Healthy Aging

The average life expectancy in the United States has steadily increased from approximately 60 years to about 78 years between 1930 and 2004 (Source: National Center for Health Statistics, April 18, 2006). As health plans, providers, policymakers, and consumers grapple with this and profound demographic changes, the lingering question is how to enhance the quality of life in old age-not just the quantity of years of life. CHI focuses policy work and technical assistance on promoting healthy lifestyles in older people and in earlier stages of life to reduce frailty and susceptibility to chronic disease.

Assessment of California's Pharmacist Consult Law

The California Wellness Foundation and the California HealthCare Foundation

CHI examined the patient-pharmacist consultation mandated by state regulation for all new or changed prescriptions for people 65 and older. The analysis involved a survey of California community pharmacists to determine their perceptions about the effectiveness of the consult, and focus groups of pharmacists, physicians, and persons 65 and over. These findings and policy recommendations served as a basis for a policy roundtable in fall 2005.

The Changing Retirement Landscape: Policies Must Improve
Work, Retirement Options for a Diverse Baby Boomer Population

The California Wellness Foundation, Work and Health Initiative

The aging of our population has resulted in retirees living almost 20 years past retirement. Given the links between work, retirement income, and health status, the well-being of future elderly persons depends on maximizing their retirement choices. CHI developed a series of policy briefs on the connections between work and health to promote dialogue among policy-makers and concerned stakeholders about policies to improve the health of the workforce and its retirees.

Resources

New Perspectives: Investing in Resilience to Promote Healthy Aging, Center for Health Improvement, California Health Policy Forum Brief, June 2009.

Improving the California Pharmacist Consult Process, Center for Health Improvement Policy Brief, January 2006.

"The Changing Retirement Landscape: Policies Must Improve Work, Retirement Options for a Diverse Baby Boomer Population," Exploring Connections Between Work & Health Series by the California Center for Health Improvement, September 2000.