Policy decisions should ensure that Ohioans of all ages are supported to thrive and live healthy lives. Data show gaps in health and economic outcomes shaped by longstanding differences in access, opportunity, age, and geography. Successful systems and policies would mean that all Ohioans have a fair opportunity to thrive throughout their lives.
Our goal is to improve health, social, and economic outcomes for Ohioans across the lifespan.
Why does progress across the lifespan matter?
The impact of policies are rare spread evenly. Differences we observe today are the result of both intentional and unintended consequences. Policy decisions should ensure that people of all ages are supported to thrive and live healthy lives—from birth through childhood, adolescence into adulthood, and as people age.
Data show gaps in health and economic outcomes shaped by longstanding differences in access, opportunity, age, and geography. Successful systems and policies would mean that all Ohioans have a fair opportunity to thrive throughout their lives.
Identifying and addressing gaps to ensure progress across the lifespan
Community Solutions provides reliable data and analysis that policymakers and communities need to understand conditions, identify opportunities, and target resources. Through this work we seek to deepen the understanding of the pertinent issues that affect people throughout their life, highlighting why they matter, and what policy changes are needed to create better outcomes for Ohioans at every age.
What do we know?
The Center Community Solutions has a history of identifying and addressing gaps that affect Ohioans across the lifespan, including developing and advocating for solutions to address Ohio’s infant and maternal health crisis. From raising awareness of the maternal health crisis and understanding the scope of the issue, working to ensure doulas can be reimbursed through Medicaid to advocating for extended postpartum Medicaid coverage, we seek to catalyze infant and maternal mortality improvements.
Our data work identifies places and populations who are disproportionately impacted by certain issues. Our work has and will continue to examine challenges that impact older adults such as economic security, caregiving, long-term care and supportive services, and access to health care.
- Data shows us that there are health and economic disparities across racial and geographic communities. Some of these flow from inconsistent access to services that set young people up for success, especially those focused in the early childhood through young adulthood years. Meanwhile, access to safety net programs and supportive services help with nutritional and health needs is not consistent.
- The cost of living and the economic effect are different between women, families, and older adults across the life span, including expenses related to caregiving, childcare, adult daycare. housing affordability and health care.
- Women’s phases of life have long received less attention than other health issues. Behavioral health challenges among new mothers, children, caregivers, and older adults are both a cause and concequence of other issues.
We will continue to work to address those left behind in the policy process and uncover challenges and barriers that need attention.
Building on our maternal and infant health expertise: women and early childhood
Our work continues to explore areas that need more attention, fore example a rcent issue brief about period poverty and our collaboration with Invest in Children to expand and increase the infant and early childhood mental health field (IECMH). We examined uterine fibroids and the menopause spectrum as significant women’s health conditions.
Conditions affecting women and early childhood health impact the economy.
In one study, researchers found that workdays missed due to menopause symptoms may result in nearly $1.8 billion in economic losses annually across the US. HPIO reported the impacts on how the shortage of behavioral health providers in Ohio affect children and parents. Families in their report experienced long wait lists for their children to receive mental health services.
An aging population, economic security, and public benefits
Improving outcomes across the lifespan also requires Community Solutions address the challenges that Ohioans face as they age. Health, social, and economic outcomes are interconnected across every stage of life, from infancy to childhood, from childhood to adulthood, and adulthood to older age.
The barriers that affect health, economic stability and access to care in the earlier stages of life can worsen over time, ultimately shaping the well-being of older adults and their ability to age with dignity. Our commitment to improving health and well-being across the lifespan must include greater attention to the needs of Ohio’s older adults.
Ohio’s older adult population is growing faster than the national average. With 2.2 million people age 65 or older, Ohio has the sixth largest older adult population in the country, and this number is expected to nearly double by 2030.
Is Ohio’s health and human services system prepared to meet the needs of an aging population? Particularly as the demand increases for health care services, behavioral health care, caregiving support, and long-term care?
Equally concerning are the economic challenges that are related to fixed incomes, housing cost in relation to property taxes, and the cost of prescriptions and long-term care.
Community Solutions has a long history of advocating and advancing policies that support older Ohioans throughout the aging process. We will continue to work to protect and improve critical safety net programs that help older Ohioans maintain their health, vitality, and economic security.
Programs like SNAP and Medicaid, for example, help older adults access food, assist with healthcare costs and additional aging supports. This work is even more important given many older Ohioans rely on a fixed income.
An increasing need for caregiving and behavioral health support
Community Solutions has also consistently been a leader in raising awareness about the interconnected challenges of behavioral health, caregiving, and economic security among older adults.
As Ohio’s older adult population increases, so will the prevalence of behavioral health, including anxiety, dementia, substance abuse, and social isolation.
More caregivers will encounter difficult financial and emotional demands to help support their loved ones. Health and economic security are fundamental to ensuring that all Ohioans have the opportunity to not simply live longer lives but also experience a higher quality of life as they age with dignity and independence.
Where do we go from here?
Whether the issue is infant and maternal health, caregiving, behavioral health, women’s health, conditions for normal aging, or economic security, our goal at Community Solutions remains the same, and that is ensuring that solutions propel progress without leaving some behind. We will continue to identify the gaps and educate the public, while seeking to advance policy solutions that improve outcomes for Ohioans of all ages.
By committing to this policy focus area, we can better ensure that all Ohioans have the opportunity to thrive and be able to thrive from childhood through adulthood.
