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 Dancing
is a wonderful exercise that can be enjoyed for a life time.
With healthy eating habits, couples, like the one featured
here, can have a long life of dancing salsa, tangos and paso
dobles!
That’s why Casita Maria addressed the needs of healthcare
providers and seniors experiencing medical challenges with
the development of the Casita Maria Senior Health (CMSH)
Curriculum. The curriculum resulted as part of the Elderly
Nutrition Needs & Health Awareness Project that was conducted
by a team of highly trained nutritionists and medical professionals
from January 2003 to August 2004 through funding provided
by the Indirect Vitamins Purchasers Antitrust Litigation Settlement
administered by the Attorney General of New York State.
Nearly 200 seniors of mostly Hispanic descent from Casita
Maria’s East Harlem senior centers were assessed over
the period of the study on their medical history, social environment,
nutritional behaviors, food accessibility and typical 30-day
dietary intake.
The main findings, as well as a review of the major health
and nutrition problems among these seniors, revealed a prevalence
of the following nutrition-related diseases:
- Hypertension or High Blood Pressure (69%)
- Overweight or Obese (62%)
- Diabetes (53%)
- Heart Disease (46%)
- Anemia (38%)
- Risk of Stroke (29%)
Noting that these results were not unusual for most older
Americans, the CMSH curriculum was developed to inform seniors
and senior health practioners on practical solutions to address
health and nutrition issues. All handouts and display materials
were printed in English and Español and are made available
to you on this site.
Part of the curriculum includes a recommended Calendar
of Health Activities developed by Adrienne Maher, RD,
a nationally known registered dietician, with special thanks
to Fern Gale Estrow, MS, RD, CDN for her wonderful suggestions
and guidance, the New
York City Department for the Aging, the Office
of New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, the
Latino
Gerontological Center, and The Watermill Foundation.
The calendar offers creative methods to motivate seniors
to think and, most importantly, EAT HEALTHY!
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