Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** over 85% of older adults have one…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** over 85% of older adults have one or more chronic health conditions, and about 11% are at risk for or have subjective cognitive decline. Additionally, 20% of older americans reside in rural areas, where isolation can exacerbate health challenges. Behavioral factors account for at least half of one's health status and are key to delaying and preventing the onset of chronic health conditions. Compared to urban counterparts, rural areas have fewer health behavior facilitating resources to contribute to better health and well-being. Underscoring this challenge is that most of rural illinois are healthcare shortfall areas, where the ratio of healthcare providers is lower than non-rural areas. Thus, low-cost, rural wellness programs fill an important GAP in health education programming that contribute to people living healthier lives. However, many available programs are costly (e.g., training, licenses, equipment) and programs like these are not easily disseminated in rural areas due to limited resources. University of illinois extension educators developed wits workout (WW), a holistic, lay leader led, wellness series for older adults designed to enhance behaviors that contribute to good health. IT has shown potential for widespread implementation, is low-cost, and easy to replicate. The aims of this project are to 1) evaluate the processes and outcomes of implementing a lay leader facilitator model for widespread implementation of WW across rural illinois; 2) assess participant outcomes on social engagement and satisfaction, and self-efficacy to practice healthy behaviors; and 3) develop, beta-test, and implement a WW spanish version for older hispanic/latino rural residents.