We started 2014 off with a bang, thanks to this fantastic event coordinated by Bonnie Richardson and Maria Soria. Chicago Bridge would first like to thank Center on Halstead for generously providing the beautiful space and Gentle Homes Services for the delicious food.
Forty-five people attended this at-capacity event, which featured a talented panel of professionals;
Kate Krajci from Rush Health & Aging, Britta Larson from Center on Halsted, and Melissa Tucker from the Alzheimer’s Association.
Bonnie Richardson moderated the panel and began the evening with the poignant question, “What led you into your career?” The panel took turns discussing major career change from the corporate world, personal experiences she had with elders (both good and bad), and even personal experiences of marginalization.
The event then seamlessly transitioned into a discussion of what it means to navigate resources in the Chicago Aging Network.
Pulling from her expansive work with persons with dementia and their families, Melissa conceptualized resources based on the stage of the disease. She stressed the importance of building and nourishing formal and informal networks. She emphasized planning ahead for legal and financial matters, perhaps with the help of an elder law attorney. Making use of local Area Agencies on Aging and finding support groups was also described. Melissa acknowledged that most people prefer to age in place, but cited the fact that 90% of persons with dementia are eventually cared for in a facility. She sited POLST as a helpful resource for end of life decision making and encouraged professionals to examine their own views of end-of-life prior to discussing this topic with clients.
Kate described the flow of resources as trickling down from the federal, to state, to county level. She also mentioned Area Agencies on Aging, Case Management Units, and Health and Human Service Providers. She passionately discussed the importance of leveraging relationships with other professionals, and using these mutually beneficial partnerships for the benefit of the older adults we serve (without being overly aggressive with your professional contacts!). One resource she sited was Purple Binder, a site that helps healthcare providers, cities, and NPOs connect people with resources.
Britta’s expertise in the area of LGBT rights rounded out the presentation very nicely. She talked about elders in this community being less likely to have children and be aging alone in smaller networks. She explained that systematic discrimination experienced by this group tends to stay with persons as they age and render them less likely to reach out to formal networks for help when needed. Britta mentioned that this discrimination persists today, in ways as seemingly insignificant as the wording on medical intake forms. She shared moving examples that demonstrated the importance of establishing trust with older adults in the LGBT population, in order to provide them with the most comprehensive and compassionate care possible. Much can be overlooked or misinterpreted when we assume.
Thoughtful questions were asked by the audience and networking among the group began again as the panel discussion drew to a close.
Thank you again to coordinators Bonnie Richardson and Maria Soria, our generous sponsors Center on Halstead and Gentle Homes Services, and of course, our panel, Kate Krajci, Britta Larson, and Melissa Tucker.
