A successful aging project: pooling university and community resources

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Health Promotion

Background:

• Successful aging can be influenced by extrinsic factors.
• These factors include nutrition, exercise, stress management, and social support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore goal setting in successful aging programs.
• To examine the role of community resources in health promotion for older adults.

Main Methods:

• Facilitated mutual and individual goal setting sessions.
• Encouraged a nonjudgmental attitude towards participants' knowledge and lifestyles.
• Utilized formal and informal community resources for program delivery.

Main Results:

• Common goals included health knowledge, staying well, feeling well, and helping others.
• Maximized cooperation within an aging services network.
• A nonjudgmental approach fostered engagement.

Conclusions:

• Extrinsic factors are key to minimizing aging effects.
• Goal setting and community resource utilization are effective strategies for successful aging programs.
• Health promotion programs benefit from a supportive and nonjudgmental environment.