- 15 November, 2006 -

It was Chris Baumgardner's own experience with hip replacement surgery that gave her a glimpse into problems the elderly face when confronted with health issues that can leave a person incapacitated. That experience spawned Baumgardner's interest in working in the home health care business. Not long after Baumgardner healed from her own surgery, she opened a Right at Home In-Home Care and Assistance office in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio, with the goal of helping others live independently for as long as possible. "I felt this business would be very rewarding," she says. "I think many elderly people don't know where to go when they need help or who they can trust. Part of my role is to help people identify their needs and direct them to the appropriate sources. In my case, I was lucky because I got to go home and my husband was able to take care of me. But it made me start thinking, what would other people do if they didn't have a spouse to help them-where would they turn?" But Baumgardner didn't stop there. When the 61-year-old saw a request in the Ohio Department of Aging newsletter asking for a 50-word essay to explain why you should be chosen as an at-large delegate to the White House Conference on Aging in Washington, D.C., Baumgardner seized the opportunity. In her essay, Baumgardner says she expressed her own experiences with the aging population: "As a baby boomer and owner of a non-medical caregiver business, I am exposed to the needs of seniors everyday and the challenges of helping them remain independent in their own homes. Because of this, I can bring a grassroots understanding as a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging." It was enough to award her an at-large position; she joined 13 other Ohio delegates and 1,400 delegates representing every state in the country for the four-day 2005 national conference charged with developing and presenting recommendations to the president and Congress to help guide aging policies for the next 10 years. "This conference was particularly exciting because it only meets every 10 years and therefore it laid the groundwork for handling the influx of 78 million baby boomers who will be needing services over this time period," says Baumgardner. "It really energized me and made me realize how important it is to speak up." At the conference, 50 resolutions were identified that target the most pressing issues for aging Americans today and in the future. These resolutions were discussed and then voted on to arrive at the top resolutions that will guide American policy. Among the top were: reauthorize the Older Americans Act; develop a long-term care strategy using the public and private sector; ensure older Americans have transportation options to ensure mobility and independence; strengthen the Medicaid and Medicare programs; support geriatric education and training for all healthcare professionals; improve treatment of mental illnesses and depression among older Americans; and improve state and local-based integrated delivery systems to meet 21st century needs of seniors. Baumgardner has continued to be involved in senior issues since that trip to Washington. She says her participation in the conference raised her awareness of elderly issues to a new and more impassioned level. "I've become more politically aware of issues," she says. "I ask more questions and I write to my senators. I am much more vocal about my views. Everyone who is a senior or the caregiver of a senior should get involved. Legislators have plenty on their plates and I'm afraid these issues will not get the attention they need if we all don't make our voices heard."

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