Does it feel weird?

being old?

Honestly, I forget I am Really?

until my knees remind me.

thing about seniors is they know what it's like to be young and no young person It knows what it's like to be old.

nobody thinks that they're going to be that age until they get that age.

I don't want to get old.

I know we both said the same thing once.

Does it scare you?

Sometimes.

It's really a privilege to grow older.

A lot of people don't have that privilege.

They die at young ages, So treasure those years.

Don't don't look at it in a negative way.

Try to look at it as a positive.

getting here, getting old.

It's a gift, Not everybody gets it.

Even mom and dad.

I hope so.

That's all you can do.

Hope you get the chance.

I still feel that I have so much more to do and not enough time to do it.

So how do you make it?

Okay.

You stop dreading it, and you start living toward it.

It's what you've built.

Every person you loved, every day you showed up.

Did you to do it right?

Right or wrong, we're here and that's enough.

every year millions of adults cross the threshold into retirement age reshaping communities, healthcare systems and families.

What does it mean to grow older with dignity in northwest Ohio?

One organization has spent decades trying to answer that question.

What began as a small regional effort would eventually become a model for aging services across the country.

People were living longer, but longer did not always better Many older adults were isolated, struggled with poverty, and had nowhere to turn for transportation, meals, health care support, or even basic companionship.

Programs existed in scattered pieces, but there was little coordination.

Families often were left to navigate aging alone.

Then came a turning point.

In 1965, Congress passed the Older Americans creating a national commitment to support older adults in their communities.

Years later, amendments to that law established area agencies on aging across the country.

Regional organizations designed to connect services, advocate for seniors, and help people age with dignity.

with the poverty level almost exploding among older adults and with the population growing, the demographics dictated that we do more for older adults and had been done prior to our designation as a regional office.

the whole mission is to help older adults remain in their homes and in their communities as long as possible.

I started with the Area Office on Aging as a planner that Charlotte Schaefer and J. Frank Troy had brought me into the picture and said, write this grant to get this started, Duane Stranahan Junior, and J. Frank Troy, were very close friends.

And so they approached me and said, we're interested in having you look at setting up a more comprehensive agency for older adults.

One of my favorite memories is bringing Billie Johnson on staff.

She was new and she has just done a tremendous job and has been there through all these years.

So I've watched Billie develop Duane Stranahan, Frank Troy and Elliott Miller.

Along with myself, we were the original incorporators of this new agency, When the Area Office on Aging first began There was no roadmap no large staff no guarentee that local communities would even support support the idea.

Leaders travel county to county meeting with commissioners churches nonprofits and local organizations, and slowly, relationships formed with every partnership.

The foundation grew stronger.

What emerged was not a single agency working alone it became a coalition of communitites united around one mission helping older adults live better lives.

the the times were extremely busy we received the designation for a ten county office on Aging when I became director, I had four staff members.

we were not bothered by expanding services throughout northwestern Ohio.

our region was so big to travel in We just decided that, you know, we're going to have to build partnerships.

it made our job, which was a very difficult, challenging job, made it much easier.

Because of those partnerships, we were aligned in our mission and aligned in our desire to do good things for people, especially older people.

yes, she was going out to counties.

to basically convince county commissioners that this new federal law was to get everybody to work together to a common purpose for northwest Ohio.

It wasn't for an area office to take over what the county wanted to do.

I recall how many times I got lost in the counties because I didn't know the resources there, I'd stop.

And I'd ask farmers along the way to show me how to get from point A to point B. The Area Office on Aging began building a system designed around independence.

Caregivers found support.

Home care agencies partnered with the organization to help older adults remain where they most wanted to be at home.

As the organization expanded, so did its understanding of what older adults truly need it.

was about everyday life.

For many families, these services meant the difference between stability crisis.

Behind every program was a person.

For many people, the Area Office on Aging became more than a service provider.

It became a lifeline.

The Area Office on Aging serves older adults, stretching from urban neighborhoods in Toledo to rural farming communities across the state line.

Over time, the organization expanded beyond traditional senior services, partnering with hospitals, veterans organizations, and community agencies to support individuals facing complex medical and personal challenges.

