“I didn’t even know you existed!” I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard this phrase about the organization I work for, Vintage.

Without fail, every time I make a presentation about Vintage, what we do and how we can assist older adults and caregivers, I always have someone come to me and exclaim that it’s the first time they’ve heard of their local Area Agency on Aging (AAA).

I hope this information will stick in your memory so that you can get to know us before you need us and the next time you have a question or concern about yourself or a friend who is aging (spoiler alert — we’re all aging), you have the knowledge to reach out to us to get some answers.

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Helping our neighbors age in place is our primary mission at Vintage, the AAA for Routt County and five other mountain counties. We, and local partners like the Routt County Council on Aging, represent a frontline commitment to older adult resources. We are both a help desk and funder for services, including meals, transportation, housing options, health care information, technology and community activities.

Our team of five staff members represents a wide swath of backgrounds and education; I am the director and have a master’s degree in gerontology. Tina Strang is our Long-Term Care Ombudsman and has decades of public health experience. Jonnah Glassman is our Medicare extraordinaire and manages the State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) with a cadre of awesome volunteer Medicare counselors.

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Ceci Peterson is our bi-lingual caregiver and voucher program specialist and is a Certified Senior Advisor. Amanda Rens-Moon runs our dental and vision programs, is our budget and data guru and is a Certified Death Doula. Together, we comprise Vintage, your AAA that provides and connects your community with supports and services that promote aging with independence and dignity for individuals 60-plus and their caregivers.

You may think that you don’t need to know about aging services, but let me challenge that assumption. If you’re lucky enough to age into needing our services, then you’ll already know what’s available and how Vintage can help you age in place.

Also, to borrow from Rosalyn Carter’s quote, “There are only four kinds of people in the world: Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.” Whether you’re a caregiver, an older adult, have an older adult in your life whom you love, or one day hope to be an older adult yourself, knowing about aging and the resources available will help you on your journey.

Now that you’re ready to learn more about your AAA, check us out on our website at YourVintage.org or Facebook.com/VintageAgingServices, where you can find our contact information and lots of helpful information about aging.

And now I hope when I run into you, you can honestly say, “OH! I know who you are!”

Erin Fisher is the director of Vintage. Erin has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Berry College and a master’s degree in gerontology from Georgia State University. She enjoys cross country skiing, fly fishing, hiking 14ers, traveling, and watching SEC college football when she’s not working with older adults and their families.