Adding Value to the State

The Institute on Aging makes a positive contribution to the state of North Carolina through its programs. The Institute has 18 projects operating in 99 counties across the state.

The IOA is positively affecting the well-being of North Carolina older adults through numerous projects and programs. Many of the IOA’s initiatives integrate research, education, and/or service to address our overall mission.

For a broader review of the contributions of UNC centers and institutes and the valuable contributions they make to the state, please see The Value of Centers and Institutes to the State of North Carolina.

Working Across the State

The IOA actively supports over 50 state agencies and local agencies. The IOA has had 18 projects operating in 99 counties in North Carolina over the past three years. For more detail, see the list of IOA County Projects.

Creating Jobs in North Carolina

The IOA has 43 employees in 8 counties. Of these employees, 15 are UNC-CH students (14 graduate students and 1 undergraduate), and 2 are NC State University graduate students. Through its projects, the IOA supports 187 additional personnel in 31 counties. For more detail, see the list of IOA Jobs by County.

Sharing Expertise

The Institute on Aging provided 1,259 hours or 157.38 days of consultation to NC state agencies in the past year. If valued at $500/day, this translates to approximately $78,688 per year in “off-the-book” value that the IOA provides to the state.

Leveraging Contributions

For each dollar invested by the state in FY08, the Institute on Aging generated $2.69 in external funding. The IOA also generated $0.20 in gross overhead and $1.68 in salary and stipends. For more detail, see Fiscal Year 08 Leverage.

Partnering with State and Local Governments

The Institute on Aging, NC Division of Aging and Adult Services, and NC Division of Public Health recently formalized our close working relationship by developing a three-way Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). The MOA will assist in maximizing resources to build upon the strengths and expertise of each partner, and outlines six common health promotion goals for older adults.

Exemplary Programs

The Institute on Aging also manages several statewide projects and initiatives that have broad state and local government participation. Below are some examples.

WIN A STEP UP Program

WIN A STEP UP is one of three programs nationwide proven to be effective in reducing nurse aide turnover.

The WIN A STEP UP program, a partnership between the NC Department of Health and Human Services and the University of North Carolina’s Institute on Aging, was selected as one of two finalists for the 2007 Rosalynn Carter Caregiving award. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services identified WIN A STEP UP as one of three programs nationwide proven to be effective in reducing nursing aide turnover. WIN A STEP UP educates and supports career nurses aides and frontline supervisors working in nursing homes throughout the state. “I congratulate everyone involved with WIN A STEP UP and am very pleased that this excellent program is receiving the recognition it deserves,” said Jackie Sheppard, DHHS Assistant Secretary for Long Term Care and Family Services. “It is essential that we find ways to support and recognize the value of direct care workers in long term care settings, and training programs such as WIN A STEP UP are one way to do this.”

NC Healthy Aging Network

Over the past eight years, the NC-Healthy Aging Network has been building considerable momentum, working closely with state, regional and local partners in public health and aging to promote the translation of healthy aging research into practice, build an overarching infrastructure of partnerships for the statewide dissemination of evidence-based programming, and to offer technical assistance and training for services providers in public health and aging. In March of 2005, the NC-HAN and partners launched the NC Healthy Aging Coalition, a multi-disciplinary, multi-network group comprised of key influential leaders in policy and programming (including the NC Division of Public Health and the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services from 25 public and non-profit organizations across the state who have an interest in health promotion and/or aging).

UNC Senior Leadership Initiative

Among the graduates of the Senior Leadership Program are three Speakers of the NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature, two State Presidents of AARP, and many others working as volunteer leaders.

The UNC Senior Leadership Initiative is a program sponsored by the Institute on Aging that provides a year-long leadership development program to senior adults who are emerging as leaders or advocates for senior issues in North Carolina. This initiative has involved 61 participants over its history and has among its graduates three Speakers of the NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature, two State Presidents of AARP, and a multitude of senior adults working as volunteer leaders in statewide and community positions. "I really appreciate what my involvement with the Senior Leadership Initiative has done for me in opening doors to university and aging interests. I can truly be a better advocate." said Dr. Jeanne Suddarth, The Cedars of Chapel Hill, Senior Leadership Class of 2008.

