Gaining confidence and finding her own voice is something Chelsea Gilchrist, MGS struggled with for awhile, but once she conquered it, she not only had the courage to speak up for herself, she also became the loud vocals for many older adults who had become voiceless themselves.

In this conversation, we talk about what it was like for 14-year-old Chelsea trying to cope with her grandmother’s dementia; some of the regrets she still has today about not fully understanding the disease back then; and many myths and misconceptions that exist about dementia as well as Alzheimer’s today.

We also dive into her extraordinary career in the gerontology/aging space. We explore her work in social isolation and falls prevention; touch upon several issues plaguing the aging community today (e.g., poorly managed long-term care facilities, a lack of resources for younger caregivers and the unfortunate reality of many older adults getting separated from their beloved pets despite myriad data illustrating their immense value); and the incredible contributions Chelsea’s made as the volunteer President of the junior board of the D.C. area chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Then, we zoom in closely on some of the ironic ageism Chelsea herself has had to face while working in an industry “dedicated” to fighting ageism, and discuss what it means to be a true leader—especially as it relates to women.

Resources

Older Adult Companionship

• Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI)
• Pet Peace of Mind
• Mars Petcare
• Generations United
• The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation
• The Eisner Foundation

Alzheimer’s and Caregiving

• Eldercare Locator
• Alzheimer’s Association

If you would like to learn how to get involved with the D.C. area chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, or send Chelsea a question on anything aging related, you can find her on LinkedIn.

Disclaimer: Not Your Average GOAT is produced and edited by Teisha Gillespie with music by Anton Vlasov and Serge Quadrado. All content is copyrighted and should not be reproduced, recreated or reused without explicit permission. Please visit NotYourAverageGOAT.org/Contact for questions.