Thousands of organizations nationwide, nonprofits and for-profits, are undertaking initiatives that seek to understand what Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) means for them and those they serve. LeadingAge California, a venerable advocacy and education organization, is among those on such a journey, while simultaneously working to urge its members to undertake their own DEI initiatives.
Started in 1961, LeadingAge CA has grown to represent more than 550 nonprofit providers of affordable housing, life plan communities, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) programs, adult day health care, home care, and hospice. More than half of them serve low-income populations.
LeadingAge CA believes that ensuring older adults can age in safe and supportive environments — regardless of race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender identity, disability, or sexual orientation — requires access to the tools, resources, organizational leadership, and expertise to do this work in a thoughtful and impactful way. It also means having a clear plan to help facilitate that DEI journey.
What’s on the DEI Roadmap
In June, with support from Archstone Foundation, California Health Care Foundation, and TELACU (formerly East Los Angeles Credit Union), LeadingAge CA published its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Roadmap. It serves as a strategic blueprint for providers and business partners in housing, care, and services for older adults, with achievable goals and resources to develop, refine, and sustain effective DEI efforts in their respective settings.
The DEI Roadmap guides users through five stages (preparation, planning, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance) for creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment — with action steps for each phase. It also lays out five compelling arguments for why DEI initiatives benefit not only LeadingAge CA members but also the entire the aging services field.
The DEI Roadmap was shaped by LeadingAge CA’s Equity Cabinet and staff, current DEI research, similar DEI efforts, and a survey of provider and business partners.
Additional Tools and Resources
The grants from Archstone Foundation, California Health Care Foundation and TELACU have also supported LeadingAge CA’s work to coordinate and host DEI educational resources, webinars, and toolkits from organizations such as SAGE, the California Department of Aging, Openhouse, and Virginia Commonwealth University. These resources can be found on LeadingAge CA’s DEI microsite.
To highlight DEI best practices among its members, the organization recently launched the second edition of its Celebration Station, a quarterly “recognition webpage” that serves as a platform to bring members together, highlight their initiatives, and recognize best practices unfolding in the aging services industry.
Our History of Commitment to DEI
Archstone Foundation is committed to building diversity, equity, and inclusion principles and analysis into all our grantmaking. This commitment began with our legacy initiatives in falls prevention, elder abuse, and palliative care. And it continued with our work on family caregiving, late life depression, and food insecurity, where we sought grantees who reflect the state’s diversity and focused on efforts to address the challenges for older adults from all racial and ethnic groups.
Refining Our Commitment
Although we have a long way to go to assure a just and equitable future, we are proud of our efforts and are committed to making measurable progress. We continue to listen and learn from others doing this important work. We are examining and refining our grantmaking efforts to ensure future systems address the needs of the historically marginalized, are culturally and linguistically appropriate, and serve to reduce racial and health disparities among older people. This is what has led us to support organizations in the aging field, like LeadingAge CA, on its journey and its members’ journeys to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion.
For societal change to occur, DEI must become part of our regular, day-to-day work. And we must recognize we all have a role to play. Learn more about the Foundation’s efforts here.
