By 2030, about 1 in 6 people in the world will be aged 60 years or over, according to statistics provided by the WHO. This increase in the aging population is due to a number of factors, some of which are advances in healthcare and personal life choices. 

The American Association of Retired Persons, AARP is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to enriching the lives of people who are 50 years and older. The AARP works with several organizations to provide benefits for its members. 

Some of these benefits have to do with health and finance, travel, volunteering, insurance, among others. It is the world’s leading organization that promotes the interest of the aging population.

The AARP aims to solve the problems of people who are 50 years and older. Concerns such as income, hunger, isolation and housing are part of what the AARP hopes to address. 

The AARP is committed to providing quality healthcare for aging adults. Through partnerships with primary care providers, the AARP strives to provide patient-centric care. With this program, the AARP seeks to provide answers to the common worries of its members, such as “Where do I find doctors near me?” and “Where do I find a doctor who can treat my current medical condition?” By working with dedicated partners, the AARP provides a trusted solution and peace of mind to those who are aging.

Overall, the organization attempts to empower older adults so that they can live their best life.  

What is Community Health?  

Community health is the practice of promoting and safeguarding a population’s health by attending to group needs, comprehending social determinants of health, and ensuring that everyone has the chance to live a healthy life. 

The core causes of health disparities must be addressed comprehensively, while also acknowledging the significance of social and economic variables and enhancing resource accessibility. This can be done by implementing community health interventions such identifying health disparities, mobilizing neighborhood and local resources.  Partnerships are created within the community, and system and policy changes that support health equality are promoted. 

An intersectional approach to public health called community health places equal priority on everyone’s health within a specific community.

What is Public Health? 

The goal of public health is to safeguard entire populations from infectious diseases, illness, and early death. It accomplishes this through programmes that encourage hand washing and good hygiene, provide vaccinations to local populations, and widen access to contraception in order to stop the spread of STDs. Professionals in public health also carry out research and strive to find infectious disease treatments.

A comprehensive healthcare system that offers basic care, secondary care, and tertiary care services supports public health. Primary care emphasizes prevention and is frequently the first place that individuals who need medical attention turn to. While tertiary care deals with highly specialized therapies, secondary care concentrates on the diagnosis and management of medical conditions. Making use of public

What is Primary Care? 

Primary care refers to an aspect of medical care that focuses on providing person-focused medical attention that is easily accessible, comprehensive and continuous. 

Its main aim is to provide easy access to medical care for individuals. Primary care clinics task their physicians to treat their patients as whole individuals, and not to just focus on treating their ailments.

 AARP Primary Care and Public Health Policy

The AARP releases a policy book every two years, and the latest release is the 2023-2024 policy book. This policy book contains a number of policies that serve as the foundation of their work with their members. These policies state the stance of the organization on how to address various issues that affect their members. 

The policy of the AARP on public health addresses public health issues and it states how they think the government and health practitioners in general should approach public health issues.

In summary, the policy states that: 

• The policymakers of the federal, state and local government should promote and conduct public health activities and programs. Doing this would lead to positive health outcomes for all members of a community.
• All levels of government should allocate adequate funding to the public health sector. This funding should focus on conducting research, building adequate infrastructure, providing health education, among other things. 
• Government health agencies should improve data collection, sharing and reporting. This will help to monitor populations and quickly identify disparities, leading to early problem solving.
• The government should support research that supports health-promoting behaviors and identifies their effects on public health. 
• Officials and public health professionals should educate people on public health and help them fulfill their personal responsibility in promoting public health. 
• All levels of government should fund the public health workforce to enable them carry out their duties properly. 

Community Health Outcomes Of The AARP Public Health Policy 

If the points stated in this policy are followed, it will foster positive community and public health outcomes.

Some of the expected results will be:

1. Overall Better Community Health: People are taught health-promoting habits, and this in turn will lead to people making healthier choices. The little drops of water by individual members of the population will become a big ocean. This means that the collective efforts of the people will lead to a general improvement in the health of their community.
2. Prevention Of Infectious Diseases: with proper research and data collection, emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19 can be tracked and discovered early. This will lead to preventative steps being taken. If these diseases are attacked before they get a chance to spread, it will reduce the impact that they have on the world’s population.
3. Health Equity and Equality: if steps are taken to improve the overall public health by the government and policymakers, it will lead to health equity and equality. This means that people across various economic and social groups will have access to good healthcare that will improve their quality of life. 

Parting Thoughts

Collaborating with the larger community is integral to driving positive community health outcomes. A collective, holistic approach is needed, involving stakeholders such as governments, medical professionals, businesses and industries, to invest in preventative and early intervention strategies alongside health promotion initiatives. 

This provides individuals with the necessary infrastructure to ensure access to regular checkups, medical care and other services, enabling communities to better stay healthy, active and resilient. Working together locally helps build a healthier future for our communities.

FAQS

• What role do I have to play in public health?

You can play your part in improving the health of your community by making healthier choices. This could be by practicing healthy habits like washing your hands, getting vaccinated, or quitting smoking.

• Where can I find a primary care doctor near me?

To find a primary care doctor, you can check the internet for primary care clinics near you. You can also ask your friends and family members for referrals.

• What does AARP do for seniors? 

The American Association of Retired Persons, AARP, is a nonprofit organization that aims to enrich the life of people who are 50 years and older. The organization aims to solve problems such as hunger, housing, isolation and employment. The organization also provides several benefits for its members that range from access to primary health care, to travel insurance.