Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services
ATW
Resources for DADS service providers

Publications and Presentations

AGing Texas Well Issue Brief Series

The ATW Indicator Issue Briefs Series provides a series of concise articles, organized around topics from within the 16 life areas. Each brief will draw from national data to reflect on Texas’ survey results, compare the 2004 and 2008 data where significant differences occur, and explore current initiatives throughout Texas and the nation.

Aging Texas Well Plan

The Aging Texas Well (ATW) Plan is Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services' (DADS') response to the mandates contained in Executive Order RP 42. The executive order mandates that DADS create and disseminate a comprehensive and effective working plan to identify and discuss aging policy issues, guide state government readiness and promote increased community preparedness for an aging Texas. With guidance from the Aging Texas Well Advisory Committee, DADS updates the plan every two years.

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.

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Brochures and Tool Kits

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. Fit for the Health of It! 12-week Texercise Program website

Caregivers provide personal resources, support, time, money and/or shared living spaces for family members or friends who need assistance with daily living activities. Information and Services for Caregivers brochure

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Policy Papers

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

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

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

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Presentations

The Aging of Persons With Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (PowerPoint) 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 (PowerPoint) 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 (PowerPoint) 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 (PowerPoint) 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 (PowerPoint) 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 (PowerPoint) 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 (PowerPoint) 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 Texas Well Indicators Survey Results 2009 (PDF) evaluates and measures successful aging activities in Texans age 60 and older living in the community. Based on telephone interviews with over 1,000 Texans aged 60 and older, the survey provides information on how these individuals think about themselves and the communities in which they live relative to successful aging. (April 2009)

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

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

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

Enrollment of Hispanic Dual Eligibles on the Texas-Mexico Border (PDF) 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.

Gaps and Coordination of Services for Older Texans: Survey Results (PDF) 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.

Housing: 2003 Senior Housing Assessment Telephone Survey Results (PDF) 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.

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

Informal Care in Texas: Aging Family Caregivers and their Need for Services and Support discusses the significant role played by informal or family caregivers within the broader system of long-term services and supports in Texas and throughout the nation. It provides information on the specific needs of this caregiver population, particularly as they are themselves aging. Recommendations are the result of a statewide series of focus groups held in 2004 by the Texas Department on Aging, and represent a varied group of stakeholders, including family caregivers, service providers, advocates, business representatives, and others impacted by family caregiving issues. This direct stakeholder input adds an important variety of perspectives on informal care in Texas, and helps document the current and future needs of this vital population of aging caregivers.

Long-Term Services and Supports: The Future Role and Challenges for Medicaid (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation) — The needs for long-term services and supports that Medicaid addresses will not lessen in coming years; they will likely grow. The challenges for those who finance, design and provide long-term care under the Medicaid program are to align incentives to ensure access, meet needs, and provide cost-effective high quality services and supports to low-income elderly and disabled Americans.

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

Stakeholder Recommendations to Improve Recruitment, Retention, and the Perceived Status of Paraprofessional Direct Service Workers in Texas is the product of the Texas Direct Service Workforce (DSW) Initiative. The report includes background information about the DSW, methods used to collect and analyze stakeholder input and 14 overarching recommendations stakeholders made to improve workforce turnover and the perceived status of the paraprofessional DSW in Texas (June 2008).

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 (PDF) 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.

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

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White House Conference on Aging

WHCoA: A Report to Texas; Follow-up Report to the White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) [printed version] 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

The Final Report of the 2005 White House Conference on Aging (PDF) includes a narrative that contains an Executive Summary, a list of the 50 resolutions adopted by the delegates along with the strongest and strong implementation strategies suggested by the delegates who attended individual implementation strategy sessions on a particular topic at the WHCoA.

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Updated: December 17, 2009