32 JULY 2024 | INTHEVUE.COM B y K e l s e y B a u m g a r d n e r • P h o t o b y A m b e r T a y l o r WHEN JENNIFER GISH BECAME executive director of the assisted living facility Gaither Suites at West Park in Paducah 16 years ago, she had no idea that position would lead her to where she is today. After years of fielding questions from people about resources and services available to the aging population, she realized our community needed a way to connect seniors and their needs to people who could actually meet those needs. So in late 2021 she launched the website Embracing the Aged, aiming to provide “one-on-one guidance, support, education, and resources to all older adults.” Then in July 2022 she instituted the non-profit Embracing the Aged Senior Services Foundation, with a mission “to educate and prepare our community for the aging process by conducting community outreach programs and educational events, to remove the stigma of aging in our community, and to support older adults (including those with cognitive or physical disabilities) without options for support or resources.” The first fundraising event for the non-profit in November 2022 raised funds to help seniors pay for home repairs needed. Jennifer has now embarked on a new facet to the organization with the production of a local magazine publication titled “Embracing Our Age”. Jennifer says a friend told her about a magazine publication in Louisville aimed to connect seniors with each other and services/resources in the area, and she knew that Paducah needed something similar. The magazine’s first issue was printed in January 2023 and it was originally titled “Embracing the Aged” to counterpart the non-profit, but in July 2024 Jennifer decided to make a slight change to the name. Over time she realized that the market they are reaching is broader than just the elderly, and “Embracing Our Age” is more reflective of who the magazine’s audience is. Kristi Crockett is the vice president of the board for the non-profit Embracing the Aged. Kristi works for a pharmacy that provides medication to skilled facilities, and she too noticed the need for a place where all services and resources for the aging population could be found together. When the two met through work, Jennifer told Kristi about her intentions to start the non- profit and Kristi immediately wanted to jump in. “I knew that if people from all different organizations could pull together, the elderly population could actually be helped.” Kristi got her CNA degree in high school, and while her peers were working at fast food restaurants and shops, Kristi was working at a nursing home, honing her skills. She says she has always had a heart for the elderly. Jennifer and Kristi emphasize that the magazine publication is for the aging population and their caregivers. Kristi says, “You don’t ever know what you’re going to need until you actually need it.” She also says the publication has been helpful to social workers in the healthcare field, because they have all of the information needed in one spot, and they can even send a magazine home with their patients. The magazine is published quarterly and 7,000 printed copies are distributed without charge in places seniors frequently visit. A digital copy of the latest edition can always be accessed on their website, embracingtheaged.com. If you’d like to start receiving the magazine at your home, you can sign up for subscriptions on their website. Magazines are distributed all across our region, including Metropolis, Murray, Mayfield, and Paducah. Each edition will spotlight a senior that has an interesting or inspiring story, will focus on healthcare resources, and typically include information about scams or elder abuse. Jennifer says these issues are a silent epidemic, and the best way to fight back is to make people knowledgeable about how scams happen and how to detect possible elder abuse. Spring-2024-New.indd 1 3/22/24 1:43 PM AGE
