Report and online tool provide senior health metrics

A new report and online tool provide a wealth of demographic, health and wellness data about the state’s seniors that could help to inform decision-making at the local level.

The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Data Report, sponsored by the Tufts Health Plan Foundation, compiles and analyzes data about residents over age 65 from a number of different sources. Topics range from chronic conditions such as diabetes and osteoporosis to nutrition and diet to the physical activity level of seniors in individual communities. For each of the more than 100 data points, communities can see how they compare to the statewide average.

David Stevens, executive director of the Massachusetts Councils on Aging, said the report’s interactive map is the best such tool he has seen.

“It will help focus resources to actually solve identified problems,” Stevens said.

The interactive map indicates that rates of age-related disorders vary widely from one part of the state to another. In many Boston neighborhoods, for example, diabetes rates among seniors are above 40 percent. Diabetes rates are also high along a stretch of communities that border New Hampshire and in several cities and towns in southeastern Massachusetts. By contrast, many suburban communities west of Boston have diabetes rates below 20 percent for seniors.

The Healthy Aging report includes an overview for each of six regions of the state.

“One of the things that was very apparent is that there is great diversity [in access to care] across the state,” said Ruth Palombo, senior health policy officer at the Tufts Health Plan Foundation. “But the pattern isn’t entirely consistent. You’re going to see strengths and weaknesses in different variables.”

In the “Central Region,” consisting primarily of Worcester County, the northern part of the area has notably higher rates of tooth loss than the state average – an important indicator that seniors may not be eating properly.

“There’s a whole story to be told around tooth loss,” Palombo said.

Palombo said she is eager to speak with municipal officials about regional collaboration on senior health issues. She cited efforts to regionalize emergency preparedness in Massachusetts as a potential template.

“That’s been a wonderful example of people working together,” Palombo said. “Municipalities have worked very closely with councils on aging. Maybe we could do something similar around chronic disease and bring together some unusual partners.”

To view the report, interactive map and community data, visit http://mahealthyagingcollaborative.org.