Illinois Aging Together, a campaign for aging equity in Illinois, held six virtual and in-person roundtable discussions this summer with community groups that represent people not usually represented in aging spaces. The organizations that we worked with were Access Living, Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, Pride Action Tank, Hanul Family Alliance, and Telpochcalli Community Education Project.  
 
Some recurring themes were the increasing loneliness and the need for social activities in their community as they age. There was also mention of worsening depression as their support system got smaller because of friends passing away or family moving away. Almost all the groups mentioned issues with affordable and accessible housing as their mobility needs change. There was a significant concern for caregiving support among the groups. In some cases, people who already had some form of caregiving reported either needing more hours and not being able to get it or that their caregivers were not able to fully meet their needs. In other cases, people were concerned because they thought about the future and wondered how they would get the support they would need since they don’t have close family or friends. Lastly, another central theme was financial concerns and not wanting to be a financial burden on their family as they age.  
 
In some ways, the conversations at these roundtables were expected because many of the same themes we often hear about, such as housing and accessibility, were brought up. It was also interesting to see how people viewed aging depending on their culture, neighborhood, and personal circumstances. This was a great experience and will serve as a guideline for including more aging issues in our legislation, The Aging Equity Act. Contact Alizandra Medina at amedina@hmprgstage.wpengine.com for more information about future round tables.