Someone helping to navigate the complexity.

Someone reminding people they were not alone.

So, Matt, what is it like being a veteran?

awesome so what branch were you in?

Air force I like to fly So you wanted to be in the sky with the the birds?

Si.

It was a pretty serious accident.

And he ended up with a traumatic brain injury, we were told that he would never, likely never wake up.

And just to not expect anything.

I was not to together at that point.

But I told the doctor, you get to be a character in the story, but you're not writing the ending.

And here's our miracle.

the part of this program that I was excited about was that we, Matt and I could hire the person that we wanted to work.

I mean, they they pretty much just have opened the door having to compare what we have at the Area Office on Aging and the VA working together, it's just a dynamic program and, and one I highly recommend it basically we start the day, you know, personal care every day.

And the assisting with breakfast and feeding and friendship.

sometimes that's all anyone needs to hear is that someone cares and they're going to help me get to where I need to be.

It's not so much a program, it's it's people people who really care.

I just hope that.

That they see our heart when we say how much we appreciate it and think it's a phenomenal program.

Fantastic Yeah.

As demand for services grew, so did the challenge of funding them.

and one of the things that we were really taking a look at, it had yet to start, but we knew that the baby boom population was, at some particular point in time, be create a tsunami create a huge demand on resources and whether public or private resources.

it was the opportunity to start to think from a long term perspective, we were able to get an issue on the ballot and put it before the citizens to provide senior services, nutrition and home delivered meals services to persons with Alzheimer's or dementia, a daycare program and some transportation, as well as home repair.

we didn't have enough resources to do this through the Older Americans Act funding.

the county commissioners said, But we will only let you do with a period of three years.

Most levies are either five years or ten years.

And they kind of wanted to test this out.

And in 1991, I believe, it was overwhelmingly supported by the citizens.

Lucas County was the first metropolitan area to pass a senior services levy for older adults.

Columbus takes the credit for it.

They followed us few months later, but Lucas was the very first to pass a senior services levy, That decision transformed what was possible.

Meals could be delivered, transportation expanded, adult day programs grew, caregivers received relief, and thousands of older adults gained access to services that helped them remain independent.

And for those people that They're afraid or they don't know where to go or they're afraid it will cost too much.

the Area Office on Aging is where people can go.

They can call and they will refer you to different departments, to different resources to help those who are aging.

Find the answer, whatever the answer might be.

our goal was to try to have nurses and social workers visit older adults in their homes, and their families if they were involved and find out what it was they were having difficulty with, was it they needed someone to help them in the bath, bathtub, or shower?

Did they need someone to help them remember to take medications?

Was it equipment that they needed like a raised toilet seat or walker wheelchair?

Something like that.

Programs like the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program reflected a broader shift in aging services.

Recognizing that healthy aging begins everyday community life.

I was so hungry, I said, I'm going to stop at a farm stand and see what they got.

And they had apples, right?

And as I was paying for the apples, I said, by the way, I said, do you ever have seniors stop here and buy things with these senior farmers market benefits?

The owner went under the counter and pulled out this bag full of receipts that were all from those senior farmers Market nutrition program benefits.

thousands of seniors across our region receive that benefit, and they can use it at any local farmers outlet, whether it's the Toledo Farmer's Market or whether it's way out in defiance.

Any vendor that's registered for the program, Partnerships across northwest Ohio became essential to expanding care, resources and support for older adults throughout the region.

the Area Office on Aging.

You know, really helped our organization get started.

we offer what's called adult day services.

Many people do need assistance with day to day activities their lunch prepared or transportation and things and they get out.

They have fun, they interact with others.

It really helps to reduce social isolation.

a lot of the individuals, their family members are helping to take care of them you know, it gives them the comfort to know that I can go to work and not worry about them.

the Area Office on Aging.

they can be the voice for us in northwest Ohio to talk about.

This is what's important for aging in the future.

So it's it's a very deep and I think, meaningful relationship in a lot of different ways.

I was surprised that there were so many area agencies on aging across the country, and I think it's somewhat unfortunate that it's almost a secret.

