Aging Well: Stories That Shift Perspectives - with Christina Peoples

In this episode of Aging Well, we have Christina Peoples, a gerontologist, educator, speaker, health promotion coordinator, and founder of Gero-What?, a digital platform making conversations about aging more relatable, inclusive, and accessible. Through her work, Christina challenges ageism, amplifies historically marginalized voices, and centers the experiences and wisdom of Black elders. Christina explains how our physical health, emotional well-being, relationships, environments, identities, and lifelong experiences all influence the way we age. This episode also explores the intersection of aging and disability, the importance of embracing supportive tools without shame, and how racism, discrimination, health inequities, and limited access to resources can shape the aging experiences of Black and other marginalized communities. The conversation also highlights Christina’s Black Elder Truths storytelling project and the power of sharing older adults’ experiences, lessons, challenges, and sources of joy. Christina encourages listeners of every age to become more aware of the language they use, question ageist messages, and replace fear of growing older with curiosity, preparation, and a more positive vision of aging.

Resources:

Christina Peoples, MS Bio

GeroWhat | The Aging Experience

Area Agency on Aging | Piedmont Triad Regional Council, NC

Transforming Advocacy into Action - ASA Generations

Aging Well in Action: Evidence-Based Programs + Beyond

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

Transcript

Gretchen: 0:01

Welcome to The Age Guide, the podcast where we give voice to older adults and caregivers, challenge ageism, and offer guidance to help you thrive on the journey ahead. I'm Gretchen Knowlton, your host, exploring the policies and ideas transforming the aging experience. This season, we're diving into what it really means to age well, from staying connected and keeping our minds sharp, to finding our passion and building more age -inclusive communities. Today, we're joined by Christina Peoples. Christina holds a Master's of Science degree in Gerontology. She's a Health Promotion Coordinator at an Area Agency on Aging in North Carolina. Also, she's an educator, speaker, and founder of GeraWatt, a platform dedicated to making the aging process more relatable, inclusive, and accessible for people of all ages. With her background in advocacy, health promotion, and community education, Christina's work challenges the way we think, talk, and imagine aging. She centers Black elder aging perspectives and reminds us that aging is a lifelong experience we all share. Thank you for joining us, Christina. Thanks for having me. I am such a fan of your Facebook and Instagram reels, and I've followed you for a while now. I've been enjoying your Black Elder Truths reels lately, so let's start there. You are quite the aging influencer, and your platform has really taken off. I'd love to hear more about GeraWatt. Tell me what inspired you to start it.

Christina: 1:56

You know, that's a really good question, and I always have to start kind of from the beginning to get to how we landed here as GeraWatt. People often ask me, like, what led me into gerontology? Growing up, I volunteered in local nursing homes, you know, through school and church, and just genuinely enjoyed spending time with, you know, the residents there who most of them were older. And that early exposure just really planted a seed to, you know, do more with older adults as I got older. So, you know, went to school, and a friend told me about the gerontology program that was at Winston -Salem State University, and it aligned with, you know, some of my desires, which were to still work with older adults. And so, I was like, well, let's give this a try. So, that's how I got into the field. And what led me to GeraWatt was really a bunch of no's. You know, you go through life, and everybody at some point is going to experience a rejection. Sometimes it's a few, sometimes it's like a lot, but we experience them. So, you can either see it as a good thing, or you see it as negative. I saw it as negative, okay? I'm questioning myself. I'm like, should I even be in this field? Like, what am I supposed to be doing? What's in that headspace that I was, you know, trying to navigate, GeraWatt, the idea of it came about. I had challenged myself to just keep learning about this field, learning about aging, seeing how other people talk about it. So, I started to Google aging blogs to see what came up. And so, you know, in the midst of that, I realized there weren't many blogs, or really any blogs, that were coming from people of color. And that's when I was like, now, wait a minute. There's so many people who are aging, right? Those voices also need to be in this space. So, I saw a gap and was like, well, I'll do my best to try to fill this gap. And I was like, I'm going to start my own blog, but like, what am I going to call it? And it's funny how this name popped up instantly, GeraWatt, because that's a common question that people had asked me, even in school and just over the years, when I say like, oh, I'm a gerontologist, or at the time, like, I'm majoring in gerontology. That would be the question, like, GeraWatt? Like, huh? What is that? Yeah. So, that's how it came about. And it is like a digital platform that really, you know, aims to educate people about the aging process. And, you know, I try to be as relatable as possible, because, you know, part of the other reason that I wanted to start this is because a lot of people don't identify with aging, you know, a lot of people don't want to speak to the fact that they are getting older. And so, it's like, well, if I can make this relatable, maybe then people can see themselves in this process. And they may not like it, right? But maybe there will be some things that I share that can provoke thought and really encourage people to be proactive and start to think, like, how do I want my aging experience to look and feel as I, you know, continue to advance in age? You know, that's part of the goal of GeraWatt. Of course, representation as well is a big thing of just really making sure that I can amplify the voices of those who, you know, have been historically marginalized and making sure that I can also be a resource to individuals, since this is my background, gerontology, even in my, you know, full -time job, like, this is what I do. And so, just being a resource and amplifying voices, as well as educating people about aging, is really what GeraWatt is all about.

