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Chicago, Illinois, November 17, 2001 - Thirteen community-based healthcare and social service organizations from throughout the US and Canada are being recognized with SHARE Awards today, for their programs aimed at improving the health of US and Canadian seniors of various racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The SHARE Awards, now in their third year, are sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline and administered by the University of Pennsylvania Institute on Aging. The awards, totaling nearly $1.5 million, are being given in a ceremony at the Gerontological Society of America's 54th Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago, IL.
"The SHARE Awards program offers small, community-based organizations the extra support they need to launch new programs, or to strengthen ongoing ones, that can substantially improve the lives of elder minorities," said Robert Carr, MD, MPH, Vice President and Corporate Medical Director of GlaxoSmithKline.
In recent years, increased emphasis has been placed on the health and quality of life of older populations. Nevertheless, elders from minority ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds often do not seek the medical care they need. Reasons for their avoidance may include language barriers, poverty, and cultural differences that lead to a distrust of healthcare providers. The SHARE Awards recognize those organizations who have made it their mission to ensure that elder minorities seek and receive the medical care they need to be able to lead full and healthy lives.
Examples of ways in which past SHARE awardees have used their awards to make a tangible difference in their local communities include:
- In St. Paul, Minnesota, participants in the CLUES (Chicanos Latinos Unidos en Servicio) program have taken part in community service activities and regular exercise programs. Participants also join in "Wisdom Circles," during which elders can share information and conversation. One CLUES participant reported feeling "an air that takes out sadness" in the program, while others have reported increased happiness and peacefulness after the sessions. All CLUES participants have reported a higher level of overall satisfaction with their lives since beginning the program.
- In South Dakota, the Lakota-speaking Community Diabetes Coordinators (CDCs) of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe educate older members of the tribe on managing their diabetes. Last year, an older member was hospitalized after a SHARE-funded CDC discovered untreated foot ulcers.
- In Minnesota, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe held a two-day conference honoring hundreds of elders from seven tribes who had made progress in the "Wisdom Steps" program. The conference included health education sessions combined with cultural events such as a drumming circle, dancing and a feast featuring traditional foods.
- In Toronto, seniors in the Elder Abuse and Peer Support Program at St. Christopher House teach their peers about elder abuse and health care through primarily mimed skits. This method helps to reduce the barrier posed by relying on words and a single language to explore an issue so that seniors of various backgrounds learn to problem-solve, share information, and strengthen informal support networks.
"Through the progress of many of our previous awardees, we are now beginning to see the results made possible by the SHARE Awards program," said Jerry C. Johnson, MD, Senior Fellow of the Institute on Aging and Interim Chief of the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. "We are very excited by the positive impact the program has had on the everyday lives of elder minorities."
The 2001 SHARE Awardees have created model programs or plan to undertake a range of programming that address the healthcare needs of diverse older persons within their respective communities, including:
- Eagle Shield Center - Blackfeet Indian Nation of Browning, MT will institute an Elder Wellness Program for the elders of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The program will cover several areas including: elder education, development of a health resources room, disease prevention and coping with chronic disease, exercise programs, a nutritional program, alternative health care methods, traditional and professional mental health care, and a story hour during which elders will share Blackfeet traditions with the youth of the tribe.
- In New York, NY, Senior Action in a Gay Environment seeks to improve the organizational culture and cultural competence of front-line caregivers for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender older adults in assisted, acute, long-term, and home based settings. To this end, SAGE will develop a training program, field test the program by conducting a series of in-service training sessions at three senior care centers, and assess changes in the behaviors of the caregivers, policies of the institutions, and attitudes of the elders in care. Pending successful field testing, the program will be disseminated nationally.
- In Philadelphia, PA, Aid for Friends provides home-cooked meals and companionship to homebound elders in the area's African American, Hispanic and Polish-speaking church parishes. AFF encourages diverse members of the community to become involved as cooks or, after providing them the proper training, as visitors to the elders' homes. AFF also provides grants to local schools that volunteer to assemble breakfast bags, with the children including handmade cards for the elders who will receive the food.
- In Honolulu, HI, Moiliili Hongwanji Mission's Project Dana, named after the Buddhist principle of selfless giving without desire for reward or recognition, assists the growing population of frail elderly in Hawaii with services ranging from friendly visits to transportation and minor home repairs. As 90% of the population they serve is of Asian or Pacific Islander background, the 700 volunteer caregivers of Project Dana are trained to address the healthcare needs of Hawaiian elders while remaining sensitive to their cultural traditions and beliefs. Project Dana operates at 24 sites in Hawaii and two in California, and served more than 750 frail and elderly individuals last year alone.
- In Atlanta, GA, the Council on Aging has developed a multi-faceted outreach program directed towards assisting isolated Fulton County elders who are not receiving proper health services, public benefits, entitlements, and community-based services. They provide access to services such as physical exams, dental services, in-home services, transportation, utility discounts, prescription programs, recreational programs, and housing repairs. CoA's programs include a housing peer counseling program and a peer outreach program, both of which empower elders to assist one another.
Two types of SHARE Awards are being given:
- One-year, $50,000 Leadership Awards are recognizing organizations that have had a positive, measurable impact on the well being of diverse groups of older persons.
- Granting up to $200,000 over two years, Innovation Awards are honoring organizations that have proposed new approaches to improving healthcare access and outcomes for these elders.
Additionally, four organizations received Honorable Mention Awards of $1,000.
SHARE Awardees are chosen by an independent US-Canadian advisory board made up of professionals in the fields of multiculturalism and aging, representatives of community-based organizations, and elder consumers.
Complete information on the SHARE Awards is available on the Institute on Aging web site, at www.uphs.upenn.edu/SHARE
About the Institute on Aging
The Institute on Aging is part of the University of Pennsylvania's growing health system and serves as the focal point for a variety of disciplines, viewpoints, and
comprehensive programs related to geriatrics and gerontology. The Institute's mission is to improve the physiological, psychological, and social well being of older persons through state-of the-art interdisciplinary research, education, and clinical services.
About GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) - one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies - is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.
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