{"id":44589,"date":"2022-08-17T12:59:44","date_gmt":"2022-08-17T16:59:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=44589"},"modified":"2022-08-22T16:23:14","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T20:23:14","slug":"sessions-introducing-aging-advocates-and-faith-based-groups-kicked-off-tuesday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/08\/sessions-introducing-aging-advocates-and-faith-based-groups-kicked-off-tuesday\/","title":{"rendered":"Sessions introduce aging advocates and faith-based groups"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kristi Wick speaks during the engAGING Communities Chattanooga Open House on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2022 at the Camp House.<\/p><\/div>\n

Chattanooga\u2019s Camp House hosted the first of a series of five open house events to take place in every major city in Tennessee and bring together leaders of faith-based and religious organizations and advocates for aging adults.<\/p>\n

The events are organized by engAGING Communities Tennessee, an initiative to empower faith-based and religious congregations to provide older people and their caregivers with health and wellness programs and support.\u00a0The initiative\u2019s main focus is on issues surrounding Alzheimer\u2019s Disease and related dementias and is led by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga School of Nursing.<\/p>\n

At Tuesday\u2019s kickoff event, a steady stream of visitors talked with representatives of provider and advocacy organizations ranging from the Alzheimer\u2019s Association Tennessee chapter to the state Department of Health, gathered to reach \u201ctrusted messengers\u201d uniquely positioned to connect resources with those in need but unaware of all resources.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than 75% of Tennesseans identify themselves as being part of a faith-based community, and more than 75% also say religion is an important part of their lives, making faith-based organizations an important, trusted source of information,\u201d Kristi Wick noted in a presentation before a gathering of about 50.<\/p>\n

Wick, Vicki B. Gregg Chair of Gerontology and assistant professor in the UTC School of Nursing, also said the experience in many communities of faith-based organizations coordinating and delivering disaster relief has further established a familiar and trusted outreach role.<\/p>\n

engAGING Communities Tennessee is part of the Intrastate Network to Deliver Equity and Eliminate Disparities, known by the acronym INDEED, a grant-funded effort to address COVID-19 health disparities among high-risk and underserved populations. Wick is primary investigator on INDEED grant.<\/p>\n

In addition to the Alzheimer\u2019s Association Tennessee Chapter and Tennessee Department of Health, other engAGING Communities partners are Honoring Choices Tennessee, CIT Connect, Heart Tones, Alter Dementia and Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services.<\/p>\n

Wick said the open house series is a starting point for a longer-term effort of informing volunteers and caregivers of resources.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a first step in making introductions to connect with faith-based and religious organizations throughout the state and introduce them to our initiative, as well as our partner organizations,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are doing a lot of listening to learn how we may best work within each unique community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next steps, arising from information shared at the open house events, are organizing workshops for faith-based organizations to present an overview of services available to their communities; then subsequent workshops to \u201cdeep dive\u201d into opportunities to address particular needs.<\/p>\n

INDEED aims to strengthen faith organizations\u2019 capacities to support aging people in their congregations impacted by the pandemic, chronic illness, dementia-related conditions and social determinants of health.<\/p>\n

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Next in the statewide series of community outreach open house events are:<\/strong><\/p>\n