HOME >> NEWS >> ARCHIVES >> AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
Phoenix Family Receives Grant from American Heart Association
Phoenix Family Housing recently received a grant from the American Heart Association to underwrite its Healthy Hearts Program through June 2007.
The program promotes heart health by informing, educating and enhancing awareness of heart disease among women living in low-to-moderate income housing communities. The recent Missouri Senior Report shows that heart disease is the number one killer of men and women age 65 and older. Typically, women develop heart problems later in life than men, but, by age 65, a woman’s risk is almost the same as a man’s. "Many of our residents do not know the risk factors for heart disease,"says Phoenix Family’s Kelly McKee. "Giving them access to that information and teaching them about lifestyle changes they can make now to decrease their risk is critical."
Not doing so has significant implications. Quality of life is greatly reduced, limiting social and economic opportunities, which further contribute to physical and mental deterioration.
According to McKee, Kansas City is rich in health information, but "one of the critical barriers to accessing that information is transportation." Because many of the residents lack access to transportation, the Healthy Hearts program will bring the information to them through organized large and small group sessions.
"The success of the Healthy Hearts program is that it brings the information to our residents rather than making them
find ways to discover the information," McKee says.
The Healthy Hearts Program greatly increases the likelihood that the residents will incorporate what they have learned into their daily life. "The lifestyle changes they can make now," says McKee, "will make for increased overall health and well-being, which makes for a brighter, healthier future."