Council on Aging of Middle Tennessee, a trusted resource and champion for positive aging, has rebranded as AgeWell Middle Tennessee (AgeWell).
The new name and identity was revealed at the nonprofit’s virtual annual meeting held on Jan. 26. “We are delighted to announce that the Council on Aging of Middle Tennessee is now AgeWell Middle Tennessee,” said AgeWell Executive Director Grace Sutherland Smith. “As more of us live longer, we have an exciting opportunity to rethink the future of our communities to ensure we can age well, and we wanted a name that better reflects our passion for positive aging.”
A year in the making, the rebrand process included input from donors, volunteers, board members, and community partners. The new brand reinforces the organization’s commitment to embracing aging and enhancing community. “We are not changing who we are or what we do. Our mission and vision remains the same,” said Steve Mathews, long-time AgeWell board member and chair of the agency’s marketing committee. “Our goal for the rebrand is to honor the past, celebrate the present and embrace the future. We believe we have accomplished these things with our new name and look.”
The AgeWell name and the logo’s modern, colorful palette reinforces active, positive aging and celebrates diversity, and the interlocking arms and unifying arch represent the collaborative spirit and the organization’s role as a catalyst for creative and collaborative solutions to unmet needs.
As an independent nonprofit organization with no government or national affiliation, the new name also eliminates brand and donor confusion. “There was a lot of confusion in the marketplace. Many thought we were either a governmental entity or an affiliate of a national nonprofit,” continued Smith. “AgeWell more clearly conveys our unique mission and passion as a convener and catalyst agency, addressing unmet needs by creating solutions like Senior Ride Nashville and Discover Williamson, and serving as a trusted resource for information and referral and a champion for older adults through advocacy and our annual Sage Awards.”
New initiatives for 2021 announced alongside the new name include Eldercare Coach, which addresses the impact of eldercare on employers and supports the needs of working caregivers, All for Antioch to address critical unmet needs in a diverse, underserved community, and Reimagining Long Term Services & Supports (LTSS) in Tennessee, a collaboration with TN Coalition for Better Aging to host conversations and creative visioning for improving long-term services and supports (LTSS) in Tennessee.
The 2021-2022 edition of AgeWell’s Directory of Services was also introduced at the annual meeting. In its 21st printing, the directory serves as an impartial, comprehensive source of information about services, community resources and public benefits for older adults and caregivers in AgeWell Middle Tennessee’s service area which includes Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson and Wilson counties.
Additional resources to support older adults and caregivers include Aging & Caring: A Guide for Families & Caregivers©, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren guide, Roobrik care navigation online support tool, Scam of the Month public awareness, and AgeWell’s Helpline at 615-353-4235.
Visit AgeWellTN.org for more information, to view online resources or to request printed copies of guidebooks. Engage on Facebook and Twitter @AgeWellTn.
