ACHE

Creating Livable Communities for Older Arkansans

Summer 2023 Newsletter

Dr. Peter Gess, Professor of Politics

Students: Kiera Boop, Raven Johnson, Kayla Grabinski, and Phillip Powell

Hendrix College, Department of Politics

As the average age of Arkansas’ population rises, so does the urgency of planning for walkable streets, diverse transportation options and housing, and a variety of activities and services. In partnership with AGEC and AARP Arkansas, students in the Hendrix College course, Advanced Policy Analysis, studied older Arkansans views of livable communities. Students began by creating a telephone survey; this survey was completed by Hendrix and Talk Business & Politics during March 2023.

About the Participants

901 Arkansans completed the automated telephone survey. 68.8% of the respondents were between 65 and 74 years old; 31.2% were 75 years old or older. 87.5% identified as White, non-Hispanic; 6.3% as Black; 0.7% as Hispanic; 0.6% as Asian/Pacific; and 5.0% as other, preferred not to answer, or mixed. 60.2% identified as women, 39.1% as men, and 0.8 as other or preferred not to answer. 23.8% identified their community as urban, 36.2% as suburban, and 40.1% as rural.

Survey Findings

For most questions, at least half of the respondents indicated that they were satisfied with quality-of-life issues. For example, 59.9% of respondents state that the quality of life for older persons is better in Arkansas than other states, or the same as in other states (13.7% state that it is worse, 26.3% don’t know). 86.6% are happier or somewhat happier now than when they were younger (14.0% are less happy now). Importantly, nearly two-thirds of survey participants plan to continue to live out their lives in their current location. Most older Arkansans, 69.2%, feel safe in their communities (and another 27.5% feel “somewhat” safe).

However, there are large differences in the responses between rural and urban/suburban respondents. Rural respondents are much more likely to be satisfied with the cost of living (44.3% of rural respondents find it inexpensive where they live, as compared to 28.0% of urban respondents). In contrast, access to health care and groceries are more challenging for rural, older Arkansans. Only 5.1% of urban respondents travel more than 15 minutes to a grocery store, while 27.1% of rural respondents travel more than 15 minutes (nearly 2% travel more than 30 minutes). Similarly, only 35.0% of urban respondents travel more than 15 minutes to meet their health care needs; 65.9% of rural respondents must do so (with 25.8% traveling more than 30 minutes). Only 2% of urban/suburban respondents are dissatisfied with their healthcare; 11.4% of rural respondents are dissatisfied.

Information and technology needs follow a similar pattern. 2.4% of urban/suburban respondents lack access to fast and reliable internet; 13.3% of rural respondents lack access. Perhaps unsurprisingly, 27.5% of rural respondents state there are not enough interesting recreational activities nearby (compared to only 13.0% of rural/suburban respondents). Rural respondents are divided on the types of activities they would most like to see; they prefer restaurants/shopping (27.4%), but also list outdoor activities (11.9%), indoor activities (11.9%), and arts/entertainment activities (11.1%).

Policy Recommendations for the City of Conway, Arkansas

As a component of the Advanced Policy Analysis course, students utilized the survey results and additional research to develop a list of policy recommendations for the City of Conway, where Hendrix College is located. In 2020, the city performed a citizens survey and found that 64 percent of the respondents found Conway to be a good or excellent place to retire; however, this was the lowest percentage of all similar categories (e.g., Conway is a excellent place for families, children, etc.).

The Talk Business & Politics survey results are listed by US congressional district; although the students were unable to identify Conway-specific respondents, they were able to generalize using the Arkansas 2^nd Congressional District (it is important to recognize that Little Rock is also located in the 2^nd District). 81.6% of 2^nd District respondents feel government should be more responsive to their needs. This is higher than for the other congressional districts.

43% of 2^nd District respondents interact in person with family, friends, or social groups outside the home once a week, or less frequently. Before the pandemic, 91.2% of older Arkansas residents were somewhat or very satisfied with their level of social connection; during and after the pandemic, there was a 12.5% decrease in this level of satisfaction (2022 Hendrix College-Talk Business survey).

Recommendations for the City of Conway include:

Establish a citizen-advisory committee to advocate for the needs and concerns of older residents;
Hold public forms to solicit input from older residents;
Extend the hours of the Farmers Market;
Create more intergenerational traffic at local events by including new vendors with multigenerational interests (art, food, coffee, clothing, etc.);
Develop marketing and advertising strategies that target older residents;
Ensure all city events have sufficient and accessible seating; and
Continue plans to develop a Conway Entertainment District.

Educating and Sharing Information

On April 17, 2023, in partnership with AGEC and Arkansas AARP, Hendrix College hosted the symposium, “Creating Livable Communities for Older Arkansans.” The program featured a variety of speakers and topics, including:

Mike Watson, director of livable communities for the national office of AARP, provided an overview of livable communities;
Ashley McBride, state director of AARP Arkansas, shared about livable communities on the local level, including AARP’s work in Little Rock;
Hendrix students presented their research findings and policy recommendations.

The symposium recording can be found here: https://vimeo.com/event/3237520

Livable Communities For Older Arkansans Video

Using Interprofessional Education to Improve Health Outcomes in the Geriatric Community

Summer 2023 Newsletter

Darshon Reed, Ph.D.

