Category: Sage Advice®

Sage Advice®

« back
04.06.21 | Sage Advice®

COVID-19 Vaccine Testimonial: Marc Lane

As part of our ongoing campaign to encourage and ramp up vaccination in Black communities across America, Sage Collective is creating testimonials that showcase why people have chosen to receive the coronavirus vaccine, and what the experience was like. To start, we’re engaging our own Board of Directors and Leadership Team to share their stories. 

After sharing the experience of Sage Collective’s own Donna Gaines and Dwain Kyles, this week we interviewed Marc J. Lane, a nationally recognized business and tax attorney, pioneer behind the Advocacy Investing® approach to socially responsible and mission-related investing, and member of the Sage Collective Leadership Team. 

 

Why did you personally take the COVID-19 vaccine? Did you have any reservations or questions? Do you feel you had all the information you needed to take the decision to be vaccinated? What /who were your sources of information and guidance?   

I closely followed – and continue to follow — the publicly available medical information about COVID-19 and the vaccine, and felt fully informed to move ahead with confidence.

 

When did you receive your COVID-19 vaccine and from what company (Moderna, Pfizer, etc.)? What was the experience of signing up/scheduling? Have you received both shots? Where did you have to go to get your vaccinations? What was the experience like of getting into the chair and actually receiving the shot? 

I’ve been fully vaccinated since late February. The signup at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center was easy and so was each experience. The team was efficient, helpful and friendly, answering any questions anyone might have had.  My wife and I were in and out within a half hour.

 

How did you feel after receiving the vaccine, physically or otherwise? Did you experience any side effects?   

I felt relieved and gratified to be moving back to a normal life. The side effects were a small price to pay for my own protection and the protection of family, friends and others with whom I can now interact.

 

What is your doctor saying about how COVID-19 vaccination fits into your long term health plan? Are you taking any aftercare measures — if so, what?  

My doctor was always reassuring, endorsing my own view that the vaccine is our best way to mitigate COVID risk, for ourselves and others.

 

Are you serving as a guide to others who are seeking information and reassurance about being vaccinated?  

Absolutely! I enthusiastically encourage anyone who raises the question to get vaccinated as soon as they can.

 

Overall, what do you believe makes COVID-19 vaccination so important to society writ large, and in your specific community?  

The vaccine is our ticket back to normal … for all of us. There’s simply no valid argument to the contrary.

Text reads: "I felt relieved and gratified to be moving back to a normal life. The side effects were a small price to pay for my own protection and the protection of my family, friends and others with whom I can now interact." Marc Lane on getting the COVID-19 vaccine
› Back to top

Sage Advice®

« back
04.01.21 | Health & Wellness

Chicago Commons COVID-19 Live Q&A, Part 1

Sage Collective is thrilled to have recently partnered with Chicago Commons to bring a live, virtual Q&A event to their community of older adults. The purpose of the event was to address both facts and myths regarding the COVID-19 virus and vaccination. 

The live Q&A session, which was part of Chicago Commons’ Adult Day Service (ADS) Program, featured questions from the audience, answered by Rear Admiral (Ret) James M. Galloway, MD, FACP, FACC, with Monique Caradine serving as moderator.

Rear Admiral (Ret) James M. Galloway, MD, FACP, FACC is a former Assistant Surgeon General for the United States and a public health physician, as well as a member of the Sage Collective Leadership Team. You can find his full bio here. Monique Carradine is a professional broadcaster, author, podcastor, and certified money coach for women leaders and entrepreneurs with over two decades of experience.

In Part 1 of the Event Roundup, we review questions (and answers) related to deciding to receive the vaccine, and how the process works. For the sake of this recap, questions and answers have been edited for clarity and brevity. 

 

MC: Let’s start with this question from an audience member — should I consult with my doctor first, before I get the vaccine?

