Center for Older Adults
Menu

CHARGE for Optimal Aging

CHARGE- Community and Health Alliances, Research, and Geriatric Education for Optimal Aging

Overview

CHARGE is a collaboration initiated between the University of North Texas Health Science Center College of Public Health and The Center for Older Adults. CHARGE exists to grow and support community, educational, and research initiatives to empower people and ignite purpose, leading to optimal aging throughout the life course.

Our Mission

To promote and support equitable, optimal aging through community & health alliances, research, and geriatric education (CHARGE).

Our Vision

Communities creating change individually and collectively for longer, healthy, purposeful lives throughout the life course.​

Our Strategies

Three strategies were developed to meet the CHARGE mission and vision:

  • Collaborate with organizations to create and align initiatives for the optimal aging of communities.
  • Engage community members to actively influence and support optimal aging initiatives.
  • Impact knowledge, beliefs, and systems that contribute to optimal aging.

 

Putting Our Strategies into Action: CHARGE Focus Areas

CHARGE focus areas- community and health alliances, research, and geriatric education.

 

Actions were formulated for each strategy within each focus area below. Expand the sections below to learn more.

  • Collaborate
    • Clinical and community Linkages– Strengthen clinical, community, and governmental linkages to advance and promote optimal aging programs.
  • Engage
    • Community Outreach– Partner with health professionals and community leaders to actively integrate community member goals and priorities to support optimal aging.
  • Impact
    • Policies & Practices– influence community and individual knowledge and beliefs about optimal aging through policy-informed practices.
  • Collaborate
    • Research Networks– Establish a research network at UNTHSC focused on optimal aging.
  • Engage
    • Participatory Research– Develop and sustain optimal aging participatory research with communities, health professionals, and community leaders.
  • Impact
    • Research Infrastructure– Build an infrastructure for enhanced research and public health interventions targeting health disparities and equity in optimal aging.
  • Collaborate
    • Co-Learning Opportunities- Establish co-learning among professionals, students, and faculty to enhance their learning of optimal aging.
  • Engage
    • Community-Informed Education- Incorporate community members into aging educational program development and delivery.
  • Impact
    • Provider Development – Deliver cross-disciplinary, transformative educational opportunities emphasizing a structured approach to optimal aging while promoting compassion and understanding in future providers.

This page was last modified on September 5, 2024