Donna Gaines And The Sage Collective Flip TheScript On Aging

Donna M. Gaines is the President of the Sage Collective. photo by Derek Blanks with crowdMGMT
Donna M. Gaines is the President of the Sage Collective. photo by Derek Blanks with crowdMGMT

Donna Gaines And The Sage Collective Flip TheScript On Aging

By Tia Carol Jones

May is recognized as Older Americans Month, but even beyond May, Donna Gaines believes that 65 is the new 45 and that a person’s age shouldn’t define their potential, purpose or their passion.

“For me, that phrase is a personal mantra and a public challenge because it means that we have to reject outdated stereotypes about aging and things that people attribute to getting older,” she said.

She said because of the perception of what it means to get older, people don’t like to talk about aging and getting older. But, she wants to see people flip the script when it comes to talking about aging and getting older. She said instead of people seeing getting older and aging as a reminder of their mortality, she wants people to look at aging as a time for vitality, wisdom and reinvention. She said getting rid of limiting beliefs around what’s possible while people are aging is one step to changing the conversation around aging and getting older. She pointed to a Yale Study that showed thinking positively and having positive perceptions about aging can add up to seven and a half years to a person’s life.

Gaines is the President of the Sage Collective. The Sage Collective began in 1978 as the Tabernacle Senior Citizens Project, Inc. The mission of the non-profit organization, which was founded by the Reverend Louis Rawls, was to provide affordable and safe rental housing for people, primarily senior adults, with low to moderate incomes. While it still provides rental housing, the Sage Collective also focuses on promoting personal growth, independence and social connectedness, by creating a lifestyle of wellness and empowerment through intergenerational programs and activities.

Gaines said that what makes the Sage Collective different from other organizations that focus on programming and housing for older adults is that the housing is focused on building a culture where older adults are treated like the season they are in is full of possibilities and potential. Gaines said her vision and the vision of the organization in the next five years is to see the Sage Collective’s model be expanded around the country and around the world.

Gaines said that people view older adults as slowing down and not wanting to learn new things, but at the Sage Collective, they have found that older adults are really enthusiastic about learning technology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they started a vibrant learning program, where people receive information about health and wellness and do armchair travel to places like Morocco and Japan, as a way to expose older adults to things that will enrich their lives.

“Making sure that we provide opportunities for older adults to continue to learn, to have a sense of purpose, it’s really important,” she said.

In addition to the vibrant learning program, the Sage Collective has pioneered the use of virtual reality headsets.

Gaines said that studies have shown that older adults with memory loss using those headsets can jolt memories and connect them to other experiences in their lives. The Sage Collective launched a caregiver support program earlier this year. Gaines said that it is important that caregivers who take care of older adults receive support.

Gaines said that as adults live longer, society will have to address issues including housing affordability, the ability to age in place, healthcare and chronic illness management, as well as loneliness, agism and financial insecurity. She said in order to address these issues, people will have to shift their perceptions around aging and realize older adults can contribute, they have ideasand they can have fun.

“We need to use the wisdom that older adults have, the experience, and make sure we confront the concept of agism, so that we can really be more inclusive in how we include all members of society in terms of the work that we do and the needs that we have,” she said.

For more information about the Sage Collective, visit https://sagecollective.org

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

STARR Community Services International, Inc.