NC Conference on Aging

The North Carolina Conference on Aging (NCCOA) is a collaborative effort to develop a professional conference to provide educational and networking opportunities for anyone interested in long-term care, vital aging, family issues, work and retirement, leadership, and professional development. Our key partners in organizing the NCCOA include the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services; NC Association of Area Agencies on Aging; NC Association on Aging; the Governor's Advisory Council on Aging; and AARP.

Forum on North Carolina’s Aging Workforce

The Forum on North Carolina's Aging Workforce identified policy change recommendations for the state.

The IOA was one of the partners that planned the Forum on North Carolina’s Aging Workforce, which was held June 23-24, 2008 in Raleigh. The goals of this forum included addressing the challenges facing workers and employers due to workforce aging and the identification of policy changes and appropriate legislative actions. The IOA published the final report, including four policy recommendations, that were sent to Governor Beverly Perdue. Nearly 100 individuals attended from across the state, including representation from state and local government agencies and corporate organizations.

North Carolina Collaboration on Lifelong Learning and Engagement (NCCoLLE)

The NCCoLLE project is aimed at stimulating lifelong learning and civic engagement through public libraries across the state. The Institute on Aging is partnering with the UNC School of Information and Library Science, the State Library and the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services to design a program that will help public libraries to redefine their services to older adults and promote civic engagement in their communities. NCCoLLE has been identified as a Lifelong Access Libraries Center of Excellence by Libraries for the Future, a national non-profit organization.

Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science (WILIS)

Results from the WILIS study will help employers in North Carolina plan for future workforce needs.

WILIS is a major study of the library and information science workforce in NC that is being funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The WILIS study will help educational programs and employers to plan for future workforce needs. All K-12 schools as well as public and academic libraries across the state are dependent on these graduates for their School Media Specialists and Librarians. As information specialists familiar with the latest techniques for handling digital information, these graduates are also in demand in many public and private organizations. A second WILIS study is using the initial work to develop an online survey that all LIS programs across the country can potentially use to track their graduates in the future -- so once more NC leads the way! WILIS is a collaboration of the Institute on Aging and the School of Information and Library Science.

IOA Information Center

The IOA maintains the Information Center, a specialized library of aging-related information that serves as a centralized source of information and assistance available to researchers, health professionals, government officials, and others across the state. The Information Center also distributes several monthly newsletters to keep the aging network informed and connected. The newsletters are distributed to over 1,000 individuals. Additionally, the IOA's website serves as a point of dissemination for key aging news and resources statewide. The website attracts an average of over 87,000 hits per month.

Center for Aging and Diversity

The Center for Aging and Diversity (CAD) is part of the Institute on Aging. Its mission is to: 1) address health disparities in later life, 2) provide a forum in which to discuss and examine ethnic, racial and cultural variation in life course processes and 3) disseminate findings to the academic and lay community on the health of diverse elders and their caregivers in the state of North Carolina and the nation. The CAD and the Institute on Aging Information Center library staff developed an online bibliography that provides social and behavioral research related to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Funding for this bibliography is provided by the National Alzheimer's Association.

Recruiting Excellent Faculty

The outstanding services and people at the IOA help to attract top-level scholars to the University. Below are statements from two of those scholars who recently joined the faculty.

"...[The] ongoing dialog that takes place at the IOA... is so very intellectually stimulating."

