Headline
Website offers a qualitative database of personal narratives to support providers and policymakers in designing policies that better reflect the lived experience, needs, and priorities of older adults.
Context
Communities have valuable insights that can help shape the policies and programs that affect their health and well-being. Yet, community members are too often excluded from policy- and decision-making processes. As the aging population faces increasingly complex health and social challenges, it is critical for health systems and policymakers to hear directly from affected communities and collaborate with them to design more effective, community-driven solutions.
About this Tool
This database captures the lived experiences of diverse older adults who are lower income, of color, or residents of rural areas through video narratives, as well as shares the insights of caregivers and subject matter experts. Policymakers, legislators, and state program leaders can use the database to:
- Hear directly from older adults about their experiences and challenges when seeking health care and social services and supports;
- Better assess the impact of current policies and programs; and
- Develop more responsive and community-driven policies and programs.
Takeaways
This database provides policymakers, health system leaders, advocates, and other key stakeholders with accessible qualitative data on the lived experiences of older adults. By making this information readily available, it supports informed policy development, strategic program planning, advocacy efforts, and research aimed at addressing the complex health and social needs of an aging population.
