Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services

Aging Texas Well

Publications and Presentations

Benchmarks

Benchmark Survey of Older Texans obtained information that will provide us with Benchmarks or Indicators of Successful Aging for older Texans. Findings from this survey will allow us to examine how well Texas is doing across all areas of Aging Texas Well, and to identify specific areas for improvement.

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Best Practices

Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facility Best Practices includes best practices gathered by the Texas Department on Aging and Disability Services State Long-term Care Ombudsman. (PDF format)

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Brochures and Tool Kits

Aging Texas Well is a program that helps Texans prepare individually for aging in all aspects of life and that state and local laws, policies, and services support aging well throughout the life span. Toolkit | Brochure (PDF format)

TEXERCISE is a statewide fitness campaign, developed by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) to educate and involve older Texans and their families in physical activities and proper nutrition. The TEXERCISE campaign promotes activity among individuals, as well as community events and policies that support fitness in all life areas. Toolkit (PDF format)

Caregivers provide personal resources, support, time, money and/or shared living spaces for family members or friends who need assistance with daily living activities. Toolkit | Brochure (PDF format)

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Policy Papers

Healthy Aging outlines the common issues related to healthy aging and presents policy recommendations for addressing these issues. (PDF format)

Housing and Older Texans outlines the common issue related to housing and older adults and presents policy recommendations for addressing these issues. (PDF format)

Workforce and Older Texans outlines the common issues related to workforce and older adults and presents policy recommendations for addressing these issues. (PDF format)

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Presentations

State Unit on Aging staff regularly conduct oral presentations on Aging Texas Well to national, state, and local conferences, academic institutions, public interest groups, and advocacy organizations. Selected presentations from recent conferences are provided here. They are in Microsoft PowerPoint format unless otherwise noted.

The Aging of Persons With Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities includes background information on aging of persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. The objectives of the presentation are to review why the aging of persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities is an important issue for the Aging Network, review current literature and research on the issue, and have a discussion of the key issues with attendees at the 2006 Texas Conference on Aging.

Aging Texas Well: The State of Our State on Aging in 2004. Includes demographic and statistics that address current trends and issues facing older Texans across all areas of Aging Texas Well. Highlights the importance of strengthening local community capacity to meet the challenges of a growing aging population. Provides specific information on the Aging Texas Well web-based Community Assessment Tool.

Balancing Careers and Caregiving. Includes statistics and issues facing those who provide care to a family or friend while continuing to work full- or part-time. This presentation focuses on the emotional and financial stresses facing these caregivers as they balance these dual roles. The impact of caregiving to employers in terms of turnover and lost productivity is also discussed.

National Network on Aging: What It Is and What It Does. Provides an overview of the Older Americans Act, as well as the Administration on Aging, State Unit on Aging, and local Area Agency on Aging structure. A detailed description of services to older adults is provided. Presented by the National Association of State Units on Aging.

Older Workers: Wisdom That Works. This presentation serves to dispel myths about older workers capabilities, and discusses older adults’ preferences about working in later life. Information for employers in terms of outreach and job-training are also discussed.

State Level Preparedness for an Aging Population: Gaps and Coordination of Services and Readiness of State Government. The State Unit on Aging conducted a survey of all state agencies with respect to current gaps in services to older adults, and their overall readiness for a growing population of older Texans. The survey content, methodology and results are discussed.

Texercise: An Intergenerational Health and Fitness Program for Older Texans and Their Families. The multiple components of the Texercise program including proper nutrition, individual exercises, participation in community events, conversations with health care providers, and mass media are discussed. This presentation is designed to motivate individuals to adopt healthy behaviors of physical activity and proper nutrition, and to encourage community members to create opportunities for individuals to be healthy.

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Research Studies and Reports

Aging with Developmental Disabilities: The Texas Project addresses growing concerns around issue involving aging people with developmental disabilities and their aging caregivers. (PDF format)

Aging Texas Well Indicators Survey Results 2005 provides results of a survey that examined older Texans' perceptions of how well they are aging. (PDF format)

Demographics: Older Adults in Texas describes the population and changes in demographic characteristics that will impact Texas. Low resolution (PDF format)

Enrollment of Hispanic Dual Eligibles on the Texas-Mexico Border describes grant activities to increase enrollment of low-income Medicare beneficiaries in the dual eligibles program. Dual eligibles are persons who are entitled to Medicare Part A and/or Part B and who also are eligible for some form of Medicaid benefits. (PDF format)

Gaps and Coordination of Services for Older Texans: Survey Results outlines the responses of state agencies to survey of services and programs for older Texans. This report focuses on reported gaps and opportunities to coordinate services and programs for older individuals across state government. (PDF format)

Housing: 2003 Senior Housing Assessment Telephone Survey Results is a summary of older Texans responses to survey addressing housing conditions and living arrangements, health, mobility, and accessibility, affordability, and community supports that allow individuals to age-in-place. (PDF format)

Housing: 2003 Senior Housing Assessment Key Informant Survey Results is a summary of responses from policy makers and service providers regarding the strengths and weaknesses of housing policy in Texas. (PDF format)

Older Adult Profile: Hispanics in Texas describes current population characteristics of the second largest Hispanic elderly population in the nation, including changes that will impact Texas. (PDF format)

The State of Our State on Aging report is a comprehensive resource on aging issues for state and local leaders. This report addresses all aspects of Aging Texas Well including demographics, wellness, current gaps, coordination, and recommendations for public awareness, coordination and partnerships, research, and policy changes.

Survey Responses on the Readiness of State Government to Meet the Challenges of an Aging Texas outlines responses of state agencies to survey of aging issues, current initiatives, future needs, and progress toward state level preparedness for the growing older adult population. (PDF format)

Texas Baby Boomer Survey investigated baby boomer attitudes toward and expectations for retirement and financial preparations for later life. Texas Baby Boomers Survey Highlights (PDF format)

WHCoA: A Report to Texas; Follow-up Report to the White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) provides a summary of input received during solutions forums that were hosted around the state to hear ideas about how to implement the resolutions adopted during the WHCoA. Text version | Printed Version

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The free PowerPoint Viewer 2003 can be downloaded from Microsoft. The viewer lets you view full-featured presentations created in PowerPoint 97 and later versions.

Updated: July 24, 2008