Thursday, March 12, 2020
Lombard, IL – AgeGuide, the Area Agency on Aging for Northeastern Illinois, as directed by the Illinois Department on Aging, has suspended all gathering activities for older adults in DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties until further notice amidst the rapid spread of COVID-19. Illinois older adults are among the highest risk population group for becoming seriously ill from COVID-19.
The programs that are suspended until further notice include group activities such as senior center activities, support groups and health classes. Community dining meals will be provided as “to-go” meals. Locations where seniors gather such as community dining locations and senior centers may increase the risk of transmitting and spreading the virus.
“This decision was made by the Illinois Department on Aging with guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control.” said Marla Fronczak, Chief Executive Officer for AgeGuide. “We feel the safety and health of older adults should be put first and foremost during this time. We look forward to resuming our programs and community dining sites once the health of older adults is not at risk anymore.”
AgeGuide continues to work with the Illinois Department on Aging to monitor the situation closely. We encourage all older adults to follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and take extra measures to put distance between themselves and other people to reduce their risk of exposure. Other recommendations include staying home as much as possible, washing hands often and monitor symptoms closely and keep in touch with medical professionals as much as possible. If any older adult has questions or is in need of assistance, contact AgeGuide at (630) 293-5990.
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AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois is a nonprofit organization responsible for developing and coordinating a network of services for older persons throughout an eight county area in northeastern Illinois. AgeGuide informs and advises public and private agencies and the general public of the needs of older persons living in the area, and acts as an advocate on their behalf. The Agency serves DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. Other information about AgeGuide and other topics of interest to older adults and links to other resources are available at the Agency’s web site: www.ageguide.org.
