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Family and Community Health Sciences

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Family and Community Health Sciences programming for Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension (RCE) is conducted by Dr. Kathleen Cullinen in Ocean County.

Ocean County has over 200,000 adults 65 years of age and older, according to the most recent census estimates. This is the second-highest percentage of adults 65 and older in New Jersey, at 22.8% of the population. As a result, our Family and Community Health Sciences programming is designed to address the changing needs of older adults in Ocean County through age-friendly initiatives to support healthy aging in place, chronic disease prevention and control, and comprehensive well-being among older adults through community-based outreach, education, and research.

Educational Programs

  • Caring for Our Kin is a monthly support program co-developed by Penn State Extension and West Virginia University Extension for grandparents, relatives, and close family members who care for children and teenagers. The support group offers 12 classes, each covering important aspects of caregiving to help caregivers build a solid foundation of knowledge and skills to handle various situations and provide the best care for the children they are looking after. This program, funded partly by the Grunin Foundation, will take place monthly in the evening beginning January 29, 2025 from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. and includes a light supper. Space is limited and registration is required by Friday, January 17th, 2025. Please contact Dina Baudo (Administrative Assistant, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County): dbaudo@co.ocean.nj.us, 732-349-1247 for more information.
  • Wellness Wednesday Webinars are offered weekly via Zoom at 12:30 p.m. More information can be found at Wellness Wednesdays. A monthly webinar series specific to Healthy Aging topics will offered in 2025. Click here to register for one or more Healthy Aging webinars.

Research Programs

  • Age-Friendly Ocean County is an age-friendly communities project, that aims to assess, plan, and develop local age-friendly initiatives that support the health and well-being of older adults, and to advance efforts that result in tangible and sustainable transformation of policies, systems, and environmental conditions. In partnership with the Ocean County Office of Senior Services, the goal is to improve communities for older adults and enable residents to remain in their homes as they age.

Quarterly Newsletters

Educational Resources

2024 Resource Directories

More FCHS information and fact sheets are available from the statewide Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension publications page.

If you would like to be added to our email list to receive announcements about future Healthy Aging extension education programs and/or our Ocean County Visions newsletter, please contact Dina Baudo (Administrative Assistant, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County): dbaudo@co.ocean.nj.us, 732-349-1247.

If you have any questions about Healthy Aging extension programs or research, please contact Dr. Kathleen Cullinen (County Agent III, Assistant Professor; Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County): cullinen@njaes.rutgers.edu, 732-349-1247.