Overarching Priority: Assist Mercer County
Residents Achieve a Healthy Weight and Lifestyle Throughout Their Lives.

Priority Group IV – Seniors

GOAL XI: TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND REDUCE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG SENIORS.

Key CHNA Findings:

  • The percent of Mercer County residents reporting 14 days or more where their mental health was not good was 16.9%
  • 14.9% of Mercer County residents report depression.
  • 5.5% of Mercer County residents report heavy drinking.
  • The inpatient substance abuse treatment and Emergency Department use rate increased between 2013-2016.

Objective:

11.1 Increase drug awareness programs offered to Seniors.
11.2 Implement the “Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s” BOLD Act Policy Framework Bill 52076
December 31, 2018.

Strategy

Performance Indicator

Responsible Party

11.1a

Organize “Alternatives to Pain Medication” talks at the
nutrition programs, senior housing, apartment complexes,
and assisted living centers.

 # of participants in lectures.

a) MCADA
RWJ-Hamilton

11.1b

Advertise medication collection days, the location of the medication collection boxes, and how to obtain a Deterra Bag for the shut-ins.

# of pounds of medication collected annually.
# of Deterra bags dispensed.


b) Office on Aging
Mercer Home Health Care

Meals on Wheels

RWJ-Hamilton

Princeton Health Department

Lawrence Health Department

11.1c

Provide a “Resiliency Enhancement” lecture for seniors at a nutrition center in 2019.

· # of attendees to the program.

c) Mercer County

Human Services

RWJ-Hamilton


11.1d


Provide information to the staff of the senior centers, Meals on Wheels, and Mobile Meals of Hamilton, to help them recognize signs and symptoms of stress, and recognize when seniors are in need of support, and how to refer for services.

· # of attendees to the program.

d) Mercer County

Human Services

Office on Aging

RWJ-Hamilton

Strategy

Performance Indicator

Responsible Party

11.2a


11.2b

Organize presentations to seniors on dementia/ Alzheimer’s Disease, diagnosis,
treatment, community support/resources, caregiver support each year.


Design and distribute brochures about dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease available for shut-ins.

# of participants attending lectures.



# of flyers distributed

a)
Alzheimer’s Assoc.

TCNJ

RWJ-Hamilton

b) Alzheimer Assoc.
Meals on Wheels
Mercer Home Health Care
RWJ-Hamilton
Office on Aging

11.2c

Alzheimer Association will lead an educational lecture for CAB members and health care workers on the implications of the new dementia legislation passed in
December 2018.

# of attendees.

Program lecture delivered.

c)
Alzheimer Assoc.

GMPHP

Community Well

GOAL XII: TO PREVENT AND REDUCE CHRONIC DISEASE THROUGH
NUTRITION AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE EDUCATION.

Key CHNA Findings:

  • 14% of Mercer County residents report chronic disease as their top health concern.
  • 21% of survey respondents indicated they worry about whether their food would last before they got money to buy more; and 13% rely
    on community supper or food pantry or meal assistance programs.

Objectives:

12.1 Increase the nutrition education and health screenings at nutrition centers, by 10%, by 2021.

12.2 Increase nutrition education and access to screenings by 10% annually, for Meals on Wheels recipients.

Strategy

Performance Indicator

Responsible Party

12.1a








12.1b

Distribute 1,200 educational placemats that were developed

at the GMPHP to the nutrition centers once a month. The themes
include stroke prevention, fall prevention, healthy eating, tips to
remember medication, flu, energy in/energy out, emergency preparedness, senior depression, senior hydration, signs of Alzheimer’s, tobacco cessation, hearing.



Provide 1 nutrition education and healthy lifestyle presentation once a month at senior nutrition sites each month at senior nutrition sites each year.

· # of placemats dispensed each month.





· # of programs offered.

· # of attendees.

a) GMPHP Board will share the responsibility each month. Capital Health Medical Center
St. Francis Medical Center

RWJ-Hamilton
Trenton Health Department

b) Rutgers Cooperative Extension Family and Community Health Sciences

12.2a

Collaborate with partners, the public health nurses, and non-profits to
develop a program on interventions, screening and prevention.

