North Carolina’s population is rapidly aging. By 2028, 1 in 5 residents will be over age 65, and by 2038 most North Carolina counties will have more residents aged 60+ than those under age 18. This signifies major changes in the health care needs of our state for which families, communities, medical providers, and policymakers must prepare.

A new report, A Place to Thrive: Creating Opportunities to Age Well in North Carolina, from the North Carolina Institute of Medicine’s Task Force on Healthy Aging recommends 30 actionable strategies for improving social connections, falls prevention, food and nutrition security, and mobility to support healthy aging for all North Carolinians. 

Education on sexual violence and human trafficking is a key strategy for improving the health and wellbeing in our region. In this installment of the WNC HPI podcast, producer Andrew Rainey speaks with Rita Sneider-Cotter, the Executive Director of OurVOICE, about sexual violence and human trafficking in WNC, the intersection of social determinants of health and trafficking, and what’s being done in our region to address this critical issue.

North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilot - an innovative program designed to use Medicaid funds to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs by addressing social determinants of health - is making the news…and making a difference.

Social determinants of health (such as access to housing, transportation, social support, food security, financial and economic stability, etc.) have a significant impact on health, function, and quality of life, and this is especially true as we grow older. Check out the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s new resource designed to help individuals and organizations improve SDOH and support older adults’ health and well-being.