It’s Healthy Aging Month and the Start of Hispanic Heritage Month

September 2024

Dear NEHEP Partners,

September is Healthy Aging Month, and we’re committed to raising awareness about eye health and aging! While older adults are at higher risk for eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), getting older does not have to mean losing your vision.

Mid-September is also the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. At NEI, we focus on making sure Hispanic communities have the information they need to protect their eye health. Read on to find resources you can share to help support people who are aging and Hispanic populations in learning about — and taking care of — their vision.

Best,

Maria Zacharias

Acting Director, National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP)

National Eye Institute

Promote Healthy Aging Month

Our Healthy Aging Month webpage features a wide array of resources for aging populations — like a guide to help people talk with their doctor about AMD. You’ll also find social media messages, videos and webinars, and a toolkit to help you lead educational sessions in your community.

Explore the webpage

Help Spanish speakers learn about glaucoma

BrightFocus Foundation’s Spanish-language glaucoma page includes a toolkit with information about the types of glaucoma, tips for living with glaucoma, ways to manage the disease, treatments, and more. The glaucoma page also includes links to a library of articles in Spanish, which address glaucoma research and resources for patients and caregivers, among other topics.

Share the resources

New competition to advance health equity for people with disabilities

White pictograms on a blue background depicting various disabilities or persons with disabilities.

The goal of the Community Champions for Disability Health Challenge is to support US-based, community organizations in advancing health equity for people with disabilities. The initiative calls upon these community groups to propose innovative solutions that can transform health outcomes. In addition to receiving technical assistance and mentorship, participants will compete for $485,000 in prizes to be awarded across multiple phases of the challenge.

Applications are due November 1, 2024.

Learn more about the challenge

A healthcare provider giving a vision screening to a child.

Share fact sheets in Spanish with your community

Prevent Blindness has over 20 free, printable, Spanish language fa ct sheets. They cover topics ranging from finding an optometrist, to how to schedule an eye exam, to information about a range of eye conditions. The facts sheets can help provide up-to-date information about eye health that can be used at health fairs, schools, community centers, and doctor’s offices.

Check out the fact sheets

VisionServe Alliance report on United States Older Population and Vision Loss-A Briefing.

Get data on blindness and low vision among adults age 65+

The Big Data Project from VisionServe Alliance shares insights about adults age 65+ with vision loss. The reports provide groundbreaking data on the rate of blindness and low vision among older adults. In addition to the National Big Data Report, over 25 state reports are also available, with more coming soon.

Read the reports

Calendar of Events

Elevate your clinical expertise at Academy 2024

The American Academy of Optometry will host a brand new Clinical Procedures Skills Transfer Program during Academy 2024 in Indianapolis, from November 6 to 9. The program is designed to help practicing optometrists elevate their clinical expertise in the laser and surgical skills areas. The program spans several days and is divided into detailed sessions facilitated by optometry’s leading experts in the field.

Learn about the program

Other Events and Resources

September 18 to 21: The Vision Council will host the 2024 Vision Expo West in Las Vegas, NV. It includes engaging programming and events, and education for manufacturers, suppliers, providers, and retailers in the vision community.

October 18 to 20: American Academy of Ophthalmology will host the 2024 AAO Annual Meeting for ophthalmologists of all specialties in Chicago, IL. Learn from professionals around the world, network with colleagues, and explore exhibitors.

October 18 to 24: International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO) will host the 2024 Annual Continuing Education Program in Chicago, IL, with both on-site and virtual learning opportunities.

Resource: Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites — a community-generated podcast — is dedicated to helping those facing vision loss (including older adults) cope and adjust.

Resource: National Council on Aging’s article titled, “Common Age-Related Eye Diseases: What to Know and What You Can Do” describes some eye conditions that become more common as we grow older, as well as ways to be proactive about eye health.

The Eye Health Connection is a newsletter developed with the input of NEHEP Partners and shared with the community of NEHEP’s 60+ partner organizations. The links are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only, they do not constitute an endorsement by the National Eye Institute or its employees.

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