“...[The] ongoing dialog that takes place at the IOA through seminars, project discussions, and so on is very intellectually stimulating. Without the Institute, I (and many others) would not have chance for such interaction. Moreover, the IOA has continued to connect me in a number of ways to the state and the community. People from outside UNC attend events and are involved in projects... [The IOA has] supported my role as Editor of the Journal of Applied Gerontology--and editorial assistant--which has been an incredible experience in growth for me--as a scholar and professional.”
-- Malcolm Cutchin, Associate Professor, Occupational Science; Senior Scientist, Institute on Aging; Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Applied Gerontology

“...[The] interdisciplinary nature of the Institute on Aging as well as its ties across the university system has enabled me to make connections to a variety of researchers and policy experts. In short, without the help and support of the Institute on Aging, the decision to come to UNC would have been much more difficult to make.”
-- John C. Scott, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Policy and Scientist, Institute on Aging

Making A Difference to State Leaders

The IOA makes a difference by partnering with many organizations across the state. Leaders of those organizations recognize the impact of the IOA's activities. Below are excerpts from statements from some of those individuals.

"[The Division of Aging and Adult Services] truly values our partnership with IOA..."

"I am pleased to respond with a statement attesting to the significant contributions of the UNC Institute on Aging to the work of the Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) and the statewide aging and adult services network. While these contributions are far too many to enumerate, I do want to briefly highlight a few that certainly represent your commitment to applied and translational research; support of education and training for students, senior advocates and working professionals; and public service.... DAAS truly values our partnership with IOA and sees the many benefits that have been realized from the investment that the NC General Assembly made in 1996 in creating the Institute on Aging for the 16-campus UNC system.”
-- Dennis Streets, Director, NC Division of Aging and Adult Services

“I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the recent assistance of a number of your staff with a variety of work we have been doing here in the Division of Public Health.... I am pleased to let you know we are in the process of signing the Memorandum of Agreement between NC Division of Public Health, the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services, and your agency that speaks to our combined partnership and collaboration efforts... It is far more a testimony to what is already being delivered, rather than a document that is often needed to ensure work is delivered by an organization. I look forward to DPH's continued relationship with the IOA and personally appreciate each of your staff I have had the privilege of working with over the last 2 1/2 years.”
-- Sharon Rhyne, Health Promotion Manager Chronic Disease and Injury Section, NC Division of Public Health

“Having worked on evaluation with Mary Altpeter for the last two and a half years,... [here]is what I consider as Mary's greatest contribution to the Division... In short, Mary is and has been instrumental in developing the capacity of the Division to implement evidence based programs in NC by (1) helping build a strong conceptual framework (2) integrating DAAS' evidence based programs within that framework and (3) developing evaluation protocols that measure up to (a) required scientific process and (b) ensure fidelity to the original initiative.”
-- Abha Varma, Director of Evaluation and Planning for the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services

"The State of North Carolina needs the Institute on Aging to assure broad and effective examination of aging issues in our world..."

"I am writing to express strong support for what you and your colleagues are doing at the UNC Institute on Aging. The Institute is a successful research, teaching and community service entity that provides great leadership across the state and is a vital link helping opinion leaders, academics, students and advocates understand fully the huge, imminent demographic shifts and the impact our aging society will have on systems and institutions everywhere. I appreciate your ability to bring together diverse audiences to discuss critical issues, review important pieces of research and legislation, prepare future academicians, and be a knowledgeable resource to the state on age-related items. Your staff is a wonderful cadre of skilled and experienced researchers, program specialists, and librarians, and they represent the University and the Institute with the highest levels of professionalism. The State of North Carolina needs the UNC Institute on Aging to assure broad and effective examination of aging issues in our world, and I offer my help in any way I can.”
-- From Robert Jackson, State Director, AARP North Carolina

"I just wanted to let you know of the outstanding support of the National Falls Free™ Initiative that is being provided by your Institute, primarily through the dedication of Ellen Schneider. Ellen has been collaborating with me as the lead on this line of work over the last year. She assumed a large role in the development of the landmark online tool A Practical Guide to State Coalition Building... I must add that Danielle Borasky was the key to its online creation – what a team they made in this project! I am especially pleased that Ellen was able to use what she learned to guide North Carolina’s coalition building effort. North Carolina recently joined the NCOA led State Coalitions on Fall Prevention Workgroup which now numbers 21 states."
-- Bonita Lynn Beattie, VP, Injury Prevention, National Council on Aging