience to support further spread of the tool to support active aging in different contexts.
Presenters
Tammy O RourkeAssistant Professor, Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University, Nova Scotia, Canada Anne H. Summach
Full Teaching Professor/Director of NP Programs, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Medical Perspectives on Aging, Health, Wellness
KEYWORDS
Aging, Seniors, Assessment, Social prescribing