JG: Generally, it’s not necessary to check with your physician unless you have a severe allergy to the vaccine or its components. However, if you’re hesitant or worried about getting the vaccine, and the vaccine’s relationship to your health and safety, it’s a great idea to talk to a trusted physician. 

Groups who should absolutely consult with a physician to determine if vaccination is right for them include those with multiple sclerosis, those who are immunocompromised, those who are on blood thinners or who have a bleeding disorder, as well as pregnant or breastfeeding women.

 

MC: Another question we received — which of the vaccinations is “the best”? We know there are two pharmaceutical companies manufacturing vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer). Is there one that’s better than the other?

JG: Pfizer has been shown to be 95% effective in blocking symptomatic COVID-19. Moderna on the other hand has been proven to be 94% effective in the same area. So within the range of error described there, they’re equal, and no, one isn’t better than the other.

But I’d like to explain a little bit more about what that effectiveness means. You know, 95% effective — what does that mean? You can think about it as being that you are 95% protected from getting symptomatic COVID-19. But even more importantly, if you’re in the small 5% of vaccinated people who do get the disease, it’ll be mild, and present more like a cold or common flu. So essentially, this vaccine is 100% effective in preventing serious illness or death from COVID-19. 

So if you go to a vaccination location, and they offer you a choice between these two vaccine companies, you can receive either vaccine with confidence, knowing that you will have an appropriate level of protection from both.

 

MC: Here’s another good question, which is about the fact that there are two shots required. Can you talk about why that is? And what happens if a person gets the first shot and perhaps waits longer than recommended to get the second one? 

JG: Many of our immunizations, particularly childhood immunizations, require two or three shots. The reasoning behind that is when you get the first shot, it’s the first time the body is encountering or is exposed to what’s called an “antigen”, or that particular virus piece that we’re trying to immunize against. So there’s a mobilization, where the body’s immune system begins to work to develop a response to the newly introduced antigen. And the body will begin to develop a number of mechanisms to fight off that virus — however, because just one dose was administered, those mechanisms aren’t as strong as they could be. 

So when you receive a second dose of the vaccine, you want to land in the ideal follow-up window in order to re-stimulate the immune system and to have the  most effective, full-blown, full-body response. 

But if somebody were to get one shot and not the other, for whatever reason, there is still effectiveness in just that one shot. The first shot for the COVID-19 vaccine alone produces somewhere between 50-60% coverage against serious COVID-19 symptoms. This coverage is obviously better than not having any protection — and it does provide significant coverage, just not as much as having that second shot and reaching the 94-95% coverage level.

It’s also important to note that you should receive both shots from the same vaccine company, whether that’s Moderna or Pfizer. 

 

MC: The next question is: when are you fully vaccinated against COVID-19? The key word there is “fully” vaccinated — is there such a thing as being fully vaccinated?

JG: Right now, it’s too early to say. This is a new disease, and there’s a chance that it may become a routine seasonal infection, meaning that it will recur every year. That would mean that, much like the flu, we would need to get a shot every year. 

 

MC: Once someone is vaccinated, do they still have to wear a mask?

JG: I’ll refer you to current CDC guidelines here. Currently, the CDC recommends maintaining mask wearing for the foreseeable future, unless you are in a private space where everyone around you is also fully vaccinated. This is in part because of new, more contagious variants of COVID-19 becoming widespread globally, and also because while you’re immunized against the virus, there’s still a chance you can spread it to those around you who are not. So yes, it’s important to continue wearing a mask and washing your hands and following social distancing guidelines.

 

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Q&A recap next week, where we’ll address the distrust of the COVID-19 in Black communities, and share more reasons why vaccination is of the utmost importance to your health and safety.

