Prevention Curriculum

Proposal Presented for the Master Plan for Aging (#5)

Disclaimer

Throughout the MPA process, more than 100 proposals were developed thanks in particular to thousands of hours of work by external stakeholders and members of the public. These proposals and the MPA Council commentary are being submitted to the Governor and shared with policymakers and the public to inform policymaking. These proposals represent a starting point for discussion. Further discussion is necessary between relevant state agencies and stakeholders to both refine these proposals and assess which may be appropriate to adopt and implement.

 

Summary

There is a need for prevention concepts to drive decision-making earlier in life to enable older adults to reap the benefits of early investments in health, finances, and relationships. In partnership with DOH’s Office of Public Health (OPH) and SED, DOH will engage in curriculum development and school outreach with a coordination effort and commitment to prevention education.

 

Justification

There is a need for prevention concepts to drive decision-making earlier in life to enable older adults to reap the benefits of early investments in health, finances, and relationships. In partnership with OPH and SED, DOH will engage in curriculum development and school outreach with a coordination effort and commitment to prevention education.

 

Full Proposal

Develop a Prevention curriculum for elementary, middle and high schools. This proposal responds to the need for prevention concepts to drive decision-making earlier in life, so that older adults can reap the benefits of earlier investments in health, finances and relationships. A prevention curriculum should incorporate:

  • Explicit instruction with community engagement.
  • Volunteering opportunities.
  • Information about careers in caregiving and healthcare.
  • Partnerships with local organizations offering volunteer opportunities.
  • Integration with caregiver career pipeline programs.
  • Incentives, such as credit for a required health course or community service hours.
  • Access to outdoor physical, recreational and social activity through community design (including Governor Hochul’s ‘Get Offline, Get Outside” children’s mental and physical health campaign).

The Prevention curriculum can include year-long support for existing classes, single-event assemblies, and multi-session seminars.  Curriculum development and school outreach will be accomplished through collaboration between DOH, particularly OPH, and SED.

This proposal is focused on primary prevention. 

 

 

MPA Council Commentary

This proposal is categorized as long-term. Policymakers may reference this proposal during the legislative session and the annual budget process, as development of a curriculum for schools may require legislative action and a substantial funding allocation, which would be subject to the availability of resources. The first step to implement this proposal may be initiating a coordinated effort within the Department of Health and State Education Department to assess options for curriculum development.