Status Report: Title III-D Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (DPHP) Evaluation

Status Report: Title III -D Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (DPHP) Evaluation - Completed Winter 2006

Title III -D seeks to initiate programs designed to help older adults prevent/manage chronic disease and increase healthier lifestyles. These programs are meant to be catalysts toward the development of more comprehensive DPHP programs.

RTI International conducted a qualitative study to increase the understanding of the impact of the Title III -D program including delivery mechanisms, program development processes, partnerships, funding, leverage, comprehensiveness, sustainability and outcomes. The study also sought to identify how local community based DPHP initiatives fit into the overall activities of the Area Agencies on Aging (AAA).
Outcome: After surveying eight AAA’s to develop a composite view that addressed the goals of the evaluation, some highlights of the results showed:

Title III -D programs do stimulate innovation and test out new approaches through partnerships that extend the reach of DPHP programs;

DPHP programs can be used as change catalysts to modify OAA programs to attract new clients such as boomers and to re-orient the focus of senior centers to future needs of older adults;

A greater focus on tracking outcomes is needed and this could aid AAA’s in sustaining and expanding DPHP programs;

DPHP programs, especially those that are evidence based, can be an effective means to improve the quality of life of older adults.

Reports: Assessment of Title III-D of the Older Americans Act: Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (Research Triangle Institute)

Fact Sheet on the Study (AoA)

Final Report (RTI)

Case Studies (RTI)