Celebrating Healthy Aging Across the Life Span: Thinking Intergenerationally about Public Health Practice

Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) held a national webinar exploring healthy aging across the lifespan. Building on the recognition of September’s Healthy Aging Month, we highlighted strategies to enhance wellbeing at every age and ensure a higher quality of life for all.

As Americans live longer and healthier lives, the public health sector can enhance supports for people across the lifespan. TFAH’s Age-Friendly Public Health Systems initiative offers strategies for strengthening public health policy and programs to build effective healthy aging efforts. In addition to older adults, populations at key life stages—including children, young adults, and near-older adults—and their advocates are also navigating the effects of public health policies and finding opportunities to advance health.

The webinar highlights strategies for public health practitioners to advance key programs and practices that promote health across the life span. Speakers discussed policy considerations for key age groups and shared how public health leaders are navigating the current health policy environment. Participants gained insight into opportunities for collaboration and how to integrate strategies into their work, informing the future of intergenerational public health practice.

Resources

• Tennessee Department of Health Office of Healthy Aging
• National Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Association: CMS Issues Guidance on Expanding PACE Access in Rural Areas
• Milbank Memorial Fund: What the World Can Teach the United States about Aging
• AARP: How States Can Support Family Caregivers Under Medicaid’s Community Engagement Requirements

Panelists

• Marilyn Cabrera, MPH
  Marilyn serves as the Federal Policy and Advocacy Manager for Healthcare at Young Invincibles. She has previously held several roles within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  Bio
  
• Lindsey Ilagan, MS
  Lindsey’s journey in public health began with a deep-rooted belief in the power of community collaboration. Drawing inspiration from indigenous knowledge systems of health while acknowledging the rich, complex cultural tapestry of Hawaiʻi, she takes pride in working alongside community partners to address social drivers of health inequity and decentralizing systems of care.
  Bio
  
• Morgan F. McDonald, M.D.
  Morgan F. McDonald, M.D., is the Milbank Memorial Fund’s National Director of Population Health. McDonald served most recently as the Interim Health Commissioner for Tennessee and previously as Deputy Commissioner for Population Health and Assistant Commissioner for Family Health and Wellness.
  Bio
  

Moderator

• Breanca Merritt
  Breanca Merritt is TFAH’s Director of Policy. In that role she leads a portfolio of policy initiatives, convenings, and partnerships designed to develop and support health promoting programs and policies and advance TFAH’s policy goals.
  Bio