People don't realize that that is there, and until they need it and you know, they're more exposed to it and they feel free to call.

But it's a wonderful way for families to connect with what is out there in terms of service.

The real impact of the Area Office on Aging is found in the lives of the people it serves every day.

It kind of just happened.

You know, I was just going to take care of them for a little bit.

And then it turned out to be 13 years now.

So for the two oldest one and seven for the the youngest one.

now it is just what it is.

I really don't want to expound on it, you know, so I mean, you know, you're not you know that you're not the only one out there with this problem and you know, and just knowing that you're a phone call away so I can, you know, maybe you can just to talk about it, you know, just to say, hey, when's your program?

And just hearing someone say, well, this is a day.

And if you feel like, you know, maybe just knowing that it's, you know what I mean?

Hearing it on the phone is helps put you at ease.

financially I'm in a better place.

But it was it was pretty hard in the beginning, you know.

But it's overwhelming sometimes, you know, taking care of, you know, young kids when you're an old person.

So.

Good thing I watch a lot of cartoons because it keeps me young at heart.

But, it is knowing that they're out there.

It's a blessing, you know?

we like the zoo.

I had left a message and they called me back and, and had put me on a list.

It was during the Christmas time.

And, when I got the call for the the zoo, it was like.

Like a Christmas.

Oh, it's the Christmas present.

I was so happy, you know, because I like to go to zoo myself.

I'm probably worse than the kids, but.

and we appreciate it because we love the zoo.

The kids love to go, you know.

I think they do appreciate they never really say so but they, that they are kept together with me and not with strangers.

But I just want them to be productive, you know, and just whatever their dream is or whatever it is they feel they, they can do best I want them to be the best that they can be and whatever they choose to do.

So, you know, that's all I can want for them, you know?

Stories like these are the reason the work continues for the leaders who build the organization.

They remain a reminder of what the mission has always been The focus now turns to the future, ensuring that the next generation will continue building communities where older adults can age with dignity, support and hope.

You know, I have so many memories about being affiliated with the Area Office on Aging one, the numerous white House conferences on aging that I was so privileged to go to and speak on behalf of policy issues for older adults.

Working with my colleagues around the country, collaborating with them about how we can do things better and how to do the best that we can.

how I have been able to inspire other young people to come into this field of aging, two of my mentees.

One is now the director of the Detroit Area Agency on Aging, and the second one is Justin Moor.

Aging is another word for living.

And to live and be immersed in our secular culture, which oftentimes views aging in a very negative way.

And sometimes people feel like they have to be closeted about their age and it almost becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy for individuals that if we feel like aging is all negative, then that's going to be our experience.

And we're just going to kind of let our culture tell us all the things that we cannot do as we age and kind of cave in in ourselves and become depressed really quick.

So we really want to focus on the positives associated with aging that oftentimes are not given the due attention that they deserve.

Even with decades of progress, major challenges remain.

Access to healthy food.

Safe housing.

Transportation.

Walkable neighborhoods.

Health care.

Social connection.

These factors shape not only quality of life, but life expectancy itself.

in the West Toledo neighborhood of Deveaux, people are living to be an average age of 84. that was a long list.

People are living in terms of a neighborhood across our 150 mile long service area.

it's less than four miles away.

the Vistula, North Toledo neighborhood of Vistula, individuals are living only age 62 on average.

people are losing a generation of life by traveling less than four miles.

And we just think that's not right, people are dying before their time, at risk of oversimplifying the three main areas that we saw as differences between that Deveaux neighborhood and the Vistula neighborhood, The first is housing, the second is food, and the third is exercise access to safe, affordable housing, food and exercise.

we want to make sure that we're developing a best practice neighborhood, because we've seen with that discrepancy between those two neighborhoods are less than four miles away from one another.

What a huge impact somebody's neighborhood can have on their longevity and how well they're living.

We went knocking on the door of one of the individuals that we were providing some services to through produce, and we wanted to provide her with bus passes so she could get to the grocery store safely.

Her husband answers the door and says, sorry, she's in Saint Vs Hospital because she got hit.

