WASHINGTON, July 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday the launch of a $15 million bid to improve quality of life for seniors.
Seeking to enlist older people in determining their own health destinies through good habits, HHS said it would collaborate with The Atlantic Philanthropies to "improve the health and quality of life for older Americans at the community level."
The three-year project will span as many as 12 states and will involve public/private collaborations that will fund community-based programs at senior centers, nutrition programs, senior housing projects and faith-based organizations, the agency said.
At least 30 local communities will have programs in place within a year, HHS noted.
"This collaboration, led by the Administration on Aging (AoA) and involving several HHS agencies, states, and various public and private organizations at the community level, will empower older people to take more control of their own health through life style and behavioral changes that have proven effective in reducing the risk of disease and disability among the elderly," said HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt in a statement released Wednesday.
"Simply put, this collaboration will put the results of our research investments into the hands of older people so they can use it to improve the quality of their lives."
Chronic conditions including arthritis, diabetes and heart disease limit the activities of an estimated 12 million older persons living in U.S. communities, HHS said, and together account for seven out of 10 deaths and more than three-quarters of U.S. health expenditures.
