SURVEY: Disrupting Health Disparities in the District

Take the Survey: https://bit.ly/AARPDCHealthSurvey

Many older, Black District residents face hurdles to receiving high-quality, accessible, and timely healthcare, which is why disrupting health disparities is a high priority for AARP.

In the spring of 2021, AARP DC and Georgetown University’s Department of Health Systems Administration released a comprehensive study on health disparities among Black older adults living in the District of Columbia. The study entitled, A Review of Health and Socioeconomic Disparities Among Black Older Adults in the District of Columbia, highlighted the role that structural racism and lack of access to affordable, high-quality food, transportation, and health care providers play in creating and compounding health disparities.

Key findings from the study show that:

• Preventable hospital admissions for Black Medicare enrollees are more than 2x higher than non-Hispanic white residents.
• Only 50% of Black residents age 65 and older receive a flu shot and deaths from flu/pneumonia are 1.5x higher.
• The number of Black Medicare enrollees treated for hypertension is 1.5x higher, and 2x higher for heart failure.
• The number of Black Medicare enrollees treated for diabetes is close to 3x higher.
• Black residents are less likely to receive an early colorectal cancer diagnosis, and colorectal death rates are 3x higher.

“By highlighting health disparities here in the District, our aim is to spur local leaders in the public, private and nonprofit sectors to act to drastically reduce health disparities and improve health care access for all Black residents in the District,” said Louis Davis Jr., AARP DC Director. “Not doing so significantly inhibits equitable access to quality health care, housing, employment and education for older Black residents.”

To better advocate for the quality and accessible healthcare District residents need, AARP DC wants to hear from residents themselves. AARP DC developed a survey to gather information on the thoughts and experiences of Black men and women living in the District. The brief confidential survey is designed to collect information and guide advocacy and outreach.

The survey is available by visiting the link above. AARP DC wants you to share with us your experience on accessing healthcare, the quality of the healthcare in your community, and obstacles to accessing healthcare. The survey will not ask information such as Social Security Number, phone, email or address.

Disrupting health disparities takes a lot of information and involvement from the community. AARP DC has been working to connect community members with their elected officials and provide feedback about the quality of the health services in their community.

Please visit the link to take the confidential survey. It's important that we hear from you regarding the state of healthcare in the District of Columbia.