Gretchen: 6:36

All right. So, I definitely want to circle back to amplifying those voices. But first, since we're still talking about GeraWatt, let's drill down on that. I know you actually did a whole video on this, and people can find it on your website. But I would love to hear your definition of gerontology. And I think listeners would appreciate that, too. You do a great job of explaining it.

Christina: 7:00

Oh, well, thank you. I try to keep it simple, right? It's the study of aging. But it's really, you know, deeper than that. Like, we're, as a gerontologist, you can look at aging as, you know, from the biological, the psychological, or the social aspects. And so, you're looking at how, from, you know, throughout a person's life, how all these different aspects, all these different experiences shape a person as they reach, you know, their 60s. And then you also think about, like, okay, now that this, you know, this person has had all of these experiences, all these different changes with their bodies or mentally, right? Whether it's learning new things or finding it more challenging to learn new things, whatever, because it's very unique how that shows up relationships and how the shifts in relationships have had an impact on that person. You look at all of that and then you think, okay, what would enhance this person's aging experience? What would enhance their quality of life? What would really help this person age well, right? And age well, aging well is very relative, you know? It's not like a set definition. It's really going to be specific to each individual and that person's needs. But looking at, you know, what programs could help with this? What are some services that need to be available and, you know, accessible for an individual? What changes need to happen in an environment? What needs to be modified in a person's home? Like, you're looking at all of those things. I really work to just give everyday examples. Like, we don't think of aging in like an everyday type of thing, but it's something that is everyday, right? And so it could be as simple as having a conversation with a loved one. That is shaping your aging experience. Gardening is shaping your aging experience because it may bring you joy. It may help you relax, which then can have an impact on your mental health or an impact on your physical health in a positive way. So just, I try to tie all those things together, but make it where it's something that you can see it like, oh, so today when I decided to eat that apple or when I decided that I wanted the mac and cheese, like, that's playing a role in some type of way. Yeah. Yeah.

Gretchen: 10:03

Yes. And like you said, aging well has so many different components to it. I think sometimes people equate aging well just as being healthy. But it's so much more than that. And a lot of people do end up acquiring one or more disabilities as they age too. So I wanted to talk about that as we're recording this. It's July and July is Disability Pride Month. And as someone who studies aging, I know you have expertise on that intersectionality, that overlap of aging and disability. How do you see disability pride connecting to the aging experience? And how can you continue to still see your aging experience as part of this aging well, despite maybe some health issues or disability?

