LiveOn NY and the Reframing Aging Initiative launch a new communication strategy in NYC to shift the way New Yorkers understand aging and older people
For Immediate Release
NEW YORK — March 9, 2021 — As we age, we are presented with new challenges and the need to create solutions that better support older people. Today, the senior advocacy organization LiveOn NY announced a partnership with the Reframing Aging Initiative, which is a multi-year strategy to counteract ageism and improve the way policymakers, stakeholders, and the public think about aging and older people. New York City currently is home to more than 1.8 million people over the age of 60 living across the five boroughs.
We all age yet public perception around aging and older people is often a cycle of negative stereotypes, assumptions and misconceptions. Ageism — discrimination based on age — is a reality that impacts older adults every day with 82 percent of older adults experiencing one form of ageism daily , according to a recent survey by the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.
The Reframing Aging Initiative takes a holistic approach using an evidence-based communication strategy as the core to create collective change in public discourse, policies and practices. It is led by The Gerontological Society of America on behalf of the Leaders of Aging Organizations collaborative.
In partnership with LiveOn NY, the initiative is training a cohort of 30 facilitators — advocates, aging services professionals, and community leaders who will be the catalysts of change in reframing aging in New York. By the end of the training, the facilitators will be equipped to lead the aging field to create systemic change through community engagement, targeted communications, and advocacy.
“Across the country, we have seen the power of Reframing Aging through research-based solutions to shift the way we think about aging and older people,” said Allison Nickerson, Executive Director of LiveOn NY. “This initiative in New York City will drive the mission forward to create a more robust age-integrated society that celebrates the contributions of older adults as well as build greater support for community-based aging services and policy solutions that allow older adults to truly thrive and age in their communities.”
Patricia M. D’Antonio, project director of the Reframing Aging Initiative and vice president for policy and professional affairs at GSA, said she is excited to be embarking on this co-venture.
“With LiveOn NY and other aging organizations tapping into the energy and ingenuity that New Yorkers are known for, this city will be a supportive and dynamic place to age. The Reframing Aging Initiative welcomes the opportunity to work with LiveOn NY to create a model for cities across the country.”
Press Contacts:
LiveOn NY: Brianna Paden-Williams, Communications and Policy Associate, bpaden-williams@liveon-ny.org
The Gerontological Society of America: Todd Kluss, Director of Communications, tkluss@geron.org
About LiveOn NY
LiveOn NY’s members include more than 100 community-based nonprofits that provide core services which allow all New Yorkers to thrive in our communities as we age, including senior centers, home‐delivered meals, affordable senior housing, elder abuse prevention, caregiver supports, NORCs and case management. With our members, we work to make New York a better place to age. For more information, please visit our website, https://www.liveon-ny.org/
About the Reframing Aging Initiative
The Reframing Aging Initiative is a long-term social change endeavor designed to improve the public’s understanding of what aging means and the many ways that older people contribute to our society. This greater understanding will counter ageism and guide our nation’s approach to ensuring supportive policies and programs for us all as we move through the life course. For more information, visit www.reframingaging.org.
About The Gerontological Society of America (GSA)
The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is the nation's oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society — and its 5,500+ members — is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public. GSA’s structure also includes a policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society.
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