Strategic Workgroups

Community Outreach

Workgroup leader:

Louise Starmann, Southwest Suburban Center on Aging

Goal

This workgroup will be responsible for the creation of a volunteer Senior Ambassador program to increase the ability of community organizations (such as banks, businesses, police, fire, paramedics, local government, libraries and faith-based organizations) to link older adults to needed services. 

There are ten Aging Well Volunteer Senior Ambassadors providing outreach throughout greater Lyons Township. They received orientation and continue to receive training on a regular basis about services available to older adults. The Ambassadors visit businesses frequented by older adults and their caregivers such as banks, beauty salons, libraries and grocery stores to inform managers and their staff about resources available in the community.

As a result, older adults who may not have regular contact with senior services or a case manager have been given useful information as they go throughout the community. In one instance, a hairdresser used the Aging Well Transportation guide that an Ambassador gave her to help her clients get to their appointments. In the first year, there have been nearly 200 such visits.

The Community Outreach workgroup is seeking ways to increase the dissemination of important information to all 20 Aging Well communities. The workgroup will work with local governments and others to identify potential Volunteer Senior Ambassadors and will also identify other ways to spread information to communities that do not have Volunteer Senior Ambassadors working in their areas. Members of the workgroup will also seek the assistance of professionals to disseminate important information when doing their marketing calls.

Accomplishments

• Developed a job description and application for the Volunteer Senior Ambassador
• Recruited 10 Aging Well Volunteer Senior Ambassadors
• Received significant media coverage of the work of Ambassadors
• Nearly 200 Ambassador visits to local businesses

Strategic
Workgroups

Central Access Point

Community Outreach

Direct Care Worker Employer

Isolated Older Adults

Planning for the Future

Transportation