The Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative OHAI is a program of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Department of Geriatric Medicine. With five Centers of Healthy Aging across the state of Oklahoma, OHAI educates older Oklahomans, Caregivers and Providers in all 77 counties. The Northeast Center of Healthy Aging NE CHA based in Tulsa and was the first of the OHAI centers to open in 2012. Staffed by an Education Director, Education Specialist and LPN 12, the NE CHA is responsible for coordinating the education and assistance to a nineteen county service area in Northeastern Oklahoma. The OHAI staff will provide community education based classes in the areas most affected by the recent flooding of the Arkansas River. These sessions for community members will be based on two existing classes: Healthy Brain, Healthy Mind and Gateway Diabetes Self-Management Educations. OHAI will also provide sessions targeting disaster preparedness/response and emergency staff based on the Aging Simulation Sensitivity Training ASiST program developed at the University of Oklahomas Department of Geriatric Medicine. Additional detail about all three of these existing classes is provided below. These classes will be taught by OHAI staff or volunteer instructors who are all trained and experienced 12s. Our 12s are well connected in the local communities they teach in and have strong networks with aging related and community organizations. OHAI 12s will work with faith based organizations, Area Agencies on Aging, senior nutrition sites, banks, pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, counseling, home health, hospice, libraries, county and municipal governments to locate individuals in need of community programming and/or disaster and emergency staff who wish to be trained. OHAI will also work with the agencies and organizations listed above, along with local news media, Facebook and Constant Contact to advertise the programming in the affected areas.
Project Details
Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative - Northeast Office
Devon Murray