June is an important month of reflection, celebration, and advocacy, marked by Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, Juneteenth, and LGBTQ+ Pride. Each of these highlights the importance of equity, identity, and community, especially for those navigating the challenges of Alzheimer's disease. For many minority groups, including Black Americans and LGBTQ+ people, Alzheimer's presents unique and compounded difficulties. These communities face challenges getting diagnoses, adequate care, and support systems, often rooted in systemic opposition and cultural stigmas. As we honor the history and perseverance of Black communities on Juneteenth and celebrate LGBTQ+ lives during Pride, it is also important to raise awareness of how Alzheimer’s disproportionately affects these groups and advocate for inclusion, care, and research.

Pulled from the archives, this profile on Nina Fitzgerald, who was born in 1912, describes her early life and her retirement, which she spent at JABA’s Nelson Community Center. Throwback to this fascinating glimpse at the lives of older adults during the early years of JABA (established in 1975). Happy 50th to our Nelson Community!

The Board of Directors of the Jefferson Area Board for Aging (JABA) is pleased to announce that it has named its long-time employee Christina Evans as its new Chief Executive Officer on an interim basis effective April 21, 2025.

In a society that values youth and beauty, it is not a surprise to hear people who embody these values are treated to a higher regard. Age comes for us all, however, and at a certain point, we all will grow older and start to slip away from public view. This is especially true for women, who historically are valued based on their looks and ability to have and raise children rather than who they are and what they know. This is referred to as the Invisible Women Syndrome- where women in their 50s disappear from public view, in shops, on public transport, at work, and in media.