The Age Guide: Perspectives on the Aging Journey

The Great Reconnection: AgeGuide Celebrates 50 Years

• Age Guide • Season 3 • Episode 1

Share episode

This year marks AgeGuide’s 50th anniversary since being established in 1973 as part of the Older Americans Act. All year long, the Age Guide podcast will highlight the impact of various Older Americans Act funded services and the people who benefit from them. Across the region and the nation we’re seeing a movement toward “The Great Reconnection.” This emphasis on reconnecting with others in this post pandemic time positively impacts older adults, caregivers and all of us who are aging. It is about rekindling relationships and a renewed focus on building community. In this episode we sit down with Marla Fronczak, CEO of AgeGuide, to kick off our 50th anniversary series with a look back at where it all started and a look forward to where aging services are headed. 

Facebook: facebook.com/AgeGuide
Twitter: twitter.com/AgeGuide
Instagram: instagram.com/theageguidepodcast
Podcast: ageguide.org/the-age-guide-podcast
Website: ageguide.org

Nick:

Hello, and welcome to The Age Guide, perspectives on the aging journey. We are here to be your personal age guide and enhance your quality of life on the road ahead. This year marks Age Guide's 50th anniversary since being established in 1973 as part of the Older Americans Act. All year long, the Age Guide podcast will highlight the impact of various Older Americans Act-funded services and the people who will benefit from them. Across the region and the nation, we're seeing a movement toward the Great Reconnection. This emphasis on reconnecting with others in this post-pandemic time positively impacts older adults, caregivers, and all of us who are aging. It is about rekindling relationships and a renewed focus on building community. In this episode, we sit down with Marla Franczak, CEO of Age Guide, to kick off our 50th anniversary series with a look back at where it all started and a look forward to where aging services are headed. Let's listen in.

Gretchen:

So I am excited to talk to you today, Marla. Thank you so much for joining us. Are you ready? I am so ready. Thank you. It's my pleasure to join you. Excellent. Can you just start out by giving us a little background on the Older Americans Act itself? What was it and how did it come about?

Marla:

Absolutely. So the Older Americans Act really came about under Linda B. Johnson's Great Society. These were a series of policies that came around really to address poverty in America. In particular, the Older Americans Act was coupled with Medicare that was there for the health care of older adults, as well as Medicaid. At that time, roughly about about a third of older adults were retiring in poverty. And these programs really gave them the ability to not only live, but to thrive in their homes and communities.

Gretchen:

Wow, that's important stuff. I'm glad they were thinking about that back then.

Marla:

Yeah, it was really a bold promise for 1965 when you think about all that was going on and really to have a focus on older adults in particular at that time. But it really was a blueprint for the aging network and something that really was structured that we still use today.

Gretchen:

And it's still going strong. So what about Age Guide in particular? Can you tell us a little bit about how Age Guide got its start?

Marla:

Yes, that's really, I'm so pleased to really talk about that. It's such a great question. So the State Unit on Aging, which here in Illinois is the Illinois Department on Aging, designated 13 area agencies. And each of us had this defined planning and service region. They're really area agencies throughout the United States, over 600 of us throughout there. We've all got the same role and responsibilities. And what it really did for us is, in particular for Age Guide, is it designated us to kind of be that boots on the ground to coordinate those services. When I talk about defined regions, we were actually known as Region 2 Area Agency on Aging. That was your name? That was our name. Wow. Yes, it was so creative. Today we do Businesses Age Guide, and we use Northeastern Illinois to kind of define our eight-county region. And who we serve are the color counties outside of suburban Cook County. Okay, and which counties would that be? So that would be DuPage County, which is our largest county, Grundy County, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McKenzie. Okay, so

Gretchen:

that's eight counties and Age Guide is one of

Marla:

13 agencies? is to develop that coordinated network of services and supports for the older adults. What we do is we grant those federal dollars from the Older Americans Act with state dollars from the Illinois Department on Aging to local community-based providers. They're the ones that directly deliver those services to older adults and caregivers throughout our region. Okay. Does Age Guide provide any direct service We do. We actually do. We tend to pilot programs. So sometimes it's our opportunity to kind of innovate and see maybe something that we want to roll out to the public. But also a lot of our direct service revolves around not only monitoring and administering those funding, but being that advocate out there for those older adults. We want to be that voice to make sure that policies are good for people out there so that they can stay in their communities. We want to be at the table for local government when they're making decisions about transportation and housing. This is how we create change and make sure that our programs alone can't do everything for older adults. So we need those partners out there and we need them to always be mindful that a good number of their residents are older and that their needs might be different in the communities that they live in.

Gretchen:

So there's a number of these organizations. About how many organizations do you fund these days?

