How Texas Supports Aging Nutrition

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O2: Deep Dive: How Texas Supports Aging Nutrition

Texas Health and Human Services supports nutrition for older adults across Texas. Through a variety of programs and resources (e.g. Texercise, Age Well Live Well, SNAP, SNAP-Ed), Texas HHS assists older Texans in improving their nutritional health. COVID-19 emphasized the importance of food and access to food (home/congregate meals, transportation, etc.) in the aging population. Without food systems that can accommodate pandemics, like COVID-19, we will see an increase in people experiencing malnutrition. This session will review the barriers older adults face to healthy food access and discuss resources created by Texas HHS to address these barriers. Texas HHS developed a series of awareness campaigns (Texercise Prevents), launched a 12-week nutrition education program (Texercise Nourish), provided a nutrition resource sheet through Age Well Live Well, expanded SNAP benefits, launched a SNAP pilot project, and other initiatives to meet the nutritional needs of all Texans during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Define malnutrition, identify signs and symptoms, discuss the impact among older adults.
Understand how utilizing a variety of methods to support aging nutrition can help older adults age and live well.
Outline how Texas supports older Texans nutritional health.

Jean Van Ryzin (Moderator)

Senior Director, Communications

National Council on Aging

Jean Van Ryzin is Senior Director of Communications at NCOA, where she oversees all external messaging for the organization. Jean manages a team of marketing and communications specialists tasked with building the NCOA brand across multiple channels, including web, social, email, and public relations. Prior to working at NCOA, Jean had a freelance writing and editing business and worked for a variety of organizations in the aging field, including LeadingAge.

Chelsea Couch BESS, BS

Texercise Program Coordinator

Texas Health and Human Services

Chelsea is the Statewide Texercise Program Coordinator. She has worked for the state of Texas since December 2009. Her work involves developing local and statewide health initiatives that encourage individuals and communities to engage in healthy lifestyles. She is responsible for overseeing the various components of program development and public awareness relative to public health and Texercise. Chelsea is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). Prior to working on Texercise, Chelsea attended Texas State University – San Marcos where she obtained a dual degree in Nutrition and Food Science and Health and Fitness Management with a minor in Business Administration.Chelsea serves on several workgroups including; Texas Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Council, Texas Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Partnership, Texas Active for Life Coalition, and Texas Active for Life Coalition Steering Committee.

Claire Irwin MA, BA

Age Well Live Well Coordinator

Texas Health and Human Services

Claire Irwin is the Age Well Live Well Program Coordinator with the Texas Health and Human Services Aging Services Coordination office. Claire oversees the statewide AWLW campaign which provides a positive, proactive healthy aging message to motivate individuals, organizations and community leadership to take action. The campaign utilizes three core elements - Be Healthy, Be Connected and Be Informed - to shape the messaging and deliver aging and living well resources. Claire works with community stakeholders to assess and develop local programs, partnerships and resources to grow their capacity to serve older adults and increase community awareness of aging issues and available services. Through her community work she identifies gaps in services and awareness, and she develops ad-hoc resources to help address the needs including: the AmeriCorps VISTA project, and the Texas Talks and Know your Neighbor campaigns. Claire’ subject matter expertise is social isolation and loneliness in older adults and methods for developing engagement options for older adults. She develops programs and resources that encourage older adults to stay engaged as they age.