More than 10,000 Older Adults and Families Served in 38 Chicagoland Communities
La Grange, IL— Aging Care Connections is proud to announce that it has served over 10,000 individuals in 38 Chicagoland communities this year. In 2022 alone, Aging Care offered information and assistance on aging-related issues to more than 6,800 adults 60 and older and disabled individuals ages 18 through 59; helped nearly 2,000 older adults and families navigate healthcare options following hospitalization; addressed cases of elder abuse and neglect, investigating over 300 cases in 2022, and provided more than 15,000 healthy meals through its home delivery and congregate dining programs.
Aging Care Connections has effectively implemented a return to in-person programming, with safety measures in place to ensure the health and stability of older adult clients.
In April, the organization celebrated older adults with “Aging Well Month,” during which ACC offered sixty-five virtual and in-person workshops with topics on health & wellness, life planning, nostalgia, safety and fitness. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees praising the valuable information and resources provided. For the first time, more than a dozen workshops were offered in Spanish, with further expansion planned for 2023.
In September, Aging Care hosted its 21st Annual Sports Ball Fundraiser, in-person for the first time after two years of an online-only event. It was a fantastic success, with over 200 attendees enjoying the chance to come together and support the important work of assisting older adults in our communities. This successful fundraiser will allow Aging to Care sustain and expand programs in the communities it serves.
Additionally, Aging Care Connections is excited to announce that it is the recipient of a grant from RRF Foundation for Aging to support a new collaborative effort between Aging Care Connections and BEDS Plus Care, Inc. This grant will address homelessness among chronically ill older adults. For many reasons, chronic illness chronically ill older adults are at high risk of experiencing homelessness. This program offers shelter and care to this vulnerable population.
We are grateful for the support of our community and look forward to continuing to serve and celebrate older adults in the years to come. Finally, as evidenced by the example that follows, one of the most significant impacts made by Aging Care Connections extends well beyond the older adults it serves, an impact especially relevant at this time of the year.
Elaine’s Story
Elaine was called to the hospital nine years ago on the day her second granddaughter was born. The hospital would not allow the newborn to leave the hospital with Elaine’s drug-addicted daughter. Elaine decided at that moment that she would not allow the newborn or the baby’s six-year-old sister, for whom she had been caring intermittently, to go into the system.
Elaine has raised both granddaughters since that day. It hasn’t been easy. The older granddaughter faces many challenges, including behavioral disorders, PTSD, and autism. She has already had numerous stays in a psychiatric hospital. The younger granddaughter is an active child, exhausting for a grandmother who never anticipated becoming a 24/7 parent once again. The girls’ biological father is no longer in the picture, as their counselor equated his visits with negative outbursts from the older granddaughter.
Elaine and her husband are on their own except for the support of Aging Care Connections’ Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG) program, which provides critical assistance to unique families like Elaine’s. Many grandparents in the program struggle to provide basic needs, let alone extracurricular activities for their grandchildren. They are often unable to participate in scouting, sports, music, or dance. The GRG program offers help. At the holidays, Aging Care Connections holds a Christmas party ensuring gifts for the children, for there is little money for presents for grandparents on social security. The GRG program provides meals and gifts at Christmas, making the holidays brighter for this small but growing community.
Aging Care Connections is a leader in providing client-centered care that focuses on improving the quality of life for the older adults we serve. Our services are delivered in a caring and compassionate manner by a team of highly skilled, objective and unbiased experts in the field of aging. We have the most comprehensive information on programs and services in the community that help older adults find solutions to their emotional, physical, mental, financial, and healthy living needs.
Website: agingcareconnections.org
Email: jwalch@agingcareconnections.org
Tracy Hulett
Principal