Image reads "Talking COVID-19. Dr James. M. Galloway talks COVID-19 facts and fiction, part 1." Graphic includes a headshot of Dr. Galloway and the logos for both Chicago Commons and Sage Collective
› Back to top

Sage Advice®

« back
03.30.21 | Sage Advice®

COVID-19 Vaccine Testimonial: Dwain Kyles

As part of our ongoing campaign to encourage and ramp up vaccination in Black communities across America, Sage Collective is creating testimonials that showcase why people have chosen to receive the coronavirus vaccine, and what the experience was like. To start, we’re engaging our own Board of Directors and Leadership Team to share their stories.

After sharing the experience of Sage Collective President Donna Gaines last week, this week we interviewed Dwain Kyles, an attorney and entrepreneur. He also serves as the Vice President Legal and Development of Sage Collective and a member of our Board of Directors. 

 

Why did you personally take the COVID-19 vaccine? Did you have any reservations or questions? Do you feel you had all the information you needed to make the decision to be vaccinated? What /who were your sources of information and guidance? 

I got the vaccine because I have chronic health conditions that make me a person that might not survive a COVID infection. I’m not ready to die.

I was skeptical at first because the politicization of the whole issue, as well as the historical timeframe required for developing and testing new vaccines, left me doubtful that a vaccine could be developed in such a short time. I am an avid news junkie, and as I saw more and more news reports and interviews with African American doctors and scientists who participated in the development and testing of the vaccine, I learned that the underlying technology involved in the vaccine has been around for more than a decade, they simply didn’t have the concentrated resources and demand to bring the vaccine to fruition.

I was also persuaded by the high profile public officials in healthcare, science and government that were getting the vaccine in front of the whole world.  They wouldn’t do that if they were afraid that they would have adverse reactions or if they thought the shots wouldn’t work.

 

When did you receive your COVID-19 vaccine and from what company (Moderna, Pfizer, etc.)? What was the experience of signing up/scheduling? Have you received both shots? Where did you have to go to get your vaccinations? What was the experience like of getting into the chair and actually receiving the shot? 

I got the Moderna vaccine last week. That was the soonest we could get it. It was my first shot. We were fortunate to have been signed up by a friend who is a public official. We were called about a week after he signed us up. We were in line in our car for about an hour and a half in the parking lots of a church that was not too far from where we live here in Florida. I simply rolled up my sleeve, after filling out my data sheet and handing it to the healthcare worker who gave me the shot. The shot itself was quick and pretty painless.  

 

How did you feel after receiving the vaccine, physically or otherwise? Did you experience any side effects?

I did have soreness at the injection site for a few days afterward, but other than that, I have had no side effects at all.

 

What is your doctor saying about how COVID-19 vaccination fits into your long term health plan? Are you taking any aftercare measures — if so, what?

Frankly, my doctor doesn’t know enough to speculate about how long the vaccine will last or when I might need to get another shot. We have agreed to continue to talk about it, so that as he learns more, he can share more.

 

Are you serving as a guide to others who are seeking information and reassurance about being vaccinated?

I’m sure that anyone who knows me knows that I am an advocate for getting this shot as soon as you can. If you want to get back to some semblance of a normal life, then this vaccine is essential.  Remember, it won’t necessarily keep you from catching COVID, but it significantly enhances your chances of surviving an infection without serious illness, or death, being a likely outcome.

 

Overall, what do you believe makes COVID-19 vaccination so important to society writ large, and in your specific community?

My community is disproportionately impacted by the most serious negative outcomes from COVID, as well as most other chronic diseases. Accordingly, if we are to survive this pandemic and reclaim anything like the lives we had, it simply cannot happen if we don’t vaccinate as many of our people as we possibly can, as soon as we can … period.

Image reads "If we are to survive this pandemic and reclaim anything like the lives we had, it simply cannot happen if we don't vaccinate as many of our people as we possibly can, as soon as we can, period." -Dwain Kyles on why he got the COVId-19 vaccine
› Back to top

Sage Advice®

« back
03.25.21 | Health & Wellness

Talking COVID-19 with an Epidemiologist: Dr. Joseph West

As we continue our ongoing campaign to encourage and ramp up COVID-19 vaccination, an important part of the conversation includes addressing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black communities, as well as the impact of centuries of medical inequity in America on Black Americans’ psyche and trust.

