The Resource Center: Older Americans effective practices

Publishing seniors' WWII memories and sharing them with students

RSVP of Scioto County, Ohio compiled the WWII memories of seniors in their community and published them in a book titled, Memoirs of WWII - A Time to Remember. Once the book was published, the senior authors participated in Read Around the World Day in May 2001 by reading their stories to elementary school students. Read more.

Developing a senior leadership program

Leadership programs for seniors allow retirees to become vitally involved in the future of their communities. The Creative Senior Leadership Program, a program of the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, exemplifies a dynamic leadership program for seniors that began in 1990 and has grown to include ten communities (July 2002). This effective practice from the website of the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement describes steps to create leadership programs in other communities. Read more.

Organizing a senior health and wellness fair

Organizing a collection of exhibits on health and wellness programs and services available for seniors contributes to the vigor and safety of the elderly population. This effective practice outlines the steps to take to develop and implement a health fair in your community and was submitted by Robert Jackson in February 2004, using best practices developed from the Wilder Foundation's Vital Neighborhoods Initiative. Read more.

Teaching cardiovascular health to Senior Companions

The number one killer of older women is cardiovascular disease. Dr. Margie Maddox, Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, designed a five-session program for Senior Companions called "Heart Buddies" to educate them on maintaining a healthy heart. The program not only made the Senior Companions more heart smart, the Senior Companions were able to pass the information along to their clients. Read more.

Using pedometers to help senior volunteers increase activity levels

Seniors experience many health benefits as a result of volunteering, including increased levels of exercise. A Senior Corps program in Michigan uses pedometers to encourage their 150 senior volunteers to take more steps, and to be aware of when they exercise and when they do not. Area restaurants supplied healthy meals and the pedometers to seniors, and the program director supplied instructions on how to use them, along with additional materials on walking and health. Camellia Pisegna, of the Region IV Area Agency on Aging (MI), shared this effective practice on the NSSCTalk e-mail discussion list in July 2004. Read more.

Using a Vial of Life program to respond to life-threatening emergencies

Having ready access to medical and health information can often make a difference in an emergency situation, especially for aging or frail seniors. Several Senior Corps Programs help implement "Vial of Life" practices so that emergency medical services personnel can easily read important medical information about a person on the spot. Jim O'Connell shared this effective practice on the NSSCTalk e-mail discussion list in March 2003. Read more.

Serving terminally ill seniors

In Savannah, Georgia, the Senior Companion Program of Senior Citizens, Inc. serves terminally ill seniors through Hospice Savannah, a nonprofit organization providing care and support to patients and their families. Their efforts help terminally ill seniors remain at home longer and save families the cost of in-home health assistance. This effective practice was highlighted in the National Service News, June 25, 2001, published by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Read more.

Serving the frail elderly through an interfaith association

The Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA) of Memphis, Tennessee sponsors the Senior Companion program serving the Memphis area and three outlying counties. In 2002, 95 Senior Companions served 993 frail elderly clients in their homes, at senior high-rises, and at the local Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. Senior Companions earn a volunteer stipend and institutionalized and homebound seniors receive outstanding care. This program was highlighted in the National Service News, Issue No.173, December 9, 2002, published by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Read more.

Providing telephone reassurance for senior community members

RSVP volunteers call seniors each weekday to check on their well being. Any concerns are referred to appropriate family members, RSVP staff, or other agencies. This telephone reassurance service assists the growing number of frail and poor seniors who live alone. Early intervention may delay or prevent nursing home placement, which is more costly than community-based services. The Portage County RSVP Program is located in central Wisconsin. Read more.

Teaching computer skills to seniors

Many seniors want to become computer literate, both to serve others and to benefit themselves, but they often have trouble finding suitable training. A large training program at the Lubbock, Texas, RSVP has been providing beginning and advanced computer education instruction and outside-of-class laboratory assistance for over 300 seniors annually since 1994. Read more.

Preventing osteoporosis through community exercise classes

A program of gentle weight bearing exercises for seniors and others at risk of or suffering with osteoporosis is being conducted by an RSVP program in conjunction with a local hospital. Classes are held twice a week at a variety of sites. There are 70 RSVP volunteer leaders and approximately 400 class participants in 15 locations. Read more.

Preparing seniors with disaster mitigation

When disasters such as floods, tornadoes, or earthquakes strike a community, seniors often need the most assistance but can mistakenly be overlooked during relief efforts. The Green River Area Development District in western Kentucky created the Disaster Relief Corps to address the disaster response needs of local seniors. Read more.

Providing a dial-up newspaper reading service

The RSVP of Elkhart, Indiana, partnered with a local non-profit reading service to provide a dial-up newspaper reading service for the visually impaired members of the community. RSVP volunteers read sections of the newspaper each day, which can be accessed via telephone by individuals who cannot read themselves and have no one to read the paper to them. Read more.

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