March 22, 2012 (St. Louis, MO) – The annual conference of the American Society on Aging (ASA) takes place March 28–April 1 in Washington, DC. The ASA Conference, with more than 3,000 attendees, is a showcase for replicable programs, a forum for policy discussion and advocacy, and a prime source of information on new research.

 

As a pioneer on successful aging, OASIS will co-present five sessions reflecting our three-fold approach of providing opportunities in health and wellness, volunteer engagement and lifelong learning. These presentations demonstrate OASIS’ commitment to research in the area of aging. Partnering with highly regarded education institutions such as Washington University, OASIS conducts studies which contribute to building and offering programs that are evidence-based.

 

OASIS presentations slated for ASA:

 

1. "Capacity-Building Volunteers"
In today's economy many nonprofits have had to rethink the way they manage operations, volunteer initiatives and community outreach. One strategy has been to engage capacity-building volunteers in new roles. Lessons learned from work on the national and local scene include benefits, challenges and strategies for successfully identifying and integrating talented volunteers.
3/31/12, 8:00 am
Presenters: Candice Arriola, Pat Gilbert and Peter Holtgrave, MPH, MA, The OASIS Institute; Jill Friedman Fixler, BS, JFFixler Group

Nutrition and physical activity are important health issues for children and older adults. OASIS has developed and evaluated Active Generations, an intergenerational adaptation of an evidence-based program. Older adult volunteers facilitate weekly sessions where children learn about healthy food and engage in physical activity. OASIS has made improvements to the program that is now known as CATCH Healthy Habits.

Presenters: Pat Gilbert, Peter Holtgrave, MPH, MA, James Teufel, MPH, PhD, The OASIS Institute
 

Successful aging includes staying healthy, maintaining high physical and cognitive functioning and remaining engaged. Research on social capital also suggests that people from vulnerable populations benefit more from engaging in positive societal opportunities than people from protected populations. A national survey conducted to assess the impact of OASIS programs will be highlighted.

4. "Evaluating Organizational Impact Through Participant Surveys"

OASIS’ biennial participant survey was developed with Washington University, St. Louis to evaluate participant satisfaction, programs, volunteer engagement and to advance knowledge in the field. The presentation includes a comparative analysis of results over two years, as well as trends and data valuable to evaluate organizational impact.

This session will explore how technology has become essential for helping older adults engage with family and community, access health information and services, maintain financial security and improve their quality of life. Discussion will include how innovative approaches to computer training and online services are generating new insights into overall program design strategies for seniors.

Presentations will be available for download after the conference. Please visit our Research page after April 1.