healthy and active communities for older adults
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Healthy and Active Communities for Older Adults. Three Successful Community Initiatives. Overview. Ruth Egger, University of Washington Southeast Senior Physical Activity Network Marigrace Becker, Seattle Parks and Recreation Sound Steps Walking Program Seth Schromen-Wawrin, Feet First - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Healthy and Active Communities for Older Adults
Three Successful Community Initiatives
• Ruth Egger, University of Washington– Southeast Senior Physical Activity Network
• Marigrace Becker, Seattle Parks and Recreation– Sound Steps Walking Program
• Seth Schromen-Wawrin, Feet First– Go Cart for Groceries
Overview
SE-SPAN – Southeast Senior Physical Activity Network
Ruth EggerUniversity of Washington
SE-SPAN Goals
• Promote physical activity (PA) among older adults in Southeast Seattle
• Test a community organizing model of creating
senior exercise programs and promoting environmental and policy change
• Find ways of sustaining both individual programs and the overall organizing model
Community Organizing Approach
1. Create new senior physical activity programs by bringing together providers and populations
2. Work toward long-term policy/environmental change and sustainability by building a broader community coalition
Organizing Approach #1 - Programs
• Populations and providers
• Program examples: Walking groups, Enhance Fitness classes, Matter of Balance, Tai Chi
• Accomplishments• Challenges and lessons
learned
Populations
• Five senior housing buildings• SHA Housing• Meal sites-Filipino, Laotian,
Vietnamese• Religious organizations and
churches• Senior Center• Neighborhood House• Jefferson, Rainier and Rainier
Beach CCs• Rainier Park, Rainier Beach
Health Clinics and International Community Health Clinic
Providers
• Seattle Parks and Recreation-Sound Steps and Senior Adult Programs
• Senior Center-Enhance Fitness, both active and chair based; Senior Hikes
• Ethnic Meal Sites and Refugee Groups• Senior Housing• Churches and religious organizations• Health Clinics• Rainier Health and Fitness-Enhance Fitness
Peter Claver Enhance Fitness
Program Accomplishments
• 10 walking groups, 10 Enhance fitness classes (200 total participants)
• Health benefits cited by participants
• Productive collaboration with Parks and Recreation, Group Health Cooperative, Senior Services
• Grant to pay walk leaders• Former PALS participant
is now a walk leader• Walk leaders are taking
leadership roles in other programs
• Informal community of walkers and Enhance Fitness participants forming
Organizing Approach #2 - Coalition
• Coalition-building approaches
• Coalition example: Healthy and Active Rainier Valley Coalition- HARV-C
• Accomplishments• Challenges and lessons
learned
Coalition Example: Healthy and Active Rainier Valley Coalition
• Started with Columbia City Walks health fair• Organizations involved in event wanted to
continue their relationships• Worked with local Steps to a Healthier US
project to provide support for the group• Identified specific goals and activities: Shop-
arounds, Healthy Restaurant Initiative, In Motion, physical activity survey
Coalition Accomplishments
• Network of organizations with relationships with SESPAN• Small group of committed partners to help support the
effort• Healthy and Active Rainier Valley Coalition holding
regular meetings, working on projects• $30,000 available from STEPS for small grant projects• Student interns developed logo and PR materials
Summary
• Early SESPAN results promising
• Organizing approach has led to new senior exercise programs and a local health coalition
• Outreach to informal settings for fitness programs.
Sound Steps
Marigrace BeckerSeattle Parks and Recreation
Purpose
To improve the health and wellness of Seattle adults age 50+ by implementing a community-based walking program designed to encourage physical activity and social interaction.
Step 1: Identify• Target a group of people
based on locale, demographics, ability, common interests, desired health outcomes
• Find a program “champion” to be team captain
Step 2: Organize• Ask program champion
to publicize meeting• Describe health benefits
of walking• As a group, decide:
– Walk days/times & Start date
– Walk route– Incentives– Further outreach
methods
Step 3: Mobilize• Spread the word• Keep it flexible
– Speed, distance, route
• Keep it fun– Special Events– Walker Discounts– Goals/Competitions
Step 4: Sustain• Partner with housing,
health and senior related organizations.
• Recognize and empower volunteers
SE-SPAN + Sound Steps
Partnering for maximum success
Walk Around the World
Walk and Roll
Walk with the Mariners
Senior Half Marathon Walk
Go Cart For GroceriesSeth Schromen-Wawrin
Feet First
Goals
• Increase number of walking trips
• Make it easier for people to walk to the grocery store
• Reduce the amount of driving for short distance errands
Funded through Active Living by Design
Social Marketing Plan• Behavior Change
– Increase physical activity
– Overcoming stereotypes – increase amount of carts
• Assessment of stakeholders– Phone survey– Focus groups
• Product• Price• Place• Promotion
Pilot Program• 3 target populations
– Westwood Heights: Elderly, low-income, Seattle Housing Authority
– Westwood Heights East: family, low-income, Seattle Housing Authority
– Westwood Neighborhood: single family residences, diverse income, live within ½ mile of a target shopping area
• 2 types of carts– VersaCart (SHA)– Perigot (single family)
Westwood Heights
Safeway
½ mile
Westwood Heights East
The Carts• Fancy cart (Perigot) • Functional cart
(VersaCart)
Distribution
• WWH– Resident Council
• WWHE– Door hanger– Door to door
• Single Family– QFC– Door hanger– Door to door– Media
Who’s taking part?Age of Participants
0
5
10
15
20
25
Under 18 18-24 25-34 35-54 55-64 65+
Age
Cou
nt
Single Family
WWH
WHE
Combined
• Median age = 55-64• Physical activity level:
– ~30 minutes a day– WWH higher; WHE lower
Lessons• Easy buy-in• Self-selection?• Difficulties in distribution
– Many people interested, but not at the same destination
– Avoid a salesman stigma
• Shared vs individual
Stories
• “Who would not want a cart with the price of gas this high!?”
• “I can only stand up for less than an hour, so this will make my life much easier and more comfortable”
• “Oh, I can take this on the bus and go up to the Farmer’s Market. And put my laundry in it. It will be great for many things!”
• “We always try to walk to the store and take those canvas bags, but sometimes they just get to heavy and we can’t carry it all.”– Many different reasons that people chose to take part
Questions?