Six out of 10 older adults across the U.S. currently live with at least one chronic disease, which currently ranks as the leading cause of death in America. When it comes to the Lone Star State, 21.9% of Texas adults reported having one or more of these diseases in 2021, including asthma, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, according to Texas 2036.
The Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) at Texas A&M University is working to help older Texans cope with these debilitating lifelong conditions, backed by a $595,257 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living intended to equip them with the resources and support they need to self-manage chronic disease.
PPRI's project, led by research scientist Dr. Nandita Chaudhuri, is one of only eight selected by ACL for funding throughout the nation. She and her team will be interacting with older Texans and older adults with disabilities to engage them in evidence-based chronic disease self-management education (CDSME) and support programs. In order to achieve this, they plan to leverage the combined resources of the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the Angelina County Senior Center, Amigos del Valle and their respective Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) to implement and evaluate three evidence-based programs that can expand chronic-care capabilities for underserved older Texans.
Chaudhuri says PPRI's key project goal is to develop the capacity to implement, evaluate and sustain evidence-based chronic disease education programs for older Texans who receive meals at each entity's congregate meal site.
“By facilitating learning across practice sites in rural and urban Texas, we hope to significantly increase CDSME program participants and develop an accessible repertoire of Texas-specific sustainable program delivery models,” Chaudhuri said. "Our unique approach is to utilize the congregate meal sites — a critical entry point to Long Term Support Services — to market and deliver the CDSME programs."
The PPRI project is part of the ACL CDSME Grant Program, funded by the Prevention and Public Health Fund. Grantees including PPRI are tasked with helping communities develop or expand evidence-based CDSME and support programs for older adults and adults with disabilities, particularly those in underserved populations or geographic areas.
Learn more about ACL Chronic Disease Self-Management and Education programs or the ACL-funded National Resource Center for CDSME Professionals housed within the National Council on Aging, which serves as the national voice for everyone’s right to age well.
About The Public Policy Research Institute
As a leading policy research group at Texas A&M University, the Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) engages in policy analysis, evaluation and systems management with far-reaching policy impact in myriad fields, including aging and disabilities, public health, children and families, criminal justice, student success and college completion, substance abuse and mental health, and workforce readiness. Through the application of sophisticated research methods, PPRI successfully designs scientific projects that predict and evaluate the effectiveness of local, state, regional, national and international programs and initiatives.