In the News

Nominations Sought for Excellence Awards

Have you witnessed an Aging Well partner doing an absolutely excellent job and wished you could thank them appropriately? You now have the opportunity to do so in a big way.

Aging Well plans to honor up to three dedicated people at our upcoming spring Annual Meeting with an Aging Well Excellence Award.  Anyone associated with the Aging Well initiative can nominate anyone else from the initiative for this honor. 

Use the Aging Well Excellence Award nomination form to submit your nominations. Completed forms should be returned to the Aging Well offices at 111 West Harris Avenue, La Grange, IL 60525 no later than March 31, 2010.  Those honored with the excellence award will be asked to speak at the upcoming spring Aging Well Annual Meeting. 

Please take time to nominate someone from the partnership who you think is worthy of this excellence award.  You can recognize their dedication, enrich the partnership by letting everyone know about their hard work, and do something special for them, too!

Aging Well Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition Event is a Ringing Success

Aging Well held its Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on Thursday, April 23 at Chantilly Banquets in Countryside.  This event brought together Aging Well partners, including village officials, older adults, business professionals, non-profits, and community leaders. Speaker Elise Bolda, National Program Director of the Community Partnerships for Older Adults, described the work of Aging Well as “cutting edge” and praised the volunteers for their tireless efforts on behalf of older adults in greater Lyons Township, and for the diverse array of events and programs. 

Attendees were treated to a hilarious year-in-review video spoof of several well-known films, starring our very own talented and hard-working Aging Well volunteers. Members of the Community Action Teams (CATs) gave updates of their team activities from the past year. The achievements of the Workgroups were also highlighted. Aging Well Governing Council Co-Chair Jim Durkan led the annual meeting portion of the event and presented the new Strategic Plan, which outlines the future of Aging Well.  The event offered good food, laughter, and a chance to give thanks to our dedicated volunteers. 

Thank you for all that you do! 

Newsletter Update Reflects Wider Reach

We are pleased to introduce our new and improved Aging Well newsletter. This publication now reaches CAT members, community partners, and all who participate in Aging Well's workgroups and governing council. In each newsletter you will find CAT updates, highlights of what our teams and partners are doing, other Aging Well activities and information about our workgroups.

This is all part of an effort to keep everyone who is involved in Aging Well up to date on our wide range of activities.

We are open to suggestions, so if you have any ideas or topics you would like to see, please contact Stephanie Bailey.

Aging Well Unveils Personal Planning Guide

Aging Well is now distributing its comprehensive personal planning guide, “Starting the Conversation: A Greater Lyons Township Guide to Health, Home, Financial and Legal Preparedness”. 

The guide was developed in response to community surveys that showed that few people are taking sufficient steps to plan for their futures. It provides information and local resources to help people take the first steps to prepare themselves for their futures.

The Aging Well workgroup that developed this guide is offering panel presentations on topics related to personal planning. Lawyers, financial planners, social workers and others are prepared to speak on topics such as estate, financial and long-term care planning; housing; adapting to life without driving and other topics.  To obtain the guide or to set up a panel presentation, please contact Barbara Lueder-Manetti at (708)354-1323 ext. 45.

Aging Well Names Southwest Suburban Center on Aging as the Central Access Point for greater Lyons Township

The Aging Well Governing Council has approved the recommendation of the Central Access Point workgroup to name Southwest Suburban Center on Aging as the Central Access Point for information and assistance for older adults and their care providers in the greater Lyons Township area. Aging Well workgroups, Community Action Teams, partners and local governments have been spreading the word that people should call Southwest Suburban Center on Aging for questions about aging issues.

The Aging Well Transportation Guides Have Arrived!

Aging Well announces the distribution of a comprehensive Transportation Guide for Older Adults in Greater Lyons Township.

This guide was designed to help older adults better understand and access their transportation options.  The creation of this guide is a direct response to concerns the partnership heard from the community.  Lack of transportation options is consistently sited as a reason it can be difficult for older adults to remain a vital part of their community. While Lyons Township and its communities have a number of transportation options available to older adults, many people simply do not know the programs exist or how to access them. 

Aging Well’s Transportation Guide is being distributed to local village and township offices and other community organizations. We will be happy to supply copies upon request. For more information about the Transportation Guide, please contact Aging Care Connections at (708)354-1323 or PeopleCare (708)442-1223. It is available in PDF format at www.agingwellpartnership.org.

U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) names Aging Well as 2008 Older Americans Month Program Champion

[June 2, 2008] The U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) named Aging Well as one of its 2008 Older Americans Month Program Champions. The 2008 Program Champions highlight programs and initiatives in States and communities that demonstrate the principles of the Administration on Aging’s efforts to modernize community-based long term care and provide greater assurance that older people in the U.S. will maintain their independence in the community longer than ever before.

Aging Well and the other 2008 Program Champions demonstrate streamlined access to information and services, evidence-based prevention and wellness projects, and consumer-directed service programs that help seniors avoid unnecessary placement in nursing home facilities. They also highlight innovative programs that assist older people before, during and after natural or man-made disasters.

Local Media Coverage

Efforts mature to meet needs of seniors

By Ken Knutson The Doings Western Springs

Aging Well Offers New Senior -Based Program

By Catherine Leyden La Grange Suburban Life