What’s special about it
CEO Suzanne Anderson said AGE presents a unique opportunity for aging adults to “age in place” and maintain access to their home and local resources like neighbors, grocery stores and pharmacies.
“We help you stay in your home as long as possible,” Anderson said. “There's always those opportunities when it's no longer safe, but we want them to stay in their home and be surrounded by whatever they need.”
Hearing the jokes about “senior moments” and the humps that aging adults face in the career field, Anderson said she hopes AGE contributes to reversing the narratives of ageism, or discrimination towards people on the basis of age.
“Our culture as a society is very focused on staying young,” Anderson said. “What we do, as an organization, is try to prepare folks to age and care-give and be a thought leader in the community around how to make that a thriving, viable opportunity for both.”
What they offer
In addition to programming that connects AGE members and caregivers to health and support resources, one of the central goals of the organization is to provide community and connection. Some examples include a memory loss program and a weekday care center with meals, on-site nurses, equipment deliveries, stimulating brain activities and yoga.
Anderson said the realities of aging or assuming a caregiver role can lead to feelings of social isolation that AGE attempts to remedy. Referencing a 2023 report from the U.S Surgeon General, she noted that loneliness can be comparable to the effects of smoking 15 cigarettes.
“There's health implications for being lonely,” Anderson said. “One of the biggest opportunities for us is to try to assist older adults with connection.”
Though Anderson began her role at AGE six years ago, her experiences with the organization started before then. When her father was diagnosed with COPD and began experiencing memory loss, she turned to its resources for support as he wanted to continue aging at home.
“[Having AGE] was truly a blessing from a caregiver standpoint– to have a shoulder to lean on and know that there are those resources that I could call at any time,” Anderson said. “It just takes this incredible amount of stress off your shoulders.”
Dig Deeper
With two centers located in Central Austin and Round Rock, AGE announced plans for a new thrive and wellness center to open in South Austin in the future. The organization broke ground on the facility in 2022, and an opening date will be announced when available, according to the AGE website.
Anderson said the South Austin community faces a desert in terms of service for aging adults, and the new facility is intended to bridge the gap. With a license for up to 75 adults, the center will feature a commercial kitchen, room for 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, Austin
- www.ageofcentraltexas.org
