Dear changemaker,



When’s the last time you listened — really listened — to an older adult? Was it about something that mattered to you? More importantly, was it about something that mattered to them?



In our work on the Health Equity in Aging initiative, we had the honor of serving as professional listeners to older adults from underserved communities across the state of California. While this research yielded priority areas to guide our client's grantmaking, the greatest impact so far has been with our participants. As we witnessed them share stories of triumph and struggle, it seemed to awaken a sense of agency, which is often suppressed by ageism in our society. As Harry, an older adult from San Francisco, said, “I have a voice, why am I keeping it silent?”

Deep listening is not sufficient for creating an equitable society, but it is a necessary step on the journey. If you are interested in health equity in aging, you can start by listening to the stories in our case study. Let me know what you think!

Sara