AARP Colorado Co-Sponsors GLBT Conference

Sometimes we need a good reason to think in a more deliberate way about growing older and what it means for each of us. The Center, Sage of the Rockies in Denver, decided to present a conference to do just that and came away with a plan to age in healthy, quality ways.
 
Earlier this month, AARP Colorado co-sponsored the SAGE of the Rockies conference on aging and opening of the GLBT Community Center’s move to its new home in downtown Denver.

While October is National Coming Out Month, The Center was able to recognize the month, not only with the opening of a new facility, but also with the presentation of The Center’s youth program for the annual Gaybutante dinner. The dinner was a successful intergenerational event that attracted about 150 people. More than 250 attended the conference.

The conference presented resources to stimulate ideas and discussions about aging, including housing, competent care, equality, health, financial preparedness, legal issues, relationships and spirituality.

All conversations were recorded to be compiled into an action plan that will guide the aging GLBT community into the future. At the end of the conference, those associated with The Center will have new and helpful ways to choose their future, so that all those in the community may enjoy the promises of a life lived well, said Ken Helander, coordinator of Sage of the Rockies.

“The conference was meant to remind us all that this is not about ‘old,’ it’s about aging, a passing of time that influences all aspects of our lives, like our health and financial condition, our relationships and sense of confidence,” he said. “Taking a bit of that time to think about these things among supportive and understanding company is what this conference is all about.”

In addition to AARP Colorado, the conference was sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and US Bank, among others.

“We were proud to help The Center host this conference that provided helpful workshops on a variety of issues ranging from staying connected through social media to an overview of how HIV impacts older adults,” said AARP Colorado Program Specialist Jeremiah Mora. “It was an event with a lot of value for the aging GLBT community.”