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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.

According to the most recent census estimates, Ocean County has over 200,000 adults 60 years of age and older. In addition, Ocean County has 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

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 2026.

Brain Health Partnership

The Brain Health Partnership is a collaborative initiative of Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s Family & Community Health Sciences (FCHS) Program and the Alzheimer’s Association, dedicated to promoting brain health, reducing dementia risk, supporting caregivers, and connecting communities to evidence-based resources and research opportunities.

Through this partnership, trained Alzheimer’s Association volunteer educators from Rutgers Cooperative Extension deliver evidence-based educational programs free of charge throughout Ocean, Somerset, and Gloucester Counties, with expansion efforts currently underway in Monmouth County. Programs address key topics including healthy lifestyle strategies for brain health, Alzheimer’s disease awareness, dementia education, caregiver communication strategies, and early recognition of cognitive changes.

In Ocean County, the Brain Health Partnership extends beyond education to support research engagement and community translation of emerging science. Rutgers Cooperative Extension collaborates with the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center, Rutgers Brain Health Institute, Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, and the Kessler Foundation to assist with recruitment for behavioral intervention trials informed by findings from the U.S. POINTER study.

Educational programs are delivered through a Rutgers Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved curriculum and include evaluation measures designed to assess participant learning outcomes and program effectiveness. Workshops may be offered as individual presentations or as multi-session educational series tailored to community needs.

By integrating education, outreach, caregiver support, and research engagement, the Brain Health Partnership advances the goals of healthy aging while increasing awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The initiative helps older adults, caregivers, and families access practical strategies, community resources, and opportunities to participate in research that may improve brain health and quality of life for future generations.

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 Visons Newsletters

  • Visions is a peer-reviewed Family and Community Health Sciences (FCHS) consumer newsletter featuring articles on nutrition, physical activity, health, food safety, and other wellness topics. Click this link for free electronic subscriptions or pick up a printed copy at our location, 1623 Whitesville Road, Toms River, NJ.

Educational Resources

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.