Marla:

You know what? When we first started, believe it or not, we were a staff of five. And we funded maybe a dozen or so projects out there for like $250,000. Today, we're a staff of over 30. And we are funding over 50 community-based service providers throughout our region. And we award over $25 million. worth of services, both federal and state funding. Okay, yeah, I was just going to say, is that

Gretchen:

all federal funds from the Older Americans Act? Some of it comes from state dollars

Marla:

as well? It does as well. And in addition to that, our local providers also put in local resources. So they are also contributing to that. So a lot of research has gone around this. And for every dollar of federal funding that comes through that Older Americans Act, we leverage like $3 to $4 locally. That's a really good return on investment. And does that

Gretchen:

count volunteer

Marla:

time? It does indeed. Okay. Excellent. Because I know there's a

Gretchen:

lot of people volunteering in this network

Marla:

as well. Absolutely. Absolutely. It takes many hands to deliver these programs.

Gretchen:

Yes. So it sounds like you have been doing a lot of things over the years and continue to do that. But what are you most proud of over the past 50 years?

Marla:

That's a great question. There's so much good work that's really been done throughout our network. But truly what I'm really most proud of is our ability to really adapt and innovate. So while we deliver many programs the same as we did maybe 50 years ago, we have had the flexibility to really adapt those to the changing needs of our older adults and really those people that care for them as well too. So what we're finding now is that not only are people living longer, but also the communities that we're serving are more racially and ethnically diverse, which means that their needs are very different depending on where they live and really what is culturally appropriate for them. So that's one of the ways that we're able to really tailor our services to make sure that we are meeting those ever-changing needs of older adults. Believe it or not, for the first time ever, in 2030, there will be more people over the age of 60 than under the age of 18. And this is the first time that this has happened, not only here, but globally in our world.

Gretchen:

What do you think that's going to mean for us?

Marla:

Well, I think what that's going to mean is that we're going to have to change the way we think about aging and about how people live in a society. and what their needs are going to be. And we're going to have to adapt our systems and policies to really meet those challenging needs because we weren't built. We were built as a young society and we were built because people, you know, Many didn't live past the age of traditional retirement. So it is a time to rethink and to re-engage and to re-look at all of those systems and structures out there to support an aging society.

Gretchen:

Would you be able to give an example of how you've adapted and changed some of the programs that used to be offered and how that's different now?

Marla:

So whether it's a lack of transportation, outliving their ability to drive, or maybe chronic conditions that don't allow them really to get out of their home, we've been able to use technology to bring them into our programming and allow them to connect in ways that they never have. people virtually playing at home along with the bingo or doing a health promotion class where they're doing an activity like a jazzercise or a matter of balance. And then people at home can participate virtually through that. That was something that we really had never attempted prior to the pandemic, but it allowed us to bring people into these programs that maybe never would have had that opportunity to do that.

Gretchen:

I hadn't really thought about that use of technology before. That's excellent. And I know there's sort of a stereotype that older adults are afraid of technology. They don't know how to use technology. Do you find that actually to be true?

Marla:

We actually have found that that is not true. What we have found with technology is more of barriers to affordability and access to devices. So once we've been able to put programs in place where we've been able to teach people that we maybe have never been exposed to those devices, they actually are quick learners. So that old thought that you can't teach an old dog a new trick is really not true at all. Actually, older learners are better learners in many ways. And so it's giving them the opportunity to have that ability to use that technology.

Gretchen:

And they're motivated. They want to be connected to

Marla:

their family and friends. They do. And in many cases, smart have been that connection to that technology. So maybe while they might not have been on a computer, they know how to use that for social media and shopping and many other ways.

Gretchen:

Everybody's got a cell phone

Marla:

in their pocket now. That's

Gretchen:

right.

Nick:

Hello and welcome to your Medicare Minute. We are here with Val Guzman, our Benefit Access Specialist here at Age Guide. Today we have a question from Albert in DuPage County. He wrote in, I know open enrollment is going on. Does that mean my Medicare is changing next year? What's going on?

Nick:

Medicare open enrollment is going on from October 15th to December 7th, and your coverage could be changing, so it's important to stay informed. In Illinois, most drug plans have changed where some have gone up in price and others have gone down. The new drug deductible is $545 for the year. Prices for these drug plans range from over $100 a month to actually $0 per month. So some people actually won't have to pay anything for medications. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act starting in 2025, there will actually be a cap on the cost of your prescriptions, and that'll be $2,000 per year. Maybe one of the most welcome changes is that Medicare has started limiting how often insurance companies can call you, to try to sell you something, and their commercials have to be more clear about what they're offering. This should lead to you getting less phone calls and more accountability for the insurance companies. So a lot of improvements have been made to Medicare, and you can visit the Age Guide website, ageguide.org, to get connected with a SHIP counselor and get a better idea of how Medicare will work for you in 2024.