We engaged Dr. Joseph West, an epidemiologist, population health and data analytics leader with over 15 years of experience in healthcare, research, and enterprise consulting and a member of the Sage Collective Leadership Team, to discuss these topics and more. 

 

According to CDC data, COVID-19 disproportionately impacts Black or African American, Non-Hispanic persons at a rate of 1.4x times more than the impact on White, Non-Hispanic persons. What long standing health and social inequities are at play here to put such groups at increased risk of getting sick and dying from the virus?

JW: Several long standing factors, including behavioral, clinical, pharmacological, and socioeconomic, are associated with an increased risk of illness and mortality. Diet, lifestyle, discriminatory medical treatment and access, and environmental hazards such as neighborhood segregation and social isolation are key determinants of risk.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-2-CoV-2) (COVID-19) causes a significant inflammatory immune response in infected individuals. COVID-19 has magnified the increased risk for this response among persons with pre-existing medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, COPD and asthma.

Seniors, for example, over the age of 70 and mostly male, are particularly vulnerable to infections due to a declined immune system, comorbidities, frailty, and potentially inappropriate polypharmacy.

 

Especially when thinking about readiness in public health emergencies overall, how do we begin to tackle these challenges and create better equity in our health systems? What might it look like to create better-prepared (equipped, informed) systems and a better-resourced population?

JW: Seniors have been especially vulnerable to public health emergencies like COVID-19, accounting for more than 70% of all COVID-related deaths in many states. 39% of Covid-19 deaths have occurred in nursing homes, and another 20% of deaths have occurred in long-term care and assisted living facilities.

Over the past few years, there have been quite a few studies, including those conducted by the CDC, highlighting these facilities’ vulnerabilities to Legionnaires’ disease and bacteria in water and air systems. Yet, these risks went wholly ignored during the pandemic, especially in the early stages. Underfunding, poor oversight, discriminatory regulation, and ill-prepared workforce stifle public health emergency preparedness for racially and economically under-resourced communities overall.

Seniors prefer to age gracefully and vibrantly in their own homes and communities. An equitable and protective system invests in the equipment, social support, and infrastructure to make this a safer, more viable reality. 

 

Outside of continued social distancing measures and strict mask wearing, rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine is one of our strongest and most direct defenses against the pandemic. Staying cognizant of the mistrust bred by health and social inequities at play, how do we begin to position vaccination as a component of readiness, and control/agency/choice, especially for the older African American community, in order to help combat the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the community?

JW: Vaccination is an individual choice. When the coronavirus is no longer front-of-mind, other infectious diseases like the flu will continue to threaten seniors and their caregivers’ lives. Vaccination is the primary measure used to abate infectious disease risks during epidemics and pandemics.  Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of most vaccines like the influenza vaccine to reduce the chances for pneumonia, hospitalization, and death in elderly persons. 

However, to ease fears and mend distrust, public health officials must employ what I define as the Three-Cs approach.

 

Compassion. Vaccine hesitancy is rooted in medical mistrust among Black Americans. From the infamous U.S. Public Health Service Study at Tuskegee from 1932 to 1972 to the racial eugenics movement, to more recent evidence of discriminatory access to pain medicines and advanced treatments, Black Americans feel these are not “isolated events.” Public Health officials have to be prepared to face and address this distrust with a significant degree of competent compassion.

 

Clarity. Messaging regarding risks for COVID-19 and the potential side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines has been mismanaged in communications to the Black, Hispanic, and under-resourced communities. Delivering a more unmistakable message regarding access, patient experiences from the community, and vaccine efficacy stories may go a long way towards uptake.

 

Consistency. Healthcare providers remain incredibly inconsistent in delivering care and practices that close gaps in quality of care and access. Ability to pay, where one lives, language, structural racism, and age remain essential determinants of health outcomes.  Medical and public health officials have to continue to challenge our fragmented and unbalanced health care system to instill confidence in the vaccine, the delivery systems, and persons providing the jab. 

