Published: November 08, 2008 10:47 pm      

Seniors to have sustainable health care

Thanks to a $348,000 grant to the West Virginia University Extension Service and the Center for Excellence in Disabilities, senior citizens in 17 West Virginia counties now have access to a sustainable system of allied health care professionals.

The grant supplements the extension service’s Taking Charge of Your Health and Safety project, where WVU Extension Service agents train community members to work with senior citizens to make better lifestyle choices.

“We teach seniors to manage chronic conditions and enhance their independence,” WVU Extension specialist Elaine Bowen said.

“The resources and educational tools we provide can help improve their quality of life and allow them to live independently for a longer period of time.”

The project, also known as Activating Senior Networks in Rural Appalachia, began Oct. 1 and is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.

Allied health professionals and area leaders will be trained to deliver the project, and small competitive training grants will be awarded to community partners, Bowen noted. The grants provide funding for resources that include information on everything from arthritis and diabetes to heart health.

The original grant has helped the extension service reach more than 400 senior citizens in rural communities, Bowen emphasized, adding that new facets of the grant include in-home assessments to help seniors recognize and improve health and safety hazards in their homes.

Additionally, an automated phone messaging service with health promotion messages from peers will be used to motivate seniors to change behaviors.

The project is supported by the Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Program of the USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service. Counties affected by the grant in this area include Greenbrier, Raleigh, Summers and Wyoming.

For more information on participating in Taking Charge of Your Health and Safety, call 1-800-841-8436 or e-mail takingcharge@hsc. wvu.edu. To learn more about how the WVU Extension Service operates in all 55 counties in West Virginia, visit its Web site at www.wvu.edu/~exten/.

— E-mail: mhill@register-herald.com