Gretchen:

My next question is, what do you think is next for the Aging Service Network? And what's next for Age Guide? Yeah,

Marla:

that's a really loaded question because I feel like there are many opportunities for the Aging Network going into really that next half century of how we're serving older adults. But, you know, it's all built around that foundational work that was done through the Older Americans Act. It was really... a great foundation for us to build off of. And so while we don't want to definitely create new, but it is our opportunity to build and grow. And one of the ways that we are looking at it, and this is really the foundation of the Older Americans Act, it was for us to help people stay socially and civically engaged in their home and communities and allow them the opportunity to participate in the workforce, maybe beyond that non-traditional So that is really the work that I think is going to encompass us in the years to come right now. is really addressing ageism. And I don't think we can get beyond getting people more socially and civically engaged until we can address that.

Gretchen:

What is that? Can you unpackage

Marla:

ageism for us a little bit? It really is a prejudice against our future selves. It is something that we see in stereotypes out there. You know, we kind of said it here jokingly, like, Things like teach an old dog new tricks. You know, we say a lot of things in our society that really impact the way that people view aging. All the negative birthday cards. All the negative cards. All the sayings about gray hair. Over the hill. Those type of things. So addressing ageism is really unpacking that to say that there are many positives to growing older. Okay? It gives us opportunities to reinvent ourselves. It gives us opportunities to start new careers, to maybe learn a new language, to engage in maybe other volunteer opportunities that we never had the chance to do while we were working and raising families. And one of the key things that we've seen on addressing ageism is bringing younger people into the conversation. So if more people understood the value of ageism, aging and really all the positive things that it can impact their lives and make their lives more meaningful, they would look forward to this. And they wouldn't be looking at it in terms of that image of a frail person, maybe a person who has chronic diseases. We don't find that in many of the older adults that we're seeing out there. We could take the people that are running for president and right now. So we know that these people can run countries that can do many, many things past that traditional retirement age. So I think our role and our advocacy role is really breaking down those prejudices so that people do have those opportunities to remain engaged and to be able to do all the things that they really want to do to thrive in their communities.

Gretchen:

And I like that. And it applies to all of us. Like you said, it's about our future selves. We're all aging, we're all going to age and we want to age well. And we know people are living longer. So what are we going to do with those extra years? That's a really good point that you make.

Marla:

Yeah, we're really looking at this opportunity now. As you know, you've heard before, like this, like great resignation that was going on, we would really like to repackage that and give us that opportunity coming out of the pandemic for a great reconnection. And I think that is one of those ways that we can really bring the generations together to stay more connected and more engaged.

Nick:

Age Guide is conducting a community needs assessment and we need your help. We are looking for older adults and caregivers to give feedback about programs and services available to older adults in your eight county region. Your feedback will help us evaluate and improve aging services for the next three years. You can help by taking the Community Needs Assessment Survey and or by participating in a listening session in your county. Visit www.ageguide.org slash community needs assessment to find a link to the survey and find more information about our listening sessions.

Gretchen:

Great reconnection. I've heard that term. I think that originated with the business sector, but I think you're right. That really applies well to older adults, caregivers, people working in aging services, because like you said, we've been through this pandemic. We've seen what it's like to be so isolated. People were separated from their loved ones. All of us were, right? And it has hit older adults, especially hard, especially those in long-term care. And so the great reconnection is really about building up those relationships again. And I know that most of Age Guide's programs in some way help with that reconnection. So it's a great time in this 50th anniversary year to celebrate that and to really lift up those programs and how we're going to be able to connect people. So I think that's really exciting.

Marla:

Absolutely. You couldn't have said it better, Gretchen, because really it is our time. It is a moment for us to really take Take what's happened in these past two years, learn from it, and see how we can grow. And our Older American Act programs, like you said, we've really been doing this for the past 50 years. This is the foundation of all of that work was to give people those opportunities beyond just providing health care for somebody, beyond just providing housing, but providing really that quality of life for people And so while we've been doing it, I think our work is just beginning in many, many ways.

Gretchen:

And a lot of it is about that connection. Can you give maybe an example of what that looks like in the community when you're connecting people to each other, to others in the community?

