Addressing Older Adult Health: A Community Assessment Project in Opelika, AL
Josephine Bauer, Caroline Bolton, Ellie Busch, Sara Jane Morton, Elizabeth Herring, & Dre Watkins
Background:
As chronic health conditions continues to plague public
health concerns, the older adult population specifically
raises a concern (Olivera et al., 2021). Proper nutrition is
important for all body systems within an aging adult
(Gomez et al., 2022). The Opelika Sportsplex provides a
community for those 65 and older. Within this group,
diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension are some of
their greatest health concerns (personal communication,
February 1, 2023). Many of the members lack the
knowledge of vitamin and mineral importance in relation
to their health. The purpose of this assessment is to
evaluate the effects of an educational program discussing
the importance of vitamins and minerals and exemplifying
adequate food choices on promoting healthier diets among
older adults in Opelika Alabama.
Healthy People 2023 and the Intervention:
The Opelika Sportsplex offered an opportunity to host a
presentation after an older adult exercise class. The
presentation emphasized the importance of different
vitamins and minerals associated with relative disease
processes, as well as education on how to choose related
foods. A vitamin and minerals trivia was conducted to test
the participants’ understanding of the material presented.
Healthy People 2030 aims to improve quality of life by
recommending healthy amounts of key nutrients. (Healthy
People 2030, 2021) .
Lessons learned and Recommendations:
-Thus is a determined community group. Very much
willing to learn more about the intervention provided.
-based on primary prevention efforts. Included education
and participation.
-Recommended to achieve a baseline of prior knowledge
of vitamins and minerals,
-Recommended to address medications as well.
Auburn University School of Nursing
Community Assessment Discussion:
- Economic Stability- The rates for the amount of people living in poverty over the
age of 65 is 11% in the state of Alabama and 8% in Opelika. The economic stability in
Opelika is reflected in a 2.2% unemployment rate, 31.6% of the residents having
Medicaid insurance, and 21.9% of families having an income of less than $10,000.
Silver Sneakers provides exercise classes and addresses healthcare needs through state
funds, which helps people who are not economically stable.
- Education Access and Quality- The education in Opelika is higher than the state of
Alabama with 91.6% completing high school or higher and 45.2% completing a
bachelor’s degree or higher. The school system is at the center of the town and
strongly identifies Opelika with its nine public schools and Southern Union State
Community College.
- Healthcare Access and Quality- Transportation greatly influences access to
healthcare and presents a problem as the Opelika community provides very little
public transportation through a bus system. The fee for the bus system is $450 a year.
There is one main hospital for the population of 101,080 in Opelika, which does not
include people in surrounding areas who need access to this hospital. Silver Sneakers
helps members with getting access to healthcare, any healthcare questions, and is state
funded through insurance.
- Neighborhood and Built Environment- The town of Opelika is comprised of a
variety of races including 62.5% white, 25% black or african American and 12.5% are
of other races. Most of the population is female with a 50.9% and the remaining
49.1% is male. Opelika housing is mostly 30+ years old, but recently new houses are
being built. There are also a variety of private parks and sportsplex for public use.
- Social and Community Context- The Opelika sportsplex hosts the Silver sneakers
community group for seniors which offers over 30 exercise activities weekly. This
community offers healthcare aids such as clinics, blood pressure readings and an
annual health fair.
Results of Intervention:
- 11 participants attended the intervention session.
- The members’ ages ranged from 51 to 81 years old, with
the average age being 71.73 years old.
- A paper questionnaire was given to the members to
evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.
- 72.73% of the attendees said their knowledge on
different types of vitamins improved a lot.
- 63.64% stated that their knowledge on the benefits of
vitamins improved a lot, while the other 36.36% still said
it improved somewhat.
- 72.73% said they had a better understanding of vitamin
interactions with common medications.
- 100% of the participants rated that they were extremely
satisfied with the material presented.
References:
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https://medicaid.alabama.gov/documents/2.0_Newsroom/2.6_Statistics/2.6_Eligibility_by_County_November_1-19-23.pdf
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3. Daily Advertiser. (2023). Unemployment Rate - Lee County, AL. USA TODAY network. Retrieved February 7, 2023, from
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https://www.towncharts.com/Alabama/Economy/Lee-County-AL-Economy-data.html
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https://www.towncharts.com/Alabama/Alabama-state-Education-data.html
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Nutrition: Home-delivered and Congregate Meal Services for Older Adults. (2021, December). Healthy People 2030.
https://health.gov/healthypeople/tools-action/browse-evidence-based-resources/nutrition-home-delivered-and-congregate-
meal-services-older-adults