Our Mission
The mission of the Colorado Gerontological Society is to provide information, education and training, research, and public policy for professionals who work in the field of aging, as well as to provide services for older adults and families.
A Brief History
The Colorado Gerontological Society was organized in 1980 as a not-for-profit organization [501(c)(3)] under the rules of the Internal Revenue Service. Since its inception, The Society has been a leader to improve the health equity of older adults by being an active stakeholder in the social, economic, health, and political systems in Colorado, continuously advocating for the improvement of the quality of life of older adults.
Our Story
The Society works to improve community capacity through
Counseling and referral:
Help older adults and families navigate the aging services system including long term care, caregiving, housing, financial services, advance care planning, and legal services resulting in more help.
Services:
Providing grants for vision, hearing and dental services; improve social/emotional health through Telephone Buddies; increase food security through holiday baskets; and advance care planning services.
Information services:
Including toolkits, newsletters, searchable databases on the website, print guidebooks and fact sheets.
Application assistance:
Assist older adults and families to complete applications for government benefits such as Medicare/Medicaid, utility assistance, food insecurity and economic security.
Professional education and training:
Offer education and training for licensure, certification, and skill building to professionals working in the field of aging to improve delivery of services to older adults. Provide consultation and technical assistance to professionals to improve skill sets and delivery of services.
Consumer education:
Provide educational programs for older adults so they can access care, benefits and services. Expand knowledge with YouTube videos, podcasts, and tutorials.
Events:
Sponsor senior expos, educational and outreach programs, and business to business development for older adults and professionals.
Public/Private Partnerships:
Volunteer support services and sponsorships.
Advocacy:
Actively represent the issues of older adults in federal, state, and local stakeholder meetings by serving on committees and task forces; providing leadership, training, and expert testimony on legislative and regulatory changes; and bringing the voice of patient advocates and older adults to the discussions ensuring they receive services that better meet their needs.
Strategic Plan
The Board of Directors adopted a three-year strategic plan in 2018. Based on the Strategic Plan, The Society will:
Service Delivery:
Provide services to 5000 older adults by expanding our services to the Latino and African American community, as well as rural and urban older adults in the areas of application assistance, direct services, and information and outreach.
Professional Education:
Provide 75 professional education and training programs annually until 2023 to meet the training needs of professionals working with older adults.
Information, Consumer Education and Outreach:
Provide 25 consumer education, events, and training programs annually until 2023 to meet the needs of older adults.
Advocacy:
Work as a stakeholder and key influencer in a minimum of 10 legislative actions and/or policy discussions annually to advocate for older adults at the federal, state and local levels.