wAGING Change Blog

The mission of the UNC Partnerships in Aging Program (PiAP) is to facilitate vibrant University-Community collaboration, academic exploration, and creative solution-building to cultivate age-embracing people and communities. Toward those ends, we offer a new conversation born out of the chaotic context of 2020, housed here… Read More

Every five years for the past two decades, the Orange County, North Carolina Department on Aging (OCDOA) has undertaken the task of strategic planning to optimize the county as a place where structures and services are responsive to and inclusive of older adults. The result,… Read More

November is National Family Caregiver Month as recognized by Mental Health America: “This is definitely NOT a partnership!” said the woman with tired-looking eyes when I casually referred to her and her mother as ‘care partners’ during a meeting for family caregivers of older adults.… Read More

In honor of November’s designation as National Family Caregiver Month, the UNC Partnerships in Aging recognizes the Marian Cheek Jackson Center for Saving and Making History (MCJC) in Chapel Hill, NC, for their soulful approach to eldercare, grounded firmly in their overall mission: To honor,… Read More

I have had the privilege twice in my life of being at the bedside of loved ones as they drew their last breath. The journeys of these two people – one who died much too young and the other, who though old, died much too… Read More

For the month of December 2020, we have focused the wAGING change blog on dying with dignity, considering the topic primarily from the perspective of people who are thinking about their own dying process or that of a loved one. We occupy an especially poignant… Read More

This post was originally intended for the commercially-driven February season of Valentine roses, chocolate and loving expressions of intimacy. But just like the alterations to that problematic celebration (Galentine’s Day and International Quirkyalone Day to name a couple)  writing about intimacy in older adulthood just… Read More

Each summer energy companies across the United States give away box fans to help consumers cool their residences – AND to help mitigate high levels of energy usage by supplementing cooling through increased air circulation. There are many ways to think about these programs, not… Read More

Earlier this month on the wAGING change blog, we discussed evidence of the inordinate vulnerability of older adults relative to climate change – particularly climate-related situations that may require evacuation or displacement, and those that affect food and water supplies.  Both U.S. and international agencies… Read More

To close out the month of May and our discussion about climate change and aging, we welcome guest blogger Sarah Torgeson, a doctoral student in American Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill. Sarah collects oral histories from older adults experiencing climate change, and as you will note… Read More

Legacy It is a word that has been assigned to the passage of wealth, to privilege granted those who have connections to important others, and to historical events that influence later generations. It is also frequently invoked as something to be considered and determined in… Read More

This is a good-bye for now. As of July 1, 2021, the wAGING change blog will go on hiatus. As the primary writer for wAGING change over the past 8 months, I have enjoyed sparking conversations about issues related to aging that prompt us all… Read More