Sharing The Conversation

Sydney Langer | NextFifty • June 7, 2022

 Nationally, less than 1% of grants given by the largest foundations in the United States are allocated to causes related to aging.[1] However, we know that our nation is aging rapidly and that one in every 7 persons is 65 years and older.[2] We also know that private and public dollars are not able to keep pace with the growing needs of older adults as they face ageism in the workplace, increasing housing and healthcare costs, and other myriad challenges.


As funders, transformative change within the aging space must come from how we view philanthropy and how we view aging itself. We must approach aging with a viewpoint that is not one of declination or deterioration but with growth and respect. 


NextFifty Initiative is a Colorado-based private foundation dedicated to funding mission-driven initiatives that improve the lives of the older adult population and their caregivers. Our mission is to promote independence and dignity for the aging population, to include the needs of low- and moderate-


  [1] Hogan, P. (2019). Why It's Time For More Big Foundations To Fund Aging. Forbes.

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2019/09/11/why-its-time-for-more-big-foundations-to-fund-aging/?sh=4bdea6a22a36

[2] Kuwik, A. (2021, December 1). The State of Aging in Colorado.


income persons, encompassing individuals with physical, cognitive and/or behavioral disabilities, by encouraging and supporting innovative, affordable and coordinated services and initiatives.


At NextFifty Initiative, our team has leaned into what we have learned over the past year about what organizations need from us as a funder. We’ve changed our practices to be more reflective of being a thought partner. We’ve learned the importance of flexible dollars for organizations that seek to drive change in the aging space.


What motivates me about the work I get to be a part of at NextFifty Initiative is that we learn alongside organizations in the aging space. We get to hear and experience the challenges, successes, and learnings, and see how organizations we support learn from one another on how to approach often complex challenges around aging.   


Across the nation, we’ve seen a trend with organizations implementing technology in innovative ways that support older adults and their caregivers in home health care. We’ve seen organizations create cross-generational collaborations, creating mutually beneficial programming that taps into the expertise and knowledge of older adults. With the right funding and support, organizations that serve older adults can rise to the meet the unique needs of a growing population of older adults.


In the coming years, we hope to continue learning from our partner nonprofits and organizations. When we work together, engaging in two-way conversations rather than one-sided funding agreements, we can amplify the impact of philanthropic dollars, ensuring that more older adults can age with dignity in a way that works for them.
 


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Regaining Our Groove After Being Cooped Up (Part 1)

By Bernice Lowe Flowers • May 2, 2022
I enjoy going to the gym, exercising, outdoor activities, and walking the neighborhood when the weather is good. For so many of us, these activities were halted because we were housebound and instructed to adhere the social distancing mandate to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Being an avid walker, I was not too thrilled about these restrictions, so I maintained my exercise routine the best I could indoors. Believe it or not, many of us felt confined and are still struggling with the effects of physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges following months of being cooped up indoors. Do you agree? Stopping normal activities, or even mingling with other people can have a tremendous bearing on older adults especially when many of us are postponing going to the doctor for routine medical checkups because we are still afraid of becoming infected and gravely ill from the virus. Well, if we don’t address or confront these fears and issues, we are likely to face poorer health challenges and increased medical problems. So, what are our next steps? Since most of us are vaccinated and boosted, and anxious to venture outdoors again, let’s begin with scheduling our medical appointments to make sure we are physically ready to be active after being housebound for almost two years or more. If we have concerns about going to the clinic or doctor’s office, another option is to schedule a virtual visit, which is a new and convenient way to connect with healthcare professionals. Stay tuned for Part 2-Tips To Get Us Moving! Bernice Lowe Flowers, Board Member

Are We Being Unsociable While Socially Distancing?

By Carla Pettus, J.D. • July 23, 2020
 During the coronavirus pandemic, we have become overly concerned with maintaining the six feet distance designations and wearing our masks. We are annoyed when individuals do not follow the markings for six feet; ignore the directional markings in stores; or simply refuse to wear a mask for their own or loved ones’ protection. Conscious of our potential exposure to the virus, most of us are not spending a lot of time in grocery stores. We have a list and we hurriedly go through the aisles collecting our items and rush to the checkout. We avoid eye contact with anyone, i.e., other people in the aisles, stockers, workers, etc. If anyone sneezes or coughs in our immediate area, we are devastated and give the individual the “evil eye”. While I must admit, some of my actions resemble some of the above. However, I decided that I must consciously work on undoing some of these responses. I am a social being and realized that it was not sustainable for me to continue behaving this way. (My friends have tagged me the “Pied Piper” -- knowing no strangers.) So, I have made it a concerted effort to reverse some of these unsociable behaviors while socially distancing. Even under our current conditions, mask wearing and all, we can still smile with our eyes. Eyes have been called the windows into our hearts. So, I challenge you to just imagine how your sharing a small twinkle or displaying that gleam in your eye can bring calm and joy to those you encounter. Also, think of engaging in small mindful gestures such as a little wave of acknowledgement to someone you encounter or waiting a few feet away to allow someone to grab a grocery cart in isolation. I think if we each think of how we can restore some of the social niceties that are missing in today’s environment, that we would come up with endless possibilities that will work while socially distancing. Let us take the challenge by each of us trying to restore some civility or nicety into our society by being sociable as we are socially distant.    

Is it Just me?......

By Carla Pettus, Esq. | • July 23, 2020
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The Secret Behind The Mask-Be Aware

By Donna Satterthwaite • July 22, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has really turned all of lives upside down, coping with this new phenomenon, wearing a mask. Older adults of late have become victims to unscrupulous predators wearing a mask. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the enforcement of masks wearing has left our older adults vulnerable targets for abuse and robbery. While they are not able to see the entire face of an individual behind the mask, at times this has caused some older adults to be less observant of their surroundings. As result older adults may be caught unaware of someone following them or aggressively moving towards them.  During this COVID-19 pandemic period, please encourage your older adult family member, friends, and neighbors, to stay alert while they are venturing out into the public to take care of whatever need they might have. If you have an older adult relative, or if you know of an older adult who lives alone, please offer to run errands for them or go with them. This will help in increase their safety and ensure they are able to have their daily needs met.        

It’s Physical Distancing, not Social Distancing!

By Donna Satterthwaite • July 12, 2020
 Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19.      On the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it is referred to as “social distancing.” I was never comfortable with that phrase because of the pictures it brings to the mind’s eye about isolation and especially about older adults in isolation.     There is a difference between being alone and being isolated or lonely. Google the words cigarettes and isolation together and you will see stated many times that loneliness and social isolation can be as damaging to one’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. This statement has been out for five years B.C. (before COVID). With the onset of COVID-19 and older adults being a target demographic to become ill from it, the focus on isolation has become amplified.     It is important to have solutions that help each of us with social isolation while we continue to physically distance from others. And you know what? This also means each of us should commit to taking affirmative steps to help ourselves and others in a post-COVID world as well. AARP provides recommendations to help mitigate the harmful effects of isolation . Some of them are to:     Connect with family, friends or loved ones. Make the effort to do it, even if you must push yourself. Just a few minutes will go a long way. Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Care for living things like pets or plants Take care of your body: walking inside or out, light stretching, eat as healthy as possible. Listen to music, find activities that bring joy. Find ways to laugh.  Visit the AARP Foundation’s Connect to Affect to find access to other resources and to learn more about social isolation.