Christina: 10:54

Yeah. First off, I love that question. People often think that with age, it's guaranteed that you might have some type of disability. That's not always the case. True. Good point. Some are born with disabilities. It shows up in, you know, various forms and through, you know, various parts of your life. It can or it has. So I think just one thing, like people oftentimes kind of mix the two together and think that it's like an inevitable thing, but it's not. But if it shouldn't, like you said, it doesn't mean that the person isn't aging well. So if an individual, you know, in their mid -40s or mid -50s has now received a diagnosis of like a chronic condition like diabetes, or if an individual in their 30s has now experienced hearing loss. When those things show up, I think initially a person may feel shame, which then gives this negative like perspective on, you know, disabilities. But I do believe that if we embraced like those disabilities, that more people who are experiencing symptoms from disabilities or who have them and have not addressed them would. Right. You can still have a full life, even if you have a disability. Yeah, which then helps you age well. And so you'd be surprised at how many people today, because you can't see every disability, right? It's not always visible. Right. You'd be surprised like how many of us are living with some type of disability. And if we talked about it, and if we like lifted it up as something that's just, this is what's what it is, and this is like where we're going to go with it, more people would have the devices and tools and whatever else that they need to live well. And just because you have a disability, because you are living with a chronic condition or anything, we oftentimes think, well, that's it. Here we are. Right. This is a story of my life versus, okay, this is what's going on. And let me, you know, educate myself and learn what I need to do to manage. Yeah. Um, how can I, uh, empower myself to like, like remind myself I'm in control still, like even, even with whatever has come up, I'm in control. It may look different. It may feel different. People may interact with me differently, but I'm in control and I can work with where I am. So that's kind of my take on all of that. Um, when it comes to, you know, disability and aging.

Gretchen: 14:13

Great. So embrace the tools and resources that are available. Get that hearing aid, use that cane if you need to. And we got to start erasing the stigma around those things, right? Absolutely. Yeah. I appreciate your take on that. So you really shine a light and create a platform for the lived experiences, particularly of black elders. How do experiences like racism and discrimination, maybe medical mistrust or, um, lack of culturally responsive care, um, shape the way BIPOC communities specifically experience aging?

Christina: 14:55

Hmm. Well, I mean, when I think of intersectionality, I think of how age intersects with like, what you're saying, like racism, when it intersects with sexism and other like isms that can come up. Um, it can also shape how a person looks at getting older. And so, um, you know, it could show up as an individual now dismissing some of the symptoms they might be experiencing. It could show up, uh, with them not going to the doctor. It can show up as they're, you know, being like a gap in health literacy. Um, because you'll, you could find that there are communities, specifically black communities, um, where there is a lack of education being provided that could, um, really address some of the, um, questions, some of the challenges, all of the things, right? So you'll start to see that also, you'll see that there is a lack of representation. Um, you'll see that there may be more negative stories, um, where there's like a heavy focus on what is absent from these aging experiences versus what's present, which are still, you know, life experiences, wisdom, um, skills and, and knowledge and all of those things for the black community. Like I mentioned, we are kind of heavily focused on all the negative pieces because there's a lot of negativity, um, that has shaped the way people at age. When you think of, um, certain zip codes and within those zip codes, how there may not be certain resources available, which then, you know, limits the type of food choices a person makes or limits, um, being able to go to the library and, you know, read or, or get certain information or how it limits access to, um, senior services or access to other programs. Like all of those things oftentimes are based on, you know, systems that have been put in place to ultimately limit the way we all get to age. I've worked with so many people who have had, um, life -changing events like a stroke or a heart attack or, you know, things related to health. And while they were in the hospital, they may have come across a nurse or a physician who dismissed what they were saying or didn't, you know, really address everything that they, you know, the concerns that they had. And then they're trying to afford to pay for, uh, medications. And it's like, Hey, I don't, I didn't have the best paying job. So as I'm now retired, I don't even really have a lot of money. There's so much, you know, that comes with getting older and it depends on, you know, if they're a woman or a man who is also living with a disability, who, um, may be a part of the LGBTQ plus community, like all of those things, it can, you know, further, um, exacerbate whatever that person has going on. It's just like a, a constant cycle of all these different things.

Gretchen: 18:58

You mentioned storytelling and you do also a lot of storytelling and capturing other people's stories. What has been the impact of telling and sharing these stories?