Image reads: Talking COVID-19 with Dr. Joseph West, Epidemiologist over an image of a doctor holding a vaccine vial
› Back to top

Sage Advice®

« back
03.23.21 | Health & Wellness

COVID-19 Vaccine Testimonial: Donna Gaines

As part of our ongoing campaign to encourage and ramp up vaccination in Black communities across America, Sage Collective is creating testimonials that showcase why people have chosen to receive the coronavirus vaccine, and what the experience was like. To start, we’re engaging our own Board of Directors and Leadership Team to share their stories.

First up is Donna Gaines, President of Sage Collective and a member of our Board of Directors. 

 

Why did you personally take the COVID-19 vaccine? Did you have any reservations or questions? Do you feel you had all the information you needed to take the decision to be vaccinated? What /who were your sources of information and guidance?   

DG: I took the COVID-19 vaccine because I wanted to protect myself from getting the disease and to accelerate the timeframe for when I can resume some of the activities I enjoy like getting together with family and friends. 

I had a lot of reservations about getting the vaccine initially, because I felt that it hadn’t been tested enough among the general population. I have allergies, so I was a little concerned about possible side-effects from getting the shot. I also wanted the Pfizer vaccine because it was reported to have fewer side effects, and almost backed out at the last minute when I found out I was getting the Moderna vaccine.

I relied on information from the CDC, supplemented by articles from the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and New York Times. I usually watch MSNBC, and local news stations for updates in my city. I also spoke with several people who had the 1st dose, so I felt comfortable making a decision with the information I had available.

 

When did you receive your COVID-19 vaccine and from what company (Moderna, Pfizer, etc.)? What was the experience of signing up/scheduling? Have you received both shots? Where did you have to go to get your vaccinations? What was the experience like of getting into the chair and actually receiving the shot? (If you’ve received both shots, you can break this down by each experience)   

DG: I have received one dose of the Moderna vaccine and it was administered a couple of weeks ago. I signed up on the state’s website, and was also on a list in the County where I live. The first notification I received that I was scheduled for the vaccine was about 4-5 days later, and it was a “reminder” via text, sent 3 hours before my scheduled appointment. I cancelled a previous appointment I had scheduled at that time to be available for my vaccination!

I went to a drive-through location at a church not too far from where I live. I went with my husband, and we waited in the car for an hour and 20 minutes to receive our shots — which took about 30 seconds to administer. We received our appointments for the 2nd dose at that time, and we waited in a holding area (parking space) for 30 minutes (instead of 15 minutes because of my allergies), so we could be monitored. By the way, while we waited for our shots, paramedics were attending to someone who was parked in the holding area, so THAT was a little disconcerting!

 

How did you feel after receiving the vaccine, physically or otherwise? Did you experience any side effects?   

DG: I had a lot of soreness at the injection site, and even though I have a high tolerance for pain, it was uncomfortable enough that I ended taking ibuprofen for a couple of days. I asked for the shot in my left arm so that I wouldn’t be too limited in my ability to do things. I’m glad I did!

The overwhelming emotion I had was a huge sense of relief, and I didn’t realize how anxious I’ve been about getting sick . . . and possibly dying!

 

What is your doctor saying about how COVID-19 vaccination fits into your long term health plan? Are you taking any aftercare measures — if so, what?  

DG: I have not discussed the vaccination with my physician, and don’t have any aftercare measures planned other than to clear my calendar after my 2nd dose.  I hear some people have a few more side effects after the second shot.

 

Are you serving as a guide to others who are seeking information and reassurance about being vaccinated?  

DG: Yes! I had an in-depth conversation with an extended family member the other day who was adamant about not taking the vaccine. At the end of the conversation, she told me she would take it, and I was happy to hear that!  Sage Collective also wants to be at the forefront of these discussions, and we’re committed to educating as many people as we can over the coming weeks and months!

