Smart Aging: Healthy Futures
Fifty-two percent of older Mississippians live in rural areas, and over eighty percent of elderly Mississippians live in their own family dwellings. The challenge for Mississippi is finding ways to maintain and improve the health of our senior residents while ensuring them the freedom of residing in their own homes. This is especially true for rural areas with less formal support for seniors’ health and well being.
Based upon that need, the Smart Aging: Healthy Futures project was developed by Mississippi State University Extension Service, with funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, to help communities foster the healthy aging of their senior populations.
The project has three primary objectives:
- To identify specific community resources and deficits relative to supporting the health and health care needs of a community’s rural senior population
- To engage communities in grassroots efforts to improve the health and health care accessibility of their rural senior populations
- To initiate various health promotion activities and educational programs targeting rural aging populations within communities and their families and support systems
The project was originally conducted in Oktibbeha, Clay, Copiah and Lincoln Counties. In Copiah and Lincoln counties, the project was directed in cooperation with Copiah – Lincoln Community College. Early successes led to the project being expanded to include the city of Pascagoula. Findings of and materials produced for the project are here to assist other communities and seniors throughout the state as we all work towards the goal of achieving a healthy future.
Publications
News
Show your heart some love —because a healthy heart means a healthier YOU! Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and women in the United States. But the good news is that, in many cases, heart disease can be prevented.
Almost 37% of American adults do not get the recommended seven hours of sleep a night, and that lack of sleep is causing some serious problems.
Leslie Woolington, safety specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said a lack of sleep can affect a person’s productivity, mental and physical health, driving ability and even their chances of getting hurt at work.
A new year is perfect for resetting and refocusing on your health and wellness goals. Being more present or mindful is a great way to start. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the process or practice of gently focusing on your awareness in the present moment. Being more mindful can help you feel your best and meet the goals you set for yourself.
Success Stories
You don’t have to have diabetes to benefit from the principles of the Dining with Diabetes (DWD) program.
Dining with Diabetes covers healthy eating, physical activity, disease monitoring, medication compliance, and risk reduction, and the course empowers participants by giving them access to nutrition knowledge and resources for food preparation. Classes include research-based education, cooking demonstrations, and healthy recipe tasting. These tools can help people make positive changes by planning menus, counting carbohydrates, controlling portions, and reading labels.
The StoryWalk and colorful word art now installed in downtown Belzoni are giving Rosemary Williams a new opportunity for the children she cares for at Rosemary’s Daycare and Learning Center.
