The Aging Report

AgeGuide is happy to announce the Senior Lifestyle Expo will be in-person on August 23 & 24 at Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.

The Senior Lifestyle Expo is the largest annual Expo in the Midwest for older adults. Hosted by AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois, the Senior Lifestyle Expo was created to help educate and empower older adults on their aging journey.

Join us for this two-day event including free health screenings, seminars, demonstrations, giveaways, and more.

AARP will be hosting a Shred Event for all attendees on both days from 9 AM to 12 PM. This event is for paper shredding only, no medications or electronics will be accepted. 

The Secretary of State Mobile Unit will be on site on Wednesday, August 24th from 9 AM to 2 PM for drivers license and state ID renewals and license plate stickers. Discount fees apply.

The Educational Seminar Series will feature a variety of seminars on a wide range of topics including Medicare, Online Auctions, Avoiding Scams, Virtual Caregivers, Social Security and more!

Seminars will run at the top of every hour from 9 AM to 1 PM running 45 minutes each. Seminars are FREE for attendees. 

Visit this special area just for caregivers! Learn about techniques to care for your loved one, resources to make life easier and tools to reduce stress. There will be Dementia Live experiences, Memory Cafes and Stressbusting classes.

The Dementia Live Experience, presented by Assisting Hands Home Care, is limited to 10 participants. You can save your seat by calling (847) 908-1525 and pre-registering. 

The Caregiver Connections area will be located next to the ballroom foyer.

Welcome to the first episode in our new series on Caregivers. We want to shine a light on the commitment and dedication of the more than 44 million family caregivers who take care of loved ones, providing 4.7 million dollars worth of care every year. A family caregiver is defined as an individual who cares for a loved one with a short-term or long-term disability or illness. Also known as an informal or unpaid caregiver, they provide invaluable care to those who need some degree of ongoing assistance with everyday tasks on a regular basis.

As you listen to these conversations, we hope the experiences of our guests resonate and help you recognize your own caregiver needs. Be sure to reach out to AgeGuide and our funded partners to access resources and supports to help you on your caregiver journey. 

Our first guest is Jennifer Agne, a caregiver for her mother and the administrator of Lilac Senior Living, a unique alternative housing solution for assisted living.

Life is short, but longevity is increasing. The average life expectancy continues to grow. What will we do with our extra years?

As average life expectancy continues rising to unprecedented heights, the impact of these population shifts ripples across every facet of society. It impacts our healthcare systems, government, communities, and of course, the economy. 

On August 30th, join us to hear about practical and sustainable approaches to creating communities where we can all age well in our extra years. Learn how we can advocate for policies and structural changes that contribute to healthy and equitable longevity, like Age Friendly Collaboratives and accessible housing models. Our distinguished panelists will share their expertise on these issues.   

SAVE THE DATE! The Inaugural Aging Summit will be held on Monday, October 3rd at the Northern Illinois University Outreach Campus featuring keynote speaker, Ramsey Alwin, President & CEO of the National Council on Aging.

August is known as National Immunization Awareness Month, which reminds us of the importance of receiving all widely recommended vaccines, not just the COVID-19 vaccine. After all, flu season is right around the corner!  

According to many health providers, public health professionals, and governmental health agencies, there is no preventive health measure that is more important than vaccination. The World Health Organization (WHO) endorses vaccines as a safe and effective method to prevent and control many different infectious diseases. This annual observance serves as a crucial opportunity to highlight the importance of vaccination, especially within older adults, caregivers, and their families.     

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of our daily life. Now, with the help of available vaccines and booster doses, we can once again enjoy some of the activities we could not during the pandemic. However, there is another virus emerging as a threat to health and safety. On August 4th, the Federal government declared Monkeypox a Health Emergency.

Should you be concerned? Information is a key component to prevention. Read on to find out more about Monkeypox and what you can do to protect yourself and others. 

The AARP Public Policy Institute, in collaboration with the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University in Ohio, created the AARP Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard to provide four-week snapshots of the virus’ infiltration into nursing homes and impact on nursing home residents and staff, with the goal of identifying specific areas of concern at the national and state levels in a timely manner. 

Why Data Matters to Advance Workforce Equality: Action-oriented recommendations to advance job quality for the care workforce

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