Healthy and Active Communities for Older Adults

Three Successful Community Initiatives

• Ruth Egger, University of Washington– Southeast Senior Physical Activity Network

• Marigrace Becker, Seattle Parks and Recreation– Sound Steps Walking Program

• Seth Schromen-Wawrin, Feet First– Go Cart for Groceries

Overview

SE-SPAN – Southeast Senior Physical Activity Network

Ruth EggerUniversity of Washington

SE-SPAN Goals

• Promote physical activity (PA) among older adults in Southeast Seattle

• Test a community organizing model of creating

senior exercise programs and promoting environmental and policy change

• Find ways of sustaining both individual programs and the overall organizing model

Community Organizing Approach

1. Create new senior physical activity programs by bringing together providers and populations

2. Work toward long-term policy/environmental change and sustainability by building a broader community coalition

Organizing Approach #1 - Programs

• Populations and providers

• Program examples: Walking groups, Enhance Fitness classes, Matter of Balance, Tai Chi

• Accomplishments• Challenges and lessons

learned

Populations

• Five senior housing buildings• SHA Housing• Meal sites-Filipino, Laotian,

Vietnamese• Religious organizations and

churches• Senior Center• Neighborhood House• Jefferson, Rainier and Rainier

Beach CCs• Rainier Park, Rainier Beach

Health Clinics and International Community Health Clinic

Providers

• Seattle Parks and Recreation-Sound Steps and Senior Adult Programs

• Senior Center-Enhance Fitness, both active and chair based; Senior Hikes

• Ethnic Meal Sites and Refugee Groups• Senior Housing• Churches and religious organizations• Health Clinics• Rainier Health and Fitness-Enhance Fitness

Peter Claver Enhance Fitness

Program Accomplishments

• 10 walking groups, 10 Enhance fitness classes (200 total participants)

• Health benefits cited by participants

• Productive collaboration with Parks and Recreation, Group Health Cooperative, Senior Services

• Grant to pay walk leaders• Former PALS participant

is now a walk leader• Walk leaders are taking

leadership roles in other programs

• Informal community of walkers and Enhance Fitness participants forming

Organizing Approach #2 - Coalition

• Coalition-building approaches

• Coalition example: Healthy and Active Rainier Valley Coalition- HARV-C

• Accomplishments• Challenges and lessons

learned

Coalition Example: Healthy and Active Rainier Valley Coalition

• Started with Columbia City Walks health fair• Organizations involved in event wanted to

continue their relationships• Worked with local Steps to a Healthier US

project to provide support for the group• Identified specific goals and activities: Shop-

arounds, Healthy Restaurant Initiative, In Motion, physical activity survey

Coalition Accomplishments

• Network of organizations with relationships with SESPAN• Small group of committed partners to help support the

effort• Healthy and Active Rainier Valley Coalition holding

regular meetings, working on projects• $30,000 available from STEPS for small grant projects• Student interns developed logo and PR materials

Summary

• Early SESPAN results promising

• Organizing approach has led to new senior exercise programs and a local health coalition

• Outreach to informal settings for fitness programs.

Sound Steps

Marigrace BeckerSeattle Parks and Recreation

Purpose

To improve the health and wellness of Seattle adults age 50+ by implementing a community-based walking program designed to encourage physical activity and social interaction.

Step 1: Identify• Target a group of people

based on locale, demographics, ability, common interests, desired health outcomes

• Find a program “champion” to be team captain

Step 2: Organize• Ask program champion

to publicize meeting• Describe health benefits

of walking• As a group, decide:

– Walk days/times & Start date

– Walk route– Incentives– Further outreach

methods

Step 3: Mobilize• Spread the word• Keep it flexible

– Speed, distance, route

• Keep it fun– Special Events– Walker Discounts– Goals/Competitions

Step 4: Sustain• Partner with housing,

health and senior related organizations.

• Recognize and empower volunteers

SE-SPAN + Sound Steps

Partnering for maximum success

Walk Around the World

Walk and Roll

Walk with the Mariners

Senior Half Marathon Walk

Go Cart For GroceriesSeth Schromen-Wawrin

Feet First

Goals

• Increase number of walking trips

• Make it easier for people to walk to the grocery store

• Reduce the amount of driving for short distance errands

Funded through Active Living by Design

Social Marketing Plan• Behavior Change

– Increase physical activity

– Overcoming stereotypes – increase amount of carts

• Assessment of stakeholders– Phone survey– Focus groups

• Product• Price• Place• Promotion

Pilot Program• 3 target populations

– Westwood Heights: Elderly, low-income, Seattle Housing Authority

– Westwood Heights East: family, low-income, Seattle Housing Authority

– Westwood Neighborhood: single family residences, diverse income, live within ½ mile of a target shopping area

• 2 types of carts– VersaCart (SHA)– Perigot (single family)

Westwood Heights

Safeway

½ mile

Westwood Heights East

The Carts• Fancy cart (Perigot) • Functional cart

(VersaCart)

Distribution

• WWH– Resident Council

• WWHE– Door hanger– Door to door

• Single Family– QFC– Door hanger– Door to door– Media

Who’s taking part?Age of Participants

0

5

10

15

20

25

Under 18 18-24 25-34 35-54 55-64 65+

Age

Cou

nt

Single Family

WWH

WHE

Combined

• Median age = 55-64• Physical activity level:

– ~30 minutes a day– WWH higher; WHE lower

Lessons• Easy buy-in• Self-selection?• Difficulties in distribution

– Many people interested, but not at the same destination

– Avoid a salesman stigma

• Shared vs individual

Stories

• “Who would not want a cart with the price of gas this high!?”

• “I can only stand up for less than an hour, so this will make my life much easier and more comfortable”

• “Oh, I can take this on the bus and go up to the Farmer’s Market. And put my laundry in it. It will be great for many things!”

• “We always try to walk to the store and take those canvas bags, but sometimes they just get to heavy and we can’t carry it all.”– Many different reasons that people chose to take part

Questions?