Marla:

Yeah, absolutely. And I'm so glad that you brought this up, that this is not just an aging issue. This is really what we're seeing across our nation. And honestly, I would believe it's the next global pandemic out there. Our Surgeon General just released an advisory report talking about the impact social isolation and loneliness is having on all of us and really giving us a foundation to grow grow a movement to make sure that we can find ways that we can socially reconnect to each other. So it's a question of how do you work within your communities, okay? Are there opportunities for you to go to parks? Are they accessible for you? Are there opportunities for you to be able to participate in roles in civic engagement So are you participating in boards? Are you looking at opportunities to support political movements out there? But also, you know, theater and education and all the things that really kind of give your life meaning. So I believe that what we're trying to do is really open the doors for people to to kind of reconnect to all of that. I really saw that that, like, over those two years of the pandemic, we all tried to virtually connect, right? We took opportunities. We Zoomed together. People were having Zoom happy hours. They were just finding ways to do that, and it was effective. I'm not going to say it wasn't effective. We learned new things. We tried some new things. We learned things. We did things, and they got us through a challenging time and an uncertainty time. So it was a way for us to do it. But what I see now coming through for that reconnection is the opportunity for us to be together again. So I sometimes share the example of my mother. During the pandemic, she lived in a senior building and they were locked down. I mean, we couldn't visit. They couldn't go in their dining room together. They were bringing meals three times a day she's like all I feel like I do is eat and whatever she wasn't seeing anyone she wasn't seeing anyone they would go out in the hallways maybe talk a little bit to each other wave to each other it was a very challenging time for older adults we did a lot of things to keep them safe and they were effective in many ways but it did take its toll emotionally on people now my mother for her the arts is what brings her joy the arts and her family so for her she zoomed live opera every night. That just maybe sometimes she watched it twice a day. We did family zooms together. So we brought our family from across the country once a week. Use that technology. And I do kind of in some ways miss it because it did kind of give us that opportunity. But what I'm seeing now is that people are getting out and I'm seeing that she's able to go to live theater again. She's able to go to the opera again She's able to see her kids and her grandkids and hug them. So while those virtual opportunities were great in many ways, they really can't substitute for how we are connecting together and the importance of that. So our children got onto devices, our families, in many ways, they haven't lost some of those habits. And so now it's really our roles to show people how you have to move away from that and kind of move more into being together. And I think that's the way we're going to be addressing all of this going forward is how do we move into that next generation and what does that look like for our programs and services.

Gretchen:

And that's a very important role. Like you said, people really got out of the habit of being face to face. And a lot of people are talking about having anxiety now, not just older adults, but about going out. They're just not used to being in crowds. They don't like the loud noises of being out and about. Maybe they don't know how to engage. Maybe they've lost some friendships that they had built before. So I think you're right. There's really going to be a need for a relearning process. And if Age Guide can step into that role for older adults and help them figure out how to get connected it again it's definitely time for that and like like for your mother her experience she's probably so much happier now that she's getting out and the

Marla:

light the quality of life it is a it is a big difference and there is there is there is a role like I said there is a role for these opportunities whether they're virtually or in person but I think for all of us to kind of as the Surgeon General it's Right. Right.

Gretchen:

and see what we can do with this. Is there anything else you'd like to add? Yeah,

Marla:

I just would like to say that I'm just so excited about that we can really kind of shine a light on all that we've done in these last 50 years. The network has really had the ability to help people kind of make those authentic connections. We've had the opportunity to not only do this for people socially But we've been able to really help people give them nutritional meals. We've been able to give them transportation rides to doctor's offices. We've been able to kind of fill in where health care leaves off. in terms of bridging people to be part of the home and community. And as people are aging in our communities, these programs are going to be more needed now than, believe it or not, in 1965 when they came up. When the program started. When the program first started. We're recognizing this value goes far beyond, I think, even what the people who crafted it could have ever envisioned. And so for us to be able to... show the meaning of these programs. I think we touched a little bit about the return on investment that these programs make for people. But more importantly, it's the impact on their quality of life and being able to really share those stories of how people are thriving in their later years and being able to do incredible things that maybe they thought they never could do. But now they have the opportunity to do that.

Gretchen:

And they're staying at home. Exactly.

Marla:

With the people they love and the friends they've made over the years, for sure.

Gretchen:

Wonderful. So exciting to continue on this journey this year and highlight some of those programs for folks. So we'll go into more depth on some of the things you talked about and maybe interview some program participants and get their view on how these services have impacted them and made a difference in their lives. So I hope that people will stay tuned and continue to follow us on this journey this year as we celebrate these 50 years. I do, too. I do, too. They're going to enjoy the ride.

Nick:

Thank you for watching. Our specially trained professionals are available to answer questions and connect you with local service providers and resources. If you are interested in these services or want to learn more, go to our website at hguide.org. Call our offices at 630-293-5990. Please follow our podcast so when we post our monthly podcast, you are notified on your streaming account. Thank you, and we will see you next time On the Age Guide, perspectives on the aging journey.