Coming back across in the Cherry Street in her wheelchair with their groceries.

know, these are real struggles that individuals are dealing with on a daily basis in certain neighborhoods.

How do we build communities where people can truly age well?

the impact that we make at the Area Office On Aging is not it's not just the one thing that ends up saving an individual's life or ends up changing their life for the better.

Oftentimes, it's a culmination of all those little things that we've done, that home delivered meal drivers check in on them, that meal that they're receiving, that time they go to the senior center to socialize and have some fun with some friends.

That event that we have and that they look forward to and have been looking forward to all year to have a night of dining and dancing or whatever the case might be.

It's all those little things that we do, all those little touch points that ultimately culminate to make the maximum impact individuals lives to help them live, kind of that, that potential life that they have both, you know, lengthwise as well as quality wise.

The goal is no longer simply helping people survive old age.

It is helping thrive in One of the clearest examples of that vision is the Lakewood campus.

Services.

Housing.

Long term care.

Rehabilitation.

Social programs.

Nutrition.

Transportation.

Health care.

all designed within a connected community focused on dignity, accessibility, and independence.

A blueprint for how communities can prepare for the future of aging.

we've developed this campus, this Lakewood campus, into this real senior housing rich and senior services rich campus.

we have thought through the full continuum of services for this, campus and the 46 acres.

People don't realize that this hidden gem of this Lakewood campus is really a national model.

there's people from across the state and across the nation that come here to tour this campus because they want to create something special like this.

They don't have something like this liquids campus in their own neighborhood, So we're really working to really take this neighborhood that is already really good and make it great and be that best practice, age friendly neighborhood that we then take and replicate in concentric circles, kind of building out from where we are in the heart of the Area Office on Aging and ten county service area.

So eventually it results in everybody in northwest Ohio living in a place where people are living better and longer than anywhere else in the nation.

People are living longer.

Families are smaller.

Caregiving demands are increasing.

And yet the need remains the same as it was decades ago.

People want to remain connected, independent, safe and valued.

The work of aging services is no longer about his single generation.

It's about preparing every generation for what comes next.

I can relate to what the clientele of this organization depend on.

And we are all intergenerational in this world and in this society, we need to have the understanding how can we work together?

seniors, you know, were not my passion.

Older adults was not really what I had intended to do a career in, but I realized that the Area Office on Aging mission was really aligned with my values as a professional, always to serve the most vulnerable.

And I serve, you know, all sorts of older adult there are poor older adults and rich ones and healthy ones and sick ones.

And, I want to work with them all.

So every place along the line, we're trying to add value Yes, we're going to old and we're going to age.

That's a natural progression.

But we can age.

Well.

I think a lot of times people wait until the need is there because not I've turned 60 or not, I'm got a mother or father who is in need.

Let me call the Area Office on Aging.

And I think what should happen going forward is that we began to teach about our services to the 30 years the 40 year old, the 50 year old, so that they will be ready when their parents or grandparents and when it's their turn.

without the Triple A's, I think the I think there would just be complete chaos in regards to the quality of care that older adults receive It's complex enough in the medical and social arena for the consumer to weave all the complexities of health care and support services to not have the Office on Aging everybody would be pretty much on their own.

we are well poised to continue to grow our impact, and to develop those best practices that will not only impact the lives of those that are age 60 plus today, but the lives of those that will be 60 and better decades from now.

I'm proud of some of the accomplishments, I'm not done.

I have lots more to do.

I'm just afraid that time is going to run out on me.

And that was one of the reasons that being proud, I wanted to document the history of what we have done, because I hope that it will be an inspiration to other people.

You don't have to have lots of resources.

You don't have to have everything given to you served on your plate.

Take what you have and make something good and beautiful of it.

And most of the people who we've helped will never, ever know our names could care less, but we know we have touched their lives and we've made life a little bit better for them.

So.

For more than 50 years, the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio has helped shape what aging looks like across the region through thousands of everyday acts of care.

as America continues to age, the question facing every community becomes clearer than How do we ensure that growing older is not something to fear, but something we can all do with dignity, purpose, and hope.