The Aging Texas Well (ATW) program helps to ensure that Texans prepare individually for aging in all aspects of life and that state and local infrastructure— laws, policies, and services — support aging well throughout Texans’ lifespans.

Texas has the fourth-largest population of older adults in the U.S. - 3.5 million Texans are age sixty or older. The population of older Americans is growing due to increased longevity, and the aging of the baby boom generation (those persons born between 1946 and 1964). The over-sixty population is one of the fastest growing in Texas, and is expected to reach an estimated 3.7 million people by the year 2010. By the year 2040, Texas will have 9.4 million people age sixty or older, which will comprise almost one-quarter of the state’s population. This number compares to only 2.8 million people age sixty or older in 2000. As the state’s aging population grows, Texas can anticipate an increasing need for services.

The needs of aging Texans are complex, and no single organization or entity can be responsible to provide all the opportunities necessary to meet the needs of this diverse population. In this light, the Aging Texas Well initiative was developed to address both individual and community preparedness in order to empower aging Texans to take control of their lives, promote a positive aging experience, meet the challenge of obstacles with resources and services, and foster new avenues of innovations for future generations.

On April 1, 2005, Governor Perry issued Executive Order RP42 formalizing the “Aging Texas Well” initiative at the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS). The order directed the department to continue its work to identify aging policy issues, guide state government readiness and promote increased community preparedness for an aging Texas population.

As a result of the Executive Order, DADS formed an advisory committee, which advises the department and makes recommendations to state leadership on implementation of the Aging Texas Well initiative.

RP42 also directed the Department of Aging and Disability Services, Department of State Health Services, Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness, and other appropriate state and community organizations to continue promoting and expanding the internationally-recognized Texercise program as a means to ensure healthy lifestyles in older Texans.

Texercise provides resources and incentives to assist people in adopting good nutrition habits and becoming physically active. The Texercise handbook was developed with the support of Dr. Kenneth Cooper and contains nutrition facts, detailed drawings and explanations of exercises and fitness logs. The Texercise handbook is currently in its fifth printing and has been distributed to more than 100,000 individuals.

In 2006, the Administration on Aging (AoA) awarded Texas a three-year grant to improve the health and quality of life for aging Texans. Working with the National Council on Aging (NCOA), state agencies and local partners, DADS used the grant to establish Texas Healthy Lifestyles (see www.agingtexaswell.org/txhl) to promote evidence-based health promotion activities among aging Texans and their communities.

In March 2008, Texas Healthy Lifestyles partners presented success stories from the project to a national audience at the 2008 American Society on Aging/NCOA’s “Aging in America” conference in Washington, DC.

Texercise Teams, made up of local and statewide partners, were created to help disseminate Texercise resources and provide on-going fitness and nutrition activities for their community. There are currently 12 Texercise Teams in Texas.