Health
Meet Mrs. Nelson
Although Mrs. Nelson had dementia and short-term memory loss, her husband could still take care of her in their home. That changed when he fell and had to enter a nursing home himself. Their children, who both worked, worried about their mother spending all day at home by herself. A United Way-supported adult day services program was the answer to everyone’s prayers.
Now Mrs.Nelson has a safe, welcoming place to spend her days. She’s no longer isolated alone in her home, but engaging with other seniors and caring staff in a cheerful, light-filled, homey center. She rests better at night and is still able to function much as she did when her husband took care of her. And everyone has some peace of mind.
Mrs. Nelson’s story is just one of the many lives that have been changed through one of United Way’s program partners. To read about other lives changed visit our Success Stories page
Health Statistics
- Only 33% of pregnant teens graduate high school. However, 94% of teen mothers in UWMN-funded programs will earn a degree and be better prepared to care for their children.
- Out of every 1,000 teens aged 15-19, 76 will become pregnant. UWMN-funded programs reach 200 of these teens every year and 188 of them will graduate high school and be better prepared to care for their children.
- By focusing on two areas, Assisting Seniors and Promoting Health and Wellness, United Way of Metropolitan Nashville works with programs that help seniors stay at home longer and increases the health and well-being of at-risk populations.
Health Focus Areas
Assisting Seniors
Helps over 1,200 low-income seniors remain in their homes with preventative health screenings, social activities, home visits, and other types of support.
Promoting Health and Wellness
Helps nearly 3,800 of Nashville’s most vulnerable citizens experience improved health and wellbeing through education prevention and treatment. This includes programs that prevent or manage conditions that most commonly affect low-income individuals: premature births, asthma, cancer, heart disease, mental illness, poor oral health and stroke.
Health Focused Days of Action
October Day of Action: Community Baby Shower, 2009
October Day of Action: Health, 2008
Health Program Partners
Assisting Seniors Programs:
- Adult Day Services (FiftyForward)
- Alive Hospice Support Services (Alive Hospice)
- Community Case Management Program (Guardianship and Trusts Corporation of Tennessee)
- Foster Grandparent Program (FiftyForward)
- Living at Home Coalition (LAHC) (FiftyForward)
- Reaching Out (FiftyForward)
- Refugee Elders Program (Catholic Charities of Tenn. Inc)
- Senior Citizens Club of BCN(Bethlehem Centers of Nashville)
- St. Luke’s Senior FRIENDS (St. Luke’s Community House)
- Student Health Coalition – Coalition for Healthy Aging (Vanderbilt Center for Health Services)
- The Adult Day Program (Catholic Charities of Tenn. Inc)
Promoting Health and Wellness:
- Affordable Dentistry for the Working Poor (Interfaith Dental Clinic)
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Services for People with HIV/AIDS (Nashville CARES)
- Alive Grief Support Services (Alive Hospice)
- Case Management for People with HIV/AIDS (Nashville CARES)
- CASTLES (Vanderbilt Center for Health Services)
- Child Sexual Abuse Services (Sexual Assault Center)
- Children of Sexual Abuse Trauma (Nashville Children’s Alliance)
- Counseling – Family Crisis Centers (Oasis Center, Inc.)
- Counseling Practice (Family & Children’s Service)
- Deaf Wellness Program (Hearing Bridges)
- Diabetes Control Initiative (United Neighborhood Health Services)
- Diversion Services (Mental Health Cooperative)
- High-Risk Pregnancy Program (Nurses for Newborns of TN)
- Individual and Family Counseling: Hispanic Division (Catholic Charities of Tenn. Inc)
- Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker (MIHOW) (Catholic Charities of Tenn. Inc)
- Midas Dual Diagnosis Program (Samaritan Recovery Community Inc)
- Rape Crisis Services (Sexual Assault Center)
- S.R.C. Alcohol and Drug Residential Treatment Program (Samaritan Recovery Community Inc)
- Survivor Club (Nashville CARES)
- Survivors of Suicide (Family & Children’s Service)
- Taking Charge (United Neighborhood Health Services)
- Women’s Outpatient Program (Renewal House)
- YW Domestic Violence Center Children’s Program (YWCA)
- YW Domestic Violence Center Therapeutic Services (YWCA)