Abstract:

Recent research demonstrates that, although the risk of disease and disability clearly increases with age, poor health need not be an inevitable consequence of aging. A healthy lifestyle is more influential than genetic factors in assisting older adults avoid the decline and deterioration traditionally associated with aging. Many effective strategies for reducing disease and disability are widely underused. The Escalante Health Partnerships is a community-based, nurse-managed health promotion and chronic disease care management program for community-residing older adults. The program base supports a multidisciplinary, collaborative practice model, which has responded to the health needs of members of a community at high risk of having or developing chronic conditions. Preliminary comparisons of the health status of program participants with national norms demonstrate that these seniors report better general health, performance of roles, and social functioning, with the strongest correlations occurring between general health and vitality and between general health and role-physical. In addition, these participants have 4.2 doctor visits per year, in comparison with 7.1 office visits for a national comparison group and 1.6 hospital days per year, in comparison with 2.1 hospital days in the same referenced population. This collaborative partnership is a model that can be replicated cost-effectively in other communities.