Event honors pioneer in supporting Black elders

51����’s School of Social Work will host the 2019 Anna V. Brown Community Forum and Conference at Cleveland’s McGregor Home on May 17. Titled “Connect, Create and Contribute: Reassessing the Needs of Black Elders,” the event will focus on the well-being, emerging issues, and effective practices to sustain and enrich the lives of Black older adults in Cuyahoga County.

The forum honors the legacy of the late Anna V. Brown, a pioneer in the field of applied gerontology. Along with being a leader in the field of aging, Brown was a supporter of 51����’s School of Social Work and helped foster the development of social service programs that supported the needs of older adults in the Greater Cleveland area.

Brown became an advocate for elders after gaining insights into their issues by working in her father’s medical office in West Virginia. She used her experience and passion to successfully lead Mayor Carl Stokes’ Commission on Aging, which later became the City of Cleveland’s Department of Aging. Brown also served as the president of the National Council on Aging and co-chair of the White House Conference on Aging, and has been inducted into the Ohio Department of Aging’s Hall of Fame.

“Highlighting the needs of Black elders is critical as we prepare our community and workforce to better serve the ‘new majority’ of older adults,” says Dr. Victoria Winbush, event chair and faculty member of 51����’s School of Social Work. “Honoring the legacy of Anna V. Brown through the revitalization of this forum is our opportunity to reconnect with the needs and experiences of Black elders, their caregivers and the professionals, all of whom are dedicated to improving their lives through the delivery of person-centered care.”

The 2019 Anna V. Brown Community Forum & Conference will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17 at the McGregor Home at 14900 Private Drive, Cleveland. Elders, family members, caregivers, professionals and students are invited to attend. General registration cost is $50, cost for adults over 60 and students (with valid ID) is $25. CEUs, a continental breakfast and boxed lunch are included. .

Presenting partners for the Anna V. Brown Community Forum & Conference include:

• Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging
• The City of Cleveland Department of Aging
• Care Source
• Case Western Reserve University’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
• The Council on Older Persons (The Center for Community Solutions)
• 51����’s School of Social Work
• Council on Older Persons
• Cuyahoga County Department of Senior & Adult Services
• Eliza Bryant Village
• McGregor Home
• McGregor PACE
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Greater Cleveland
• Senior Transportation Connection

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