Christina: 19:10

I've gotten a lot of positive feedback. People are sharing like what brings them joy. People are sharing, you know, lessons that they have learned from some of the challenges that they experienced. People are sharing, you know, what keeps them going, what keeps them motivated. There was one woman I shared, um, her story and I was like, you know, what's the, the theme song? If you could have a theme song for your life, like what would it be? And it was a, um, a hymn called, it is well with my soul. And she, you know, I shared like a clip, but outside of that clip, she was just talking about, you know, there I've had so many challenges and like moments where I felt discouraged or it didn't look promising, but it is well. And so just that, right. I had someone comment and they were saying how, you know, they were dealing with the recent, um, loss of an aunt and how that person's story really comforted them in their time of loss. And so things like that, I'm like, okay, like this, this is doing what it's supposed to do. I don't think I really knew where it would go. I just knew I want to do this. I knew I wanted, I personally wanted to hear how elders think about getting older as I'm aging, but, um, this has been a great experience and I have gotten a lot of great feedback.

Gretchen: 20:52

So it's been positive for those who are telling their story, probably to have a chance to share and to be heard, but then everybody who hears that can relate to it. They have more information on aging to add to their toolkit. Um, so this is just like a win -win for everyone when you share these stories.

Christina: 21:12

Yeah. Yeah. And you're doing it online.

Gretchen: 21:15

Do you feel like

Christina: 21:16

your following is pretty diverse? So one of the things I think people confuse or get confused about when they think of Gerald Wood is that I'm like really catering to older people, but I'm not. I'm catering, uh, to people in their twenties and their, their forties and their fifties and their six. Like it's, you know, how sometimes you gotta like bring it in, right? You've got to kind of narrow down who your audience is, but I'm even, yeah, but even with that, it's really speaking to anybody. Um, you know, that's one of the things that people get confused, but so when I'm looking at like the analytics, I see that the age range is typically people in their early thirties to mid fifties. So I'm like, okay, I'm reaching, I'm reaching, you know, and I do have people over 60 who also follow. Um, but I'm glad that it's, it's also reaching, you know, younger individuals as well. I think the topic of aging is gonna, you know, speak to people differently than if it was about fashion or makeup or sports. Right. It's a niche. It's definitely has its own particular audience,

Gretchen: 22:45

but I'm sure it is challenging because you're up against ageism and stereotypes and fear. You talked about that fear that we have of growing older too, right? So if you get people and you're growing your audience of people who are like, Hey, this is a topic that is worth exploring. And the more I learn about aging, the more prepared I can be, and it's not going to be scary. So I think that's wonderful that you have a slightly, an audience that, um, trends a little bit younger because those are the folks who are getting to that point. And also those are folks who can help us change minds and change the way we look at aging. So those folks who are interacting online are the influencers, right? So this is an excellent platform that you're building. Thank you. I'm so thankful for the work that you're doing.

Christina: 23:40

Thank you. So for those who are listening,

Gretchen: 23:43

who want to turn the tables on ageism and do exactly what we've been talking about, help spread positive aging messages. What is one thing that they could take away today that they could do to impact their view on aging or other people's view on aging? You know, that's a good question.

Christina: 24:05

I say awareness. So always be aware, be aware of the language you're using. So how you talk about getting older, how you talk about other people who are getting older, be aware of how you're thinking. You know, when you look in the mirror, like what are some of those thoughts as you look at your body changing, your hair, your face, your skin, all the things. What are you saying to yourself about that?

Gretchen: 24:38

And can you turn it around and be positive? Can you stop sending those ages birthday cards, please?

Christina: 24:45

Please stop, stop. I taught a teach part time and one of the assignments I gave my students for like their final project was to make anti -ages birthday cards. Excellent. And they had to design them right. And, you know, of course, like do a reflection on, you know, how they came up with those cards. But there was one card, it was so simple. It was like growing and glowing, like on the front of the birthday card. And I was like, yes, like I love that.