 

Overall, what do you believe makes COVID-19 vaccination so important to society writ large, and in your specific community?  

DG: Recent research suggests that COVID-19 will eventually become an endemic disease, like its sister coronaviruses, the common cold or even a disease like the measles, which is largely under control in the United States.  For now, as many people as possible should be vaccinated and eventually, babies will no doubt be vaccinated at birth.   

Given the high incidence of illness from COVID-19 and deaths in the African American community, it is really important that all individuals — and particularly those at high risk — take the opportunity to protect themselves as more of the vaccine becomes available.  COVID has reduced the life span of Blacks and Latinos by 3-4 years, so this is literally a life or death matter! 

A quote on top of an image of a COVID-19 vaccine vial, with a green overlay and the Sage logo in the lower right corner. Text reads: "I took the COVID-19 vaccine because I wanted to hopefully protect myself from getting the disease and to accelerate the timeframe for when I can resume some of the activities I enjoy, like getting together with family and friends." Quote attribution below reads: "Donna Gaines, on getting the COVID-19 vaccine"
› Back to top

Sage Advice®

« back
03.18.21 | Sage Advice®

Why We’re Getting the Coronavirus Vaccine & Why We Encourage You to Get Yours

The Sage Collective Board of Directors and Advisory Board are committed to your health, safety and well-being. We have decided individually and collectively to speak out about our own decision to receive the vaccine that prevents or reduces the likelihood of contracting the coronavirus and becoming a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We know that Black people in America are reluctant about receiving the vaccine relative to other Americans even though we are dying from the disease at three times the rate as white and Asian Americans. The difference in mortality between races, that is the rate of death and dying, isn’t complicated to understand. We won’t yet go into detail on the history and reality of health care delivery in our nation, rather, what we want you to know is that you can do something about protecting yourself, your family and your friends from dying from COVID-19 today. Get your vaccine.

Being vaccinated against COVID-19 isn’t like getting a flu shot. Although the seasonal flu can be lethal, it is not in the same category as the coronavirus that has produced this pandemic.  Unless you have a helicopter in your front yard that can take you directly to a major, medically advanced hospital, where a staff of doctors trained in infectious diseases and equipped with known and unknown experimental drugs happens to be available, you don’t want to risk getting the coronavirus. Get your vaccine.

We, as a people and as a community, are not immune from catching it. It does not discriminate, it infiltrates. It relies on your not doing something, such as wearing a mask, keeping socially distant, and washing your hands, to strike. It also doesn’t care if you don’t believe in getting inoculations against it. It will strike. If you want to be scientific about what we’re saying, do this experiment: Have everyone else you can think of get the vaccine and you go without it. Wait a few months and see what happens. See if you are really the superhero you think you are. Please, get your vaccine.

Sincerely,

Sage Collective Board of Directors

Image reads: Why we're getting the coronavirus vaccine and why we encourage you to get yours
› Back to top

Sage Advice®

« back
03.16.21 | Community

Our Guide to Spring Cleaning

With spring just around the corner, it’s time to talk about that dreaded annual task: spring cleaning. Luckily, spring cleaning doesn’t have to be something you dread. With the right planning and strategy — and the right people to help lend a hand and brighten the task — spring cleaning can be a breeze. To get you started on the right path, we present: Sage Collective’s guide to spring cleaning.

Partner Up and Plan

Spring cleaning is a much easier — and much more fun — task when you have someone else to do it with you. Whether it’s a neighbor, friend or family member, invite someone over to take on the job with you. Start off by boiling a fresh kettle of tea and putting on a favorite record to set the mood. Together, work to create a checklist of everything that has to be done and to dole out responsibilities accordingly. That way, you can tackle the challenge together, and maybe even sing along as you go.

