Knott County CES

Title:

Embracing Life as We Age

MAP:

Family Wellness

Agents Involved:

Linda Combs

Situation:

With the unemployment rate in the county on the rise up to 15.6% through 2015 and early 2016, community leaders through surveys, council meetings, and one-on-one face meetings have directed Extension programming to focus on areas dealing with: family relations, drugs, unemployment, motivating children to succeed, peer pressure, helping aging baby boomers learn to adapt to the aging process and financial management. Many of Knott County families struggle with one or more of these problems. Children who start kindergarten with delayed development and fewer assets are by far more likely to repeat grades, get tracked into lower-tier classes and drop out of high school. Knott County’s population of seniors is 13.4% a number that is expected to increase due to aging baby boomers.

Long-Term Outcomes:

•Decrease falls

•Decrease obesity

•Decrease # of individuals with chronic disease

•Increase physical activity

•Increase caregiving knowledge and quality relationships

•Improve financial education

•Improve healthy homes and communities

•Improve quality of life for Knott County's aging families

Intermediate Outcomes:

Change behavior to decrease risk of falling.

•Increase communication and enhance relationships and social support.

•Enhance brain activity

•Improve mental health

•Increase skills to interact/work with older adults

•Make healthy eating choices and follow safe food handling practices

•Work as a family unit to acknowledge and embrace aging issues

Initial Outcomes:

•Decrease the risk of falling

•Increase healthy lifespan behaviors

•Life story and legacy

•Empathy

•Understand death, dying, loss and bereavement.

•Practice healthy eating and food safety•Financial Planning

•Understand age-related family issues (e.g. dementia, power of attorney, living wills, failing health, end-of-life)

Evaluation:

Intermediate Outcome: Adapt lifestyles to promote healthy aging:

Indicator: percentage of program participants that show change

Method: pre-tests, post tests, surveys

Timeline: on-going

Long-term Outcome: Knott County families will improve quality of life for aging family members

Indicator: number of families that have chronic diseases decrease and they increase the amount of physical activity and improve family relations

Method: pre and post tests, observations

Timeline: on-going

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Adults

Project or Activity:  Holiday Showcase

Content or Curriculum: UK Extension curriculum

Inputs: FCS agents

Date: Nov 2020

Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Stress Relief through Mindfulness

Content or Curriculum:  UK Extension Curriculum & other UK materials

Inputs:  Agents

Date:  On going