ageWELL Kentucky Pilot Study

The National Foundation to End Senior Hunger (NFESH) will fund the project (ageWELL Kentucky Pilot Study), that will engage the Kentucky (KY) Department of Aging and Independent Living (DAIL), select KY Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) and select community dining sites that provide congregate nutrition services (per the Older Americans Act) to adults age 60 years and older. The KY project builds on the original ageWELL Pilot Study conducted in the District of Columbia and recently completed, with Dr. Kubik as Principal Investigator. The aim of the ageWELL Kentucky Pilot Study is to design, implement and evaluate a program that will expand services provided at six select community dining sites in KY through establishment of academic practice partnerships with local KY nursing schools. Faculty- supervised undergraduate nursing students from each school will deliver the 12-week ageWELL program to meal program participants. The program includes targeted (group) and tailored (person-centered) education focused on health, wellness and chronic disease management. The study will use a group randomized controlled trial design, with random assignment of three sites to usual programming and three to usual programming + ageWELL. Data collection will occur before and after program completion and include blood pressure, height/weight and a self-report survey of meal program participants at each site and process measures (utilization, satisfaction) to evaluate feasibility and acceptability.