· # of programs and attendees.

· Operational Plan for Screening Program.

a)Hunderdon/Mercer Chronic Disease Coalition

Capital Health Medical Center RWJ Hamilton

St Francis Medical Center

NJ Screen

12.2b

Provide a diabetes self-management program at a senior center in 2019.

· # ofparticipants.

· Pre- and post-test.

b)Hunterdon/Mercer Chronic Disease
Coalition RWJ-HamiltonSt. Francis Medical Center


12.2c


Gather baseline number of people with diabetes who took
self- management programs in 2018.


· of patients who took program

Capitalhealth Medical CenterRWJ HospitalSt FrancisMedical CenterTrentonHealth Team

12.2d

Create a flyer with all the hospital diabetes self-management programs
listed and distribute to all the practitioners.


· Track # of patients in program 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Capital health Medical Center
RWJ Hospital
St Francis Medical Center Trenton Health Team

GOAL XIII: TO SUPPORT AND ENHANCE THE NUTRITIONAL HEALTH OF SENIORS.

Key CHNA Findings:

  • 21% of survey respondents indicated worry about whether their food would last before they got money to buy more; and 13% rely on community supper or food pantry or meal assistance programs.

Objective:

13.1 Advocate to support the Food Desert Elimination Act A4700 in 2018.
13.2 Improve the quality of food donations to the local food pantries.
13.3 Increase access to high quality fresh food in pounds, to seniors experiencing food insecurity.

Strategy

Performance Indicator

Responsible Party

13.1a

GMPHP sent a letter of support to NJ
legislature for the Food Dessert Bill.


·Letter sent December 2018.

a) GMPHP

Capital Health Medical Center
St. Francis Medical Center
RWJ-Hamilton

13.1b

Follow-up
with work group to implement actions determined by the Legislature, in 2019.


·Not available yet

b) GMPHP

13.2a

Develop a
culturally, linguistically appropriate flyer promoting healthy foods to
donate to a food pantry.


· Flyer formed and promoted.

a) Jewish Family Children Services

Princeton Health Department

13.2b

Research
the availability of the RWJ Food Van to do an event in an underserved area in
2019.


· Event booked in 2019.

b) GMPHP
RWJ-Hamilton

13.3a

Provide and post information at Senior Centers and Senior Housing about the location
of farmers markets in Mercer County.


· # of postings at Senior Centers.

Office on Aging
RWJ-Hamilton

St. Francis Medical Center

13.3b

Distribute the Mercer Street Friends list of food pantries to CAB members, stakeholders,
community centers, town websites, churches, by promoting http://mercerstreetfriends.org/food-bank/where-to-find-help/



· # of CAB members.


b) GMPHP

13.3c

Deliver between 2 and 4 nutrition education lessons or series at senior housing sites that receive the Commodity Supplemental Food Program through Mercer Street Friends in 2019.*

· # of participants in program and number of programs.

c) NJ SNAP-ED

*On-going programming subject to grant funding in Yrs. 2 & 3.

GOAL XIV: IMPROVE ACCESS & AWARENESS OF TRANSPORTATION
SERVICES TO HEALTH CARE IN MERCER COUNTY.

Key CHNA Findings:

  • Among survey respondents, access to transportation services received among the lowest rating for community services. This was particularly true for males, minorities and low income residents.

Objectives:

14.1 Increase the use of public transportation and Ride Provide among seniors, by 10%.

Strategy

Performance Indicator

Responsible Party

14.1a

14.1b

14.1c

Update Mobility guide.

Launch new guide via email distribution to all members of the GMPHP.

Advocate for specific transportation service.

· Guide updated and available

on GMTMA and GMPHP website.






· Advocacy Campaign initiated.

a) GMTMA

b) GMPHP

c) GMTMA

14.1d

Conduct travel instruction for seniors, people with disabilities and low income individuals.

· # of sessions.

d) GMTMA

14.1e

Hold travel instruction, Connect to Transit seminars for case managers, health care providers and others working with the targeted populations.

· # of participants.

e) GMTMA
RWJ-Hamilton