Choosing the Right Cleaning Supplies

First and foremost, you should always consider your safety when going about cleaning the house. That’s why choosing the right cleaning supplies is essential to getting the job done right, and done without incident. Things like long-handled brooms and stand-up dust pans ensure that you won’t have to constantly bend down when sweeping. Meanwhile, when it comes to those hard-to-reach places, an extendable duster will help make getting to every nook and cranny much easier!

Not Just Cleaning — But Decluttering

In addition to getting your home spotless, sparkling and shining, spring cleaning is the perfect time to tackle decluttering. From cleaning out the medicine cabinet to remove clutter and the safety hazards posed by expired medications, to cleaning out the pantry and refrigerator of any expired or unused food objects, to tackling those piled up stacks of bills, you’ll thank yourself later! These things stack up throughout the year, but by tackling declutter each spring, you can ensure a home where what you want and need most is easy to store and find later. 

Thinking About Safety

Spring cleaning is also a great time to check-in on the safety initiatives you have in place in your home. Plan to check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms to make sure their batteries are still good and everything is in working order. And did you know fire extinguishers have an expiration date? Be sure to add checking those to the list! Because checking these things often requires climbing a ladder, consider enlisting a younger neighbor, caregiver or loved one to traverse the ladder for you in order to avoid fall risks. 

Other safety considerations to add to your spring cleaning checklist: check in on, or put together, a simple emergency kit. This can include first-aid kits, flashlights with spare batteries, and an easily-accessible list of numbers to call in case of an emergency. 

With these tips in mind, and with the right helping hands, spring cleaning might even become something you look forward to each year! 

A clear plastic spray bottle filled with yellow fluid. Lemons sit on the countertop next to the bottle
› Back to top

Sage Advice®

« back
03.09.21 | Mental Wellbeing

Vibrant Living Breakdown: Engagement in Family Life

Nine Ways of Vibrant Living is Sage Collective’s innovative model that champions more meaningful, engaged lives for older adults, and that serves as the backbone of our philosophy. We celebrate and uplift components of vibrant living that span from health and wellness, to arts and culture, to spiritual enrichment — but tying it all together is an underlying feeling of connectedness, care and love. That’s why our eighth component is engagement in family life.

We believe in the deeply transformative power of being part of a community. At Sage Collective, we are committed to providing a genuine sense of community for everyone involved with us, from program participants to building residents to our partners and beyond. Family doesn’t just refer to the bloodlines you’re born into; it also incorporates the loving connections you make throughout a lifetime and the people that you choose to surround yourself with. 

When it comes to our plan for programming and housing, we want to take an active role in developing meaningful friendships and embracing existing family ties. To do so, we intend to provide opportunities such by creating camaraderie-generating participant activities, offering family support activities and policies for our residents as well as the incorporating intergenerational teaching, learning and cultural activities.

The latter piece of this, intergenerational teaching, is particularly important to us when we think about engagement in family and community life. Older adults have a wealth of wisdom and experience to pass onto younger generations — but in the other direction, so too do the youth have much to teach their elders. We believe that honoring and encouraging relationships across generations is the key to creating more unified, meaningful lives for all.

From interpersonal family dynamics, to a more expansive view of community, we’re excited to begin fostering these relationships with and for our participants.

A young African American woman embraces an older African American woman who wears a silk headscarf
› Back to top

Sage Advice®

« back
03.04.21 | Sage Advice®

Vibrant Living Breakdown: Engagement in Spirituality or Religion

At Sage Collective, we believe in meaningful and engaged lives for older adults. Nine Ways of Vibrant Living is our innovative model that champions just that. Our model incorporates everything from health and wellness to cultural immersion to spiritual enrichment — and today, we’re diving deep into the last of those three key elements. Take a closer look at our seventh component of vibrant living, engagement in spirituality or religion:

Religious Roots

Religion is part of our history. You can read our full story here, but before we were Sage Collective, we were Tabernacle Senior Citizens Project (TSCP). TSCP was started in 1978 by Reverend Louis Rawls, founder and pastor of Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church on Chicago’s South Side. Rev. Rawls founded both Willa Rawls Manor (a high-quality housing development for older adults) and TSCP in an effort to better support the aging members of his congregation. Today, we carry on his legacy and tradition by continuing to build upon his concern and care for the community. 