Gretchen: 25:25

That's what you want to hear on your birthday.

Christina: 25:28

Yeah, yeah. That's why I say be aware.

Gretchen: 25:30

Like we're not going to always get it right.

Christina: 25:33

I don't always get it right. You know, like even with me challenging ages and there are still times where I'm ages. And so it goes back to just being aware. And when we're aware, we have that choice to make of now, am I going to say this? Am I gonna do this thing? Am I gonna exclude myself from this activity? And, you know, the main thing I want people to take away is to be aware and really be aware of how you talk, how you think, and how you're interacting with other people as it relates to getting older. Because the way we see aging, you know, starts at a young age, it starts with the messages that we heard, the things that we saw, but that shapes and it influences things on down the road. And it could be a negative influence, it could be a positive. But either way, there's always like that opportunity to change whatever it is, to something that's gonna be best, be better for you. Yeah, I like your no pressure style.

Gretchen: 26:45

It's okay, if you mess up, and you make mistakes. So we are all just reflecting back what we've been taught culturally and by society. And we sometimes say ages things with be aware of that and question it and think through how you want to express yourself. I really appreciate that perspective. So what's next for you, Christina, you've got all these platforms now, and we'll put in the show notes how people can find you. So I would say be sure to follow Jera Watt, but where are you going with this next? You know, I really want to do more work with organizations.

Christina: 27:22

As it relates to, I feel like there's a connection with these stories that people are sharing, and what organizations can do to also promote storytelling. One of my friends gave me the idea of like, hey, yeah, keep, keep, you know, pushing these stories out. But also, talk to younger people, you know, talk to a five year old, talk to other people about aging. Yeah, and then get their take on how they see getting older, and what what brings them joy, like, because that can also help someone of any age. So I like appreciated that feedback. And I'm like, okay, like, I can do another one. I'm going to keep black elder troops, but I can do one of just like, aging troops, where it's any person at any age who's, you know, sharing their stories and experiences with getting older. And so I'm really excited to see where this grows. Um, I had one idea, because I some of the people that I interviewed, like we took, they did actual like professional shots. And, you know, eventually, I want to do like an exhibit, like a library to bring people from the community in, and, you know, see these images and see some of the things that they've shared, and also even, you know, possibly hear from those individuals. But really, the main goal is like to kind of start those conversations and get people talking. And then, of course, just continuing to, you know, work with people and get their stories. I said that one day, I want to go on like a tour, and, you know, be able to travel from place to place and capture stories. Yeah, it could be like a, um, what is it people humans of New York? Yes. But like aging humans of the world.

Gretchen: 29:26

Okay, Christina, you got this. I'm excited to read your book. Okay. All right. Yeah. On your world tour. Thank you for the work that you do, Christina. And thank you for joining us on the Age Guide podcast. It was wonderful having you here. Thank you. I enjoyed

Christina: 29:45

it. And I appreciate you all having me.

Val: 29:48

Hello, and welcome to your Medicare minutes. My name is Val Guzman, and I'm the benefit access supervisor here at Age Guide. Medicare is typically known to cover for older adults, but it also provides essential coverage for people living with disabilities. If you receive Social Security disability benefits, you become eligible for Medicare after a 24 -month waiting period. Medicare gives you access to hospital care, doctor visits, and preventive services. Medicare also covers medical equipment like wheelchairs, walkers, and oxygen supplies. Enrollment in Medicare will normally happen automatically for people with disabilities, but you'll still have some choices to make to ensure you have the best coverage possible. For more information on Medicare for people with disabilities, visit ageguide.org or call us at 800 -528 -2000.

Gretchen: 30:58

Thank you for joining us on the Age Guide, where we explore the insights, experiences, and practical strategies that help us thrive as we age. To learn more about how Age Guide Northeastern Illinois is advocating for older adults and caregivers, visit us at ageguide.org or call our offices at 630 -293 -5990. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share to help others find us. Join us next month as we feature Courtney Hederman from AARP Illinois talking about how to age well by avoiding scams.