How Chronic Disease Self-Management Education Programs Have Made an Impact on Older Adults
8 min read
Since 2003, the Administration for Community Living/Administration on Aging (ACL/AOA) has been funding grantees to expand and sustain evidence-based CDSME programs. This funding has led to widespread access to CDSME programs across the U.S. to help older adults and adults with disabilities manage their chronic conditions and live healthier lives. Chronic conditions include diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, chronic pain, and depression.
The 2020 cohort of CDSME grantees represented 10 organizations, including community-based organizations, area agencies on aging, universities, health care systems, and a federally qualified health center. They began their awards in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting significant challenges for pivoting in-person programs to new virtual implementation methods, maintaining staff and volunteers to lead programs, and recruitment of participants.
Through hard work and innovation, grantees implemented a variety of CDSME programs, trained new leaders, formed strong partnerships, and met the health needs of older adults and adults with disabilities.
Read the following grant impact summaries for a view of the grantee's most significant accomplishments, lessons learned, and next steps. Grant impact summaries will be added as awards end on a rolling basis through 2024.
