Pitt Study Examines the State of Aging And Health in Region

PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh, in conjunction with the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging, will present a report, "The State of Aging and Health in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County," from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, in the William Pitt Union Ballroom, 3959 Fifth Ave., Oakland.

The survey was conducted by Pitt's University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR) and the Graduate School of Public Health with support from the National Institute on Aging, the Area Agency on Aging of Allegheny County, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, as well as Pitt's Center for Minority Health, the Department of Psychiatry, and the Institute on Aging.

The report incorporates census information as well as data from one of the most comprehensive surveys of older persons ever conducted in Allegheny County. More than 5,000 people aged 65 and over provided information on their health status and health behaviors, attitudes toward health care and trust in healthcare providers, service use and needs, housing and neighborhood satisfaction, social support, and participation in medical research.

"We have a more detailed picture of our elders than any other community in the nation. The older community in the region is one of our most valued resources. It's presence has fueled the development of one of the best healthcare systems in the country and one of the leading research centers in the world focused on issues of aging," said Pitt Psychiatry Professor and UCSUR Director Richard Schulz.

Mildred Morrison, administrator, Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Area Agency on Aging, added, "Allegheny County's older adult population is really a forerunner to all of what will happen to the United States. The Pittsburgh area is one of the oldest communities in the nation but will experience important population shifts in the decades ahead. These data provide critical information for planning and program development.

"We now have a body of knowledge on older individuals in Allegheny County at a level available nowhere else in the country. This knowledge will advance the community's understanding of our older populations' needs and desires.

"This report is a unique and wonderful tool for those who are providers of health care, social services, business, and all who interact with older adults to identify different methods and strategies to provide appropriate services and make them accessible for older adults."

Joining Schulz in presenting results of the study will be Scott Beach, director of UCSUR's Survey Research Program, and Donald Musa, UCSUR senior research associate. Introductory and closing comments will be made by James V. Denova, chair of the Citizens Advisory Council for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Area Agency on Aging.

The presentation is open to the public. A detailed report describing these results can be found at www.ucsur.pitt.edu/publications.htm.

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