Title: APHA participates in Congressional briefing for Older American’s Month -- GHS Chairs the Hearing
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Section/SPIG: Aging & Public Health
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The Congressional Older Americans Caucus held a briefing on May 26 in Washington, D.C., to commemorate Older Americans' Month and explore ways to overcome the barriers to healthy aging. The hearing focused on the 3-P’s used in April’s National Public Health Week on healthy aging: Prevent problems from happening, Protect your health through early detection, and Plan to stay healthy for many years to come. Representing APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, GHS chair-elect Bob Burke chaired the session and opened with remarks about the importance of Older Americans' Month and how the topic reinforced the APHA theme, Live Stronger Longer. He also introduced the two speakers and presented APHA’s Congressional recommendations.
Pollster Kate Stewart outlined the results of the APHA commissioned survey conducted as part of April’s National Public Health Week. The survey found that 55-year olds (the preretirees) know that they need to “Think right and eat right –these are the ways to healthy aging.” The survey also found that knowing doesn’t always mean doing. Preretirees also reported that they were more critical of their health and recorded concern about the cost of health care.
The next presenter, Tina Hone of the Legacy Foundation, reported on tobacco use prevention and cessation in how to exercise the three P's—Prevent, Protect, and Plan. The principle findings reported were that choosing to stop smoking at any age can result in health improvements. Quitting at age 65 increases life expectancy by two to four years. Protecting our children and grandchildren and being with them for years to come is a major motivation for many parents and grandparents to quit. Hone presented a basic set of smoking cessation guidelines that any smoker can adapt to his or her own life.
Bob Burke then presented APHA’s four recommendations for Congress: 1. Enhance Medicare’s preventative care benefits. 2. Restrain rising Medicare Part-B premiums and deductibles. 3. Design “livable communities” so older Americans can be physically active. 4. Increase training opportunities for health care professionals with expertise in geriatrics.
The Older Americans Caucus is co-chaired by Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley of Nevada and Rep. Bill Delahunt, D-Mass. For more information on the hearing, see <http://www.apha.org/legislative/healthy_aging.htm>.