Making a Difference
2013 - 2014
Adult Development and Aging Program Focus Team
Grand
Challenges
K-State Research
and Extension:
providing education
you can trust to help
people, businesses,
and communities
solve problems,
develop skills, and
build a better future.
Ethel Schneweis
Family and Consumer
Sciences Agent
620-227-4542
eschnewe@ksu.edu
Libby Curry
Family and Consumer
Sciences Specialist
785-462-6281
lcurry@ksu.edu
Enriching the Lives of Older Kansans
and Adults with Disabilities
Situation
According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, 18.4 percent of Kansans are age 60 or older,
and the population is trending older as baby boomers move into later life. Because older
adults are more likely to experience disability and chronic disease, the need for caregiving
is also likely to increase. In 2009, 26 percent of Kansans reported providing care to a family
member or friend with a health problem, long-term illness, or disability.
What We Did
The Adult Development and Aging Program Focus Team addressed issues of growing older
with various programs. Agents conducted the Master of Memory program; provided the
family and consumer sciences lessons “AgeSense: Adapting to Life’s Changes,” “AgeSense:
The Caregiving Journey,” and “Kansans Optimizing Health”; coordinated Aging Expos in
northwest and southeast Kansas; offered educational presentations on downsizing and
on managing potentially dangerous household items, and presented a self-care program,
Powerful Tools for Caregivers.
Outcomes
At an Aging Expo, 90 percent of the participants indicated their feelings about aging
improved because of what they learned. Thirty-seven participants received bone-density
screening, and 35 received eye screening. A follow-up survey of 27 participants indicated
92 percent had a better understanding of aging issues, 81 percent indicated they had
taken action or changed something in their lives, and 30 percent said they had used
information received at the resource fair. In the expo’s professional track, participants
learned about traumatic brain injury, medication reduction, fall prevention, and “golden
experiences.” Twenty-eight extension agents and four external personnel were trained to
provide Powerful Tools for Caregivers programs.
Success Story
Aging Expo participants reported the following:
•
An eye exam indicated a need for new glasses, which improved balance and depth
perception.
•
A family recognized the need to complete living wills.
•
Professional track participants planned to show families how to use gait belts to help
with their loved ones’ mobility and planned to teach care staff about the importance
of maintaining elders’ dignity by avoiding the use of pet names.
Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.