The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center has partnered with the New Mexico Health Care Authority to launch Vive Bien/Live Well, an innovative healthy aging program to help older adults maintain their health, independence and quality of life. The program is administrated through UNM Health Sciences and funded by the New Mexico Health Care Authority.
Vive Bien/Live Well is part of the state’s implementation of Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE), an initiative of the World Health Organization. New Mexico is the first U.S. state to bring preventive healthy aging tools directly to older adults through a bilingual mobile application. The mobile app is available for free to New Mexicans age 65 and older.
Alana Dancis, DNP, CNP, RN, acting Medicaid Director for the New Mexico Health Care Authority, said she loves helping patients have the best quality of life possible.
“This is a really important, interesting program because this is a program that is about extending those quality years, those years where you’re thriving and having your body work for you,” Dancis said.
How Seniors Can Get Started
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Visit ViveBienLiveWell.org
- Review the "Before You Start" section
- Watch the short tutorial videos
- Download the Vive Bien/Live Well app
- Complete your first health check
Who Should Participate?
- Adults aged 65 years and older
- Family caregivers
- Older adults interested in maintaining their independence and well-being
- Healthcare providers supporting healthy aging
"Our goal is simple, it’s to help older adults stay independent and informed, allowing them to do the things they enjoy the most in life," said David Scrase, MD, professor of Internal Medicine in the UNM School of Medicine and New Mexico ICOPE program director.
The Vive Bien/Live Well app is available in both English and Spanish and can be downloaded for free on Apple and Android devices.
The app guides users through brief health check-in questionnaires focused on areas essential to healthy aging, including:
- Memory and thinking
- Moving around
- Healthy eating
- Emotional well-being
- Vision
- Hearing
- Bladder health
After answering the check-in questions, users receive personalized recommendations, preventive health information, goal-setting support and community resource information. The app also creates personalized care plans that can be shared with family or healthcare providers.
The goal of sharing the care plans is to foster informed conversations and shared decision making with the user and their care team, said Scrase. It’s important to remember this is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace your doctor’s advice.
The user-friendly app is designed so people can use it alone or with help from their family or care team. It is accessible offline as well, which means many of the features are still available without a Wi-Fi connection.
The initiative aligns with the state and UNM’s commitment to preventive care, health equity, member engagement and improved care coordination for older adults, according to Dancis. State leaders believe widespread adoption of the program can support earlier identification of health concerns and encourage proactive engagement in care.
Along with the app, older adults can access educational materials, video tutorials and program resources through the Vive Bien/Live Well website.
For more information, please contact program manager Giselle Sosa at grsosa@salud.unm.edu. Additional information on Vive Bien/Live Well is available here.