Associate Dean and Professor of Psychology

University of Central Arkansas, Department of Psychology and Counseling

Over 100 UCA students and faculty in the College of Health & Behavioral Sciences (CHBS) participated in a communitywide health fair focused on individuals 50 and older on Saturday, April 15^th, 2023. The UCA School of Nursing partnered with Second Baptist Church of Conway to coordinate and host the community health fair, which included a variety of screenings for older adults. The departments within CHBS that collaborated to provide screenings included School of Nursing, Exercise and Sport Science, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Nutrition, Family and Consumer Sciences.

It is vital that healthcare professionals have a holistic health perspective and have the ability to work collaboratively with other healthcare team members. The community health fair’s focus on older individuals allowed students direct access and experience working with the aging population while also providing a learning environment that supported interprofessional education. Screenings included blood pressure, blood glucose, depression, polypharmacy, healthy eating, balance and functional mobility, fine motor, exercise endurance, low vision, and financial literacy. Health fair participants received health passports that included their screening results and were encouraged to share this information with their primary healthcare physician. Those that did not have a primary healthcare physician or who did not have access to care were provided information about the UCA Community Care Clinic housed in the Interprofessional Teaching Center (ITC) at 2200 Bruce Street in Conway, AR.

The ITC offers collaborative and one-on-one healthcare services to the Central Arkansas community. The providers within the ITC are not only practitioners, but also instructors in their specialty fields. Thus, the clinic provides a unique, hands-on experience for students to learn from experienced practitioners and from students within other healthcare disciplines while also meeting the healthcare needs of the community. Follow-up debriefings with students and faculty will occur during the fall 2023 semester to plan for more health fairs for older populations.

Students at Arkansas Colleges of Health Education Engage in Geriatric-Focused Education and Training

Summer 2023 Newsletter

Jennifer Moore, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, CLA – Dean, School of Occupational Therapy

Through the generous subaward granted, students from the Schools of Occupational and Physical Therapy – ACHE OT and ACHE PT at the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education were able to engage in a geriatric-focused education and training.

Specifically, an evidence-based curriculum that includes quality physical, mental, and emotional care while infusing cultural, ethical, patient-centered concepts that focus on what matters most to the older adult was incorporated in ACHE OT and ACHE PT doctoral curricula. The learning activities focused on the Age-Friendly Health System’s 4 M’s (Mentation, Mobility, Medication & What Matters). The following learning experiences and activities were carried out:

The components of the 4M’s Age-Friendly Care Curriculum were created and embedded into occupational therapy’s Productive Aging course and physical therapy’s Geriatric Physical Therapy course. The learning activities will be implemented in the courses during the Fall 2023 semester. Examples of learning activities:
- Interprofessional Fall Risks and Home Evaluation assignment – students from occupational therapy, physical therapy, and nursing will collaborate to conduct a fall risks assessment and home evaluation, analyze the results of the assessments, and design a program to ensure the safety of the older adults living in their homes. This face-to-face collaboration will help students learn how to work effectively as an interprofessional team to provide best practice for the older adults served.
- Intraprofessional assignment with occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant students (ACHE OT and Delaware OTA programs). This virtual collaboration will help students learn how to work effectively as an intraprofessional team to provide best practice for the older adults served.
- Fall prevention program – led by trained Matter of Balance faculty, occupational therapy students will engage/help facilitate in the Matter of Balance Fall Prevention Program with community dwelling older adults in Sebastian County.
- Assistive Technology assignment – students from ACHE OT will design, train/educate older adults from the community in the use of assistive technologies to enhance independence with self-care activities, home and community mobility, health management (medication management, exercise, etc.), leisure, and social participation. This assignment will help students incorporate knowledge and skills learned from the Optimizing Occupations Through Technology course in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program.
- Walkability assignment – students from ACHE OT will engage in a walkability study. The purpose of this assignment is for students to gain competency in evaluating and designing solutions for older adults to enhance community mobility.
- CarFit – students from ACHE OT will engage in a CarFit experience. The purpose of this assignment is for students to gain competency in evaluating the needs of older adults to enhance community mobility and driving safety.
- Dementia assignment – students from ACHE OT will engage in a dementia simulation through the use of technology and experience. The purpose of this assignment is for students to gain a better understanding of the challenges of patients with dementia and their family experiences to be a better healthcare provider.
Acting Creates Therapeutic Success (ACTS) – the subaward funds provided resources to support the ACTS program for older adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) in the community. ACTS is a community based program designed to provide opportunities for participation in the performing arts. The program is led by occupational therapy faculty and students, is held weekly throughout the year, and culminates in a public performance. In addition, students have the opportunity to engage with older adults with ID/DD in the program; thereby developing knowledge and skills in best practice as they work with this population.
The public is invited to attend The Great Diamond Heist that will be held on August 29, 2023 at 6:00 at the AR Colleges of Health Education Research Institute Health and Wellness Center, 1000 Fianna Way, Fort Smith, AR. For more information, please contact Jennifer Moore at jennifer.moore@achehealth.edu

The Schools of Occupational and Physical Therapy from the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education thank Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative for providing the generous funds to support these activities and opportunities that enhance the learning of healthcare students and enrich the lives of older adults.