Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia (SSSEVA) announced that the Health Empowerment Program has been honored with a 2019 Aging Innovations Award by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). The Health Empowerment Program was among 16 local aging programs from across the country to receive an innovation award at the n4a Annual Conference & Tradeshow held July 27–31 in New Orleans, La.
The 2019 n4a Aging Innovations and Achievement Awards recognize Area Agencies on Aging and Title VI Native American aging programs that develop and implement cutting-edge approaches to support older adults, people with disabilities and their family caregivers. Among the selection criteria was the ease with which other agencies could replicate the program in their communities.
The Health Empowerment Program, a collaboration between the Eastern Virginia Medical School Department of Family Medicine, Sentara Healthcare’s primary care practices and SSSEVA, is aimed at improving care for seniors identified as high-risk or high-need during Medicare Annual Wellness Visits. Patients with a mix of unregulated chronic illnesses, cognitive impairments or poor functional status or social barriers are visited in their homes by SSSEVA health coaches who provide assessment and education services.
