Aging Watch is an independent think-tank committed to ending ageism and the social marginalization of older people.

We do this by working to advance the protection, promotion, and participation of elders in American society. Protection refers to ensuring that the rights of older people are respected, that the social promises made to them are honored, and that their needs and interests are included at all levels of public planning and decision-making. Promotion refers to clarifying and expanding the social understanding of who older people are and of what they are capable of doing. Participation refers to mobilizing and amplifying the voices, perspectives, and contributions of elders in order to enrich and elevate our nation’s civil discourse.

Aging Watch uses four strategic approaches to advance its vital agenda:

• Education: raising awareness of ageism and its harmful consequences while also putting forth a more accurate understanding of who older people are.

• Monitoring: mobilizing people of all ages to identify and combat negative representations of elders in media and popular culture.

• Intergenerational relationship-building: fostering meaningful relationships and idea exchange across generations in order to increase understanding and dispel misconceptions.

• Supporting new voices: facilitating an increased presence of elder voices in civic affairs both locally and nationally.

Jessica Walker is the founder and director of Aging Watch. She is a public policy expert and author of several influential reports on a range of issues including social isolation among older adults, elder poverty, and geriatric mental health. Most recently, as a policy associate with The New York Academy of Medicine, she managed a comprehensive assessment of New York City’s “age-friendliness.” In connection with this research the City of New York adopted 59 policy improvements that will make the city more inclusive of, and accessible to, its older residents. Previously, Ms. Walker served as senior policy analyst at the United Neighborhood Houses of New York, the association of New York City settlement houses and community centers. She has served as vice president of the Board of the New York Citizens’ Committee on Aging and continues to serve on numerous other advisory panels. Her work has been featured in the New York Daily News and the Orlando Sentinel, among other media outlets.

To contact Aging Watch, please e-mail info@agingwatch.com.

Aging Watch is not affiliated with “Aging Watch at the UN,” a project of Global Action on Aging.