Get Connected: Linking Older Adults with Resources on Medication, Alcohol, and Mental Health--2019 Edition
Designed for organizations that provide services to older adults, this toolkit created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers information and materials to help understanding the issues associated with substance misuse and mental illness in older adults. The toolkit also contains materials to educate older adults.
Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) 26: Treating Substance Use Disorder in Older Adults
This updated Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is designed to help providers and others better understand how to identify, manage, and prevent substance misuse in older adults.
Pandemic-Driven Disruptions in Oral Health: 10 Transformative Trends in Care for Older Adults
This publication from the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) calls attention to transformative trends with the potential to improve oral health care for older adults.
American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Older Driver Safety Questionnaire
This interactive questionnaire from the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is designed to be taken by older adults. The questionnaire asks questions about driving safety that you can answer for yourself or for someone else. Suggestions are provided based on the answers.
Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13): A Tool for Identifying Vulnerable Elders in the Community
The Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13) is a simple function-based tool for screening community-dwelling populations to identify older persons at risk for health deterioration. The VES considers age, self-rated health, limitations in physical function, and functional disabilities. The VES can be used by researchers, health care professionals, and provider organizations.
Promoting Caregiving Across the Full Community: The Role for Public Health Strategists
This resource created by the CDC and Alzheimer's Association offers an overview of the challenges of caregiving for people living with dementia. It also provides state, local, and tribal public health leaders with a framework and resources for action regarding an initiative. Implementation of these 360-degree plans would ideally result in widespread availability and use of caregiver supports, improved service coordination, and a firm commitment to caregiving throughout healthcare systems, workplaces, and communities.
Addressing Children's Needs in Disasters: A Regional Pediatric Tabletop Exercise
Objective. Preparing and responding to the needs of children during public health emergencies continues to be challenging. The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of a tabletop exercise in initiating pediatric preparedness strategies and assessing the impact of the exercise on participants’ understanding of and confidence in their roles during pediatric public health emergencies.
Quality Health Care for Homeless Children: Achieving the AAP Recommendations for Care of Homeless Children and Youth
Background. We assessed whether and how health care organizations serving homeless pediatric patients meet recommendations issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Methods. We conducted a web-based survey of Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Program grantees serving children. Results. Of 169 grantees, 77 (46%) responded. All organizations reported connecting patients to specialty services.
An LGBTQIA+ Symposium to Improve Care for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth
Background and Objectives: Multilevel factors drive health disparities experienced by sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations. We developed a 3-hour symposium focusing on care for SGM youth to address this. The symposium was a free, extracurricular event open to the public, with an emphasis on health professional students and providers from all disciplines and involved interprofessional didactic and interactive components.
Extending the Reach of Pediatric Emergency Preparedness: A Virtual Tabletop Exercise Targeting Children’s Needs
Objectives: Virtual tabletop exercises (VTTXs) simulate disaster scenarios to help participants improve their emergency-planning capacity. The objectives of our study were to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of a VTTX in improving preparedness capabilities specific to children’s needs among pediatricians and public health practitioners, (2) document follow-up actions, and (3) identify exercise strengths and weaknesses.