Last week, I traveled to Union City, CA to assess the impact of NHCOA’s Salud y Bienestar (Health and Wellness) program, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Walmart Foundation, at one of the sites it is being implemented. The passion of the Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center (TVHC) staff and promotores de salud (lay health workers) for improving the lives of Hispanic older adults, their families, and caregivers is inspirational, and their success with Salud y Bienestar is a shining example for other Hispanic-serving CBOs and members of our Hispanic Aging Network.

NHCOA created the Salud y Bienestar program to prevent and help manage diabetes among Hispanic older adults in a culturally, linguistically, and age-appropriate way given that as a community we are twice as likely to develop this disease compared to non-Hispanic Whites.

When we began developing and implementing this program, it was NHCOA’s hope that we not only reach our programmatic goals, but that there would be a palpable difference in the quality of lives of the Hispanic older adults it touched.

Therefore, I always look forward to assessing the impact Hispanic-serving CBOs that implement Salud y Bienestar in their respective communities are making across the country. It is one of the best opportunities NHCOA has as a national organization, in addition to its other regionally focused events, to take an accurate pulse of the state of Hispanic older adults at the grassroots level.

While I was at the TVHC, I heard so many positive stories about the impact Salud y Bienestar is making in the lives of our Union City-areaabuelitos that I can only hope NHCOA can secure more public and private resources to expand their program as well as showcase their excellent work. Being there made me reflect on what it takes to make a great Salud y Bienestar program and four points stood out: simplicity, innovation, dedication, and collaboration. TVHC not only met this standard, they surpassed it.

Simplicity
Any communicator will tell you that the best message is simple and to the point. The center’s staff and promotores highlighted that Salud y Bienestar employs simple, easy to understand language in its materials, which has been key to their success. The Hispanic community can’t be painted in broad strokes in terms of countries of origin, literacy, and linguistics, which is why keeping the Spanish simple and basic yields better results. Also, from a cultural standpoint, the perceived level of respect shown towards older adults could be comprised if they feel they are being talked down to.

Innovation
In addition, TVHC not only focuses on teaching what diabetes is, but also provides practical and age-sensitive tips on how to prevent it by staying active. For example, as part of their Salud y Bienestar, TVHC created walking groups (caminatas) so their abuelitos could gather at a park to exercise and socialize on a daily basis. However, for many of the walking group members, the impact goes beyond exercising and socializing. They experience a noticeable improvement in their quality of life as well as their ability to lead fuller, more productive lives. I met a senior who had a hard time walking due to inactivity, but has improved his mobility greatly since joining the walking groups. You’d think he never had problems walking or moving about. Another senior said when he joined the walking groups two years ago couldn’t stop shaking. Now, he can’t stop walking!

Other older adults I talked to who are in Salud y Bienestar said the program made them realize they need to take better care of themselves and have made lifestyle choices, such as replacing their pan dulce (Latino sugary pastry) for healthier options that wouldn’t comprise their sugar intake.

Dedication
Another key component to the success of Salud y Bienestar is having an effective and dedicated group of promotores to encourage the participants and guide them through the process of diabetes prevention and management. Promotores don’t only provide information— they also engage participants in activities, follow up with them on their progress, and essentially established a trusting relationship with these older adults.

One promotora said she thought the program was successful because they don’t just go there to provide older adults with information. They also follow up with them to see their progress. Therefore, this program has helped them create strong connections with the older adults in their community. In addition, the abuelitos they serve feel motivated and grateful because they know there are people in their community who care about them.

Collaboration
At the organizational level, Salud y Bienestar has sparked partnerships between TVHC and other CBOs, including senior centers. These kinds of collaborations are very beneficial because they ensure that a larger swath of the community has access to the programs and services they need to improve their quality of life, especially our Hispanic older adults, their families, and caregivers.

Gracias, Tiburcio Vasquez for your outstanding efforts in improving the health and wellbeing of Hispanic older adults, their families, and caregivers. And, gracias CDC for sponsoring this impactful program.

For more information on Salud y Bienestar, visit http:elearning.nhcoa.org or e-mail nhcoa@nhcoa.org.