When it comes to aging services, nonprofit organizations are long-standing leaders in providing older adults with quality, flexibility and innovation that they can trust. In 1961, a group of these organizations came together and developed an association to learn from each other, advocate together and inspire our country to view aging differently.
Thirty-three years later, that group realized that there was much more to their work in aging services than homes. Many were offering services that helped people stay at home. That’s why they changed their name and renewed their commitment to advancing leadership in aging through innovation.
The AAHSA board had a similar realization in 2008. They decided that association’s name did not do justice to the leadership and quality members provided. They called for a study to find AAHSA not just a new name, but a redefined identity that reflected the association’s aspirations for the 21st century and beyond.
The result of that mandate is our association’s name: LeadingAge. This name resulted from a comprehensive research process that included interviews with members about not only what they wanted their association to be called, but what its ethos–its DNA– should be. Members overwhelmingly approved the name during a vote in July 2010.
LeadingAge offers a strong and distinct voice for our nonprofit members as we strive to be the trusted voice for aging in America. Working together, we lead in innovative practices that transform how we serve our aging population, cutting-edge initiatives to develop services that meet older adults’ needs, and preferences and advocacy to advance the interest of the aging consumer.