ReFraming Aging Resources

Building New Messages about Older Adults

In our efforts to serve older people, The West End Home Foundation is committed to building the capacity of our partner agencies and the larger aging services network in Middle Tennessee. The challenges facing older adults are serious yet the contributions to our communities made by this growing segment of the population are substantial.  We cannot continue to look at older adults in isolation. Communities that are good for older adults are also good for children, families…all of us. How then do we influence policymakers, other funders and the general public to recognize and support our critically important work?

One core strategy is to reconsider how we communicate about our programs and about older adults. Research from the Frameworks Institute has found that focusing simply on the demographics and the needs of older people is insufficient, even counter-productive. There is a pressing need to reframe our communications in ways that truly engage and inspire a wider range of stakeholders.

We hope you take the ideas here to heart and look for ways to integrate this approach to aging communication into your presentations, web sites, newsletters, and other materials.

This Resources Page also includes links to resources related to Reframing Aging Initiatives in other parts of the country as well as articles about the impact of ageism on the health and well-being of older adults. We will continue to post new resources as they become available. Together, we can continue to change the narrative around older adults and build the public funding and broader support necessary to enable all of us to live better as we age.