Since 1985, AGE of Central Texas (Austin Group for Aging) has provided the Austin area with a resource center dedicated to supporting older adults and their caregivers as they navigate the medical landscape.
what’s special
CEO Suzanne Anderson said AGE provides a unique opportunity for seniors to “age in place” and maintain access to their homes, neighbors, and community resources such as grocery stores and pharmacies. Ta.
“We’re here to help you stay in your home for as long as possible,” Anderson said. “There’s always an opportunity when it’s no longer safe, but we want them to stay home and be surrounded by the things they need.”
Listening to jokes about “senior moments” and the challenges older adults face in the career field, Anderson believes AGE will help reverse the narrative of ageism, or discrimination against people based on their age. He said he was looking forward to it.
“Our culture as a society is very focused on staying young,” Anderson says. “What we do as an organization is strive to prepare people for aging and caregiving, and be thought leaders in our communities on how to make that a thriving and viable opportunity for both. ”
what they offer
In addition to programs that connect AGE members and caregivers to health and support resources, one of the organization’s core goals is to provide community and connection. Examples include memory loss programs and weekday care centers offering meals, on-site nurses, equipment delivery, stimulating brain activities, and yoga.
Anderson said the reality of aging and taking on the role of a caregiver can lead to feelings of social isolation, which AGE aims to ameliorate. Referring to the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 report, she noted that loneliness can be comparable to the effects of smoking 15 cigarettes.
“Loneliness has negative health effects,” Anderson says. “One of our biggest opportunities is to help seniors connect.”
Anderson began her role at AGE six years ago, but her experience with the organization began even earlier. When her father was diagnosed with COPD and began experiencing memory loss, she turned to health care providers for support because she wanted to continue aging at home.
“(Having AGE) was such a blessing from a caregiver standpoint, knowing I had a shoulder to lean on and a resource I could call at any time,” Anderson said. “It takes an incredible amount of stress off your shoulders.”
dig deeper
AGE, which has two centers in Central Austin and Round Rock, announced plans to open a new Thrive and Wellness Center in South Austin in the future. According to AGE’s website, the organization plans to break ground on the facility in 2022, with an opening date to be announced once known.
Anderson said the South Austin community faces a desert in terms of services for seniors, and the new facility aims to fill that gap. Licensed for up to 75 adults, the center features a commercial kitchen, rooms to accommodate all six program activities, and windows for natural light.
Central Austin: 3710 Cedar St., Austin.; Round Rock: 475 Round Rock W. Drive, Ste. 120, Round Rock. South Austin: 9400 Alice Mae Lane, Austinwww.ageofcentraltexas.org
