Spotlight on Innovations and Achievements: Beaver County Office on Aging

• By: USAging
• On: 08/27/2021 10:08:56
• In: Hot Topics in Aging

We're proud to highlight the award-winning work of the 2020 winners of USAging's Aging Innovations and Achievement Awards in this weekly spotlight feature. This week, we are focusing on the Beaver County Office on Aging's Dine and Discover program. The agency was a 2020 Aging Achievement Award winner in the Healthy Aging category. The 2020 AIA Awards were made possible thanks to the support of Centene.
 
Dine and Discover, an education and nutrition program developed by the Beaver County Office on Aging, helps meet the changing needs of today's older adults. The Beaver County Office on Aging holds the program's events at a local senior center multipurpose room with each event providing participants with education on healthy eating options, fact-based information on diet trends and recipes that older adults can make at home.
 
The meal served at each event replicates the recipes attendees are given and occurs in the evenings—an intentional shift from the area's typical daytime senior center activities as a way to engage the greatest number of older adults of all ages. The program also created an opportunity for the AAA to build a relationship with the Heritage Valley Hospital, which provides expertise and assistance to the program.
 
To learn more about the Dine and Discover program and how your agency can replicate it, contact Linda L. Hall, lhall@bcoa.us. For other great program ideas, check out the new 2021 AIA-winning programs: see the press release and read this year's book of winners! To read about past winners and find other best practices for your agency to consider, visit our Best Practices Clearinghouse.
 
The 2021 Aging Innovations and Achievement Awards are made possible by the generous support of iN2L. Our summaries of the 2021 recipients will start this fall.