March 3, 2015
Advocating for Diverse Elders at the 2015 Aging in America Conference
By: Jenna McDavid

The Diverse Elders Coalition will be representing our constituents and communities at the 2015 Aging in America Conference, held March 23-27 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, IL. This annual event is open to the public and brings together colleagues and leaders from around the nation, allowing participants to learn from world-changing leaders in the field of aging and grow their skills, knowledge and impact in order to bring better services and products to the aging population.

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All five of the Diverse Elders Coalition member organizations are represented in multiple panels throughout the conference, including our symposium: The Moment Is Now: Improving the Health and Wellness of Diverse Older Adults. This panel focuses on communities of color and LGBT people, two rapidly growing portions of the U.S. aging population, who face a range of linguistic, cultural, health and economic security issues. Speakers including Michael Adams, MA, JD, Executive Director of SAGE; Randella Bluehouse, Executive Director of NICOA; Yanira Cruz, DrPH, President & CEO of NHCOA; Quyen Dinh, MPP, Executive Director of SEARAC; and Ben de Guzman, National Managing Coordinator of the DEC will discuss how national aging leaders can address these large-scale challenges.

We hope you will consider joining us at ASA this year. Registration is open now, and opportunities to volunteer or receive travel and registration reimbursement are available. A full list of all sessions featuring our Diverse Elders Coalition member organizations can be found here.

The importance of representing our diverse elder communities at conferences like ASA cannot be overstated. Historically, our input has been rarely sought by aging experts, and policies and programs are developed without understanding our communities’ diverse and unique needs. We are excited to bring the voices of our constituents to ASA, the White House Conference on Aging, and others, to help ensure that our communities are served by policymakers and healthcare providers. If you would like to share your story and help us advocate for your community, please click here.

 

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Diverse Elders Coalition.