The Impact of Engagement

As Rev. Rawls demonstrated, the church is the center of many African American communities. It’s not just a place to practice worship; it’s also a vital hub for civic engagement, for participating in and finding community and for discovering meaningful connections with one another.

Engagement in spirituality or religion touches on all parts of vibrant living. It brings with it life purpose, inner peace and a greater sense of connection to both the people and the world around you. In fact, studies have shown that those who engage in spiritual or religious activities live longer — some claiming even up to four years longer.

For all these reasons and more, we’ve included engagement in spirituality or religion in our Nine Ways of Vibrant Living. We support and encourage participation in spiritual and religious experiences for followers of all faiths residing in Sage facilities, or involved in Sage programs. 

The inside of a church, with rows of pews before large stained glass windows
› Back to top

Sage Advice®

« back
03.02.21 | Health & Wellness

Chicago COVID-19 Vaccination: Where We’re At Now

Earlier this year, we shared a blog post on what to know about the COVID-19 vaccine. Now that vaccine rollouts have been occurring nationwide, one of the biggest hurdles outside of deployment is ensuring that we, the people, feel informed and equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to make decisions about our own vaccination. In support of that, today we’re providing an update on COVID-19 vaccination in Chicago, and where things stand now:

Understanding the State’s Phased Rollout

Illinois is administering vaccinations in a phased rollout plan — you can read the state’s  comprehensive coverage of its vaccine distribution phases here. As of January 25th, Illinois entered Phase 1B: Frontline Essential. This phase made the vaccine available to all non-healthcare residential settings and Chicagoans age 65 and older.

According to Chicago, all non-healthcare residential settings includes homeless shelters, women’s shelters, adult day care programs, correctional settings (jail officers, juvenile facility staff, workers providing in-person support, detainees), and other non-health care residential settings that have experienced outbreaks (e.g. convents). 

But as of February 25th, Illinois progressed further into Phase 1B Plus. This extended phase includes people (16 years of age and older) with certain underlying conditions and comorbidities. The list of conditions includes cancer, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), diabetes, heart condition, immunocompromised state from a solid organ transplant, obesity, pregnancy, pulmonary disease and sickle cell disease. 

However, it is important to note that Chicago will NOT be joining the rest of Illinois in progressing to Phase 1B Plus at this time. Due to the city’s population density, more than 95,000 Chicago residents would become eligible if we were to expand under the state’s guidelines. Therefore, the city has decided to hold off on progressing to this next stage until it is able to more fully serve those who fall into the initial Phase 1B.

Looking at Current and Future Benchmarks

According to the Illinois COVID-19 vaccine tracker, as of Wednesday, February 24th: 28,626 additional people have been fully vaccinated for a total of 619,480 — 4.86% of the state’s population.

As of that same date, 5% of all White Illinoisians have been fully vaccinated, 2% of all Hispanic Illinoisians have been fully vaccinated and 2% of all Black Illinoisians have been fully vaccinated. Chicago is seeing similar disparities: as of that same date, 6% of all White Chicagoans have been fully vaccinated, 2% of all Hispanic Illinoisians have been fully vaccinated and 3% of all Black Chicagoans have been fully vaccinated.

You can stay up-to-date on the state’s vaccination rates here.

Looking ahead: according to Governor J.B. Pritzker, Illinois expects to begin administering an average of 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 per day by mid-March.

Stay tuned for more COVID-19 vaccination updates and insights from Sage Collective.

A vaccine shot being inserted into a Black patient's arm
› Back to top

Explore Now

Vibrant Learning Caregiver Support