Blueprint Partners Progress Newsletter: March 2005

In this Issue:

National Falls Prevention Action Plan Released
New NCOA Center for Healthy Aging Website
Recommendations from the ASA Cultural Diversity Roundtable
National Public Health Week Focuses on Aging
AOA Models of Livable Communities Competition
Fitness Festival Co-sponsorship Opportunity
Documentary Film on Older Athletes
You’re Never Too Old to Exercise: HealthDay Article

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National Falls Prevention Action Plan Released
This week, the National Council on the Aging released a monograph that addresses the challenges and barriers related to a national falls prevention initiative and outlines 36 strategies that can be used on a local, state, or national level to help reduce fall dangers for older adults. NCOA partnered with the Archstone Foundation and the Home Safety Council on the initiative. The plan was initiated at a Falls Free Summit in December, in which experts in health and safety convened to discuss falls prevention. Many participants were National Blueprint partners. Falls Free: Promoting a National Falls Prevention Action Plan is available online.
A news release announcing the release of the plan is available at: news release

New NCOA Center for Healthy Aging Website
NCOA launched a new website designed to provide aging-service providers with easy access to resources, such as manuals, assessment tools, toolkits, and model programs. The five healthy aging topic areas include health promotion, disease prevention, falls prevention, and chronic disease self-management. The site is a National Resource Center for the AOA initiative “Evidence-based Prevention Program for the Elderly.”
The site is available at: www.healthyagingprograms.org

Recommendations from the ASA Cultural Diversity Roundtable
The American Society on Aging expanded the work of the National Blueprint by hosting a roundtable to focus attention on culturally sensitive strategies for physical activity promotion for diverse cultural groups. The roundtable project was designed to increase the current knowledge base and identify gaps, challenges, and opportunities for developing effective physical activity interventions for culturally diverse older adults. An article in the December 2004 issue of the Journal on Active Aging written by Chaya Gordon of ASA is available on the Blueprint website at: www.agingblueprint.org

National Public Health Week Focuses on Aging
The Administration on Aging has joined with the American Public Health Association (APHA) as a partner in National Public Health Week 2005, April 4 – 10, 2005. AOA invites and encourages members of the National Aging Services Network to promote the week as a way to reach older adults and family caregivers about opportunities to take the preventive actions necessary to keep aging Americans strong and healthy throughout their later years. NPHW 2005 is dedicated to empowering Americans to live stronger, longer. The materials for NPHW 2005 are now available at www.nphw.org
APHA invites organizations to join National Public Health Week as a state, local, or national partner.

AOA Models of Livable Communities Competition
The Administration on Aging and the Center for Home Care Policy and research have announced that applications are being accepted for the Models of Livable Communities Competition. The purpose of this competition is to identify and showcase cities and counties that exemplify a livable community and to highlight promising practices that can be used by local governments throughout the country in preparing for the aging of the baby boom population. Applications are due on May 2, 2005.
Competition guidelines and entry form are available.

Fitness Festival Co-Sponsorship Opportunity
The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is offering an opportunity for federal and non-federal public and private sector entities to co-sponsor a fitness festival depicting activities to help Americans get moving in celebration of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month in May. Co-sponsors will participate in the development of the concept and planning of the physical activity demonstrations, review materials affiliated with the event, and coordinate logistics for the event. There are no federal funds available for the co-sponsorship.
Contact Christine Spain, (202) 690-5148, cspain@osophs.dhhs.gov

Documentary Film on Older Athletes
Racing Against the Clock is an 80 minute documentary that profiles five incredible women between the ages of 50 and 82 who sprint, jump, and pole vault through track and field competitions on their quest to make it to the Masters World Championships, and in so doing, demonstrate that growing older is no obstacle to leading an active and athletic life. One of the women in the film, Pat Peterson, age 77, is a three time cancer survivor and the oldest person ever to successfully undergo a stem cell transplant. Another, Philippa (Phil) Raschker, was nominated last year as a finalist for the Sullivan Award which honors the top amateur athletes in America. She is 57.

The film will be released theatrically this spring followed by broadcast on public television. Because this film offers inspiring images about the possibilities of aging, Uncommon Productions is interested in incorporating it into a larger outreach campaign to bring the awareness of active older people to senior and fitness organizations across the country, including: senior centers, assisted living facilities, hospitals, educational institutions, libraries, and the YMCA. Uncommon Productions is looking for partners to help make this happen.

Producer Debra Longo would welcome the opportunity to send organizations a copy of the film and full proposal for your consideration. Additional information about the film, including a short 6 minute trailer, can be found at www.uncommonproductions.com
Contact Debra Longo, Producer,781-647-4470

You’re Never Too Old to Exercise: HealthDay Article

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The Blueprint Partners Project is an initiative of the Active Aging Partnership. For more information, contact the National Blueprint Office at the University of Illinois Department of Kinesiology.
Website: www.agingblueprint.org