ODPHP has hosted several events focused on the health and wellbeing of older adults since its inaugural Healthy Aging Summit in 2015. These events highlight successful community-level approaches to healthy aging — and encourage collaboration and knowledge-sharing among state public health agencies and State Units on Aging and others. Workshop attendees also learn about the social and environmental factors that impact older adults’ health.
2024 National Healthy Aging Symposium
In September 2024, ODPHP co-hosted the National Healthy Aging Symposium: Innovation Across the Age-Friendly Ecosystem with Trust for America’s Health (TFAH). The half-day event built upon the successful and ongoing collaborations between the aging services and public health sectors that began at the first National Healthy Aging Summit in 2015.
Policymakers, health care providers, community leaders, researchers, and professionals from across sectors discussed important topics related to healthy aging and shared successful innovations developed to improve the health and well-being of older adults.
Download the National Healthy Aging Symposium Event Summary.
View all the sessions from the 2024 National Healthy Aging Symposium below.
- Welcome, Keynote Address, and Plenary Panel: Innovations in Aging and Health Equity
- Maintaining Brain Health Across the Life Course
- Connecting Older Adults and Boosting Social Engagement
- Transforming Transportation for Older Adults
- Ensuring a Skilled Workforce to Improve the Lives of Older Adults
- Empowering Caregivers and Strengthening Support for Older Adults
- Supporting Health through Affordable, Safe, and Accessible Housing
Find more resources shared by panelists on TFAH’s National Healthy Aging Symposium page.
2023-2024 Healthy Aging Regional Convenings
In collaboration with Trust for America’s Health, the Administration for Community Living, and the OASH Office of Regional Health Operations, ODPHP co-hosted 10 Healthy Aging Regional Convenings (one with each HHS region) to discuss updates on healthy aging activities, priorities, and challenges. The convenings were attended by local, state, territorial, and tribal leaders in public health and aging services.
The goals of the regional convenings were to provide updates on state activities and plans around older adult health and well-being since the 2023 Healthy Aging Workshop; determine whether priorities selected during the workshop are still the most critical or if priorities have shifted; share progress on previously identified or new objectives; identify who else needs to be at the table for collaboration; and share challenges in achieving these objectives.
Learn more about how public health and aging services are collaborating to improve older adult health
This summary report synthesizes key themes that emerged across the 10 regions and provides implementation considerations for healthy aging practitioners.
2023 Healthy Aging Workshop
In 2023, ODPHP co-sponsored the Healthy Aging Workshop with TFAH. State public health leaders and state units on aging leaders worked together to identify shared regional priorities, develop objectives to meet these priorities, and establish action items for future collaboration.
2021 Healthy Aging Symposium
ODPHP co-sponsored the 2021 Healthy Aging Symposium with TFAH. This 2-day virtual event connected attendees to the latest science, best practices, and innovative interventions to improve the health and wellbeing of older adults.
It brought together people working to promote health in older adults, particularly public health professionals, health care providers, researchers, community leaders, and policymakers at all levels of government to share their healthy aging work and insights. Professionals in other sectors — like housing, transportation, and recreation — also attended.
Attendees learned how to address barriers and reduce health disparities for older adults. And the event built on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a major impact on the physical and mental health of many older adults.
2021 Healthy Aging Workshops
In 2021, ODPHP and TFAH held a series of four regional workshops to identify opportunities for public health professionals and aging services networks to collaborate on healthy aging topics – both within states and within regions.
Download the 2021 Healthy Aging Workshop: Preparing for the Future of Aging Summary Report.
2018 Healthy Aging Summit
In 2018, ODPHP, the Office on Women’s Health, and the American College of Preventive Medicine hosted the Healthy Aging Summit. This Summit focused on keeping adults healthy as they age and maximizing their health through prevention strategies.
Health care providers, health officials, educators, students, caregivers, and older adults were invited to take part in the event and learn what is working across important areas such as healthcare, transportation, built environment, housing, law and policy, and faith-based partnerships.
