In the Winter issue of the Wellness@NIH newsletter, we introduced you to the Aging and Adult Dependent Care Committee (AADCC). Similar to the Child Care Board, the AADCC has a regular rotation of voting members joining and leaving the committee. This regular rotation helps keep the AADCC active with new members bringing new ideas and experiences. The AADCC will be looking for new members with broad backgrounds to fill vacancies left by members who are completing their three-year term.
Why become a member of the AADCC?
- It is an opportunity to learn about research, activities, and resources available to the NIH community on aging – the average age of NIH employees is 50 - and adult dependent care.
- Give a voice to the aging community as well as those faced with adult dependent care responsibilities.
- Help promote resources, activities, and relevant research.
- Review data available to the AADCC to assess the needs of the aging NIH community.
- Define potential new efforts in support of the aging NIH community and caregivers.
“The closest thing to being cared for is to care for someone else."
“Take care of your body it's the only place you have to live."
What do the current AADCC co-chairs have to say?
“It's been gratifying to work with colleagues from across NIH who are committed to exploring the needs and promoting services for NIH employees, trainees, and contractors faced with caregiving needs, adult dependent care responsibilities, and self-care as we age. NIH is among the top federal agencies offering programs and services to its workforce but we need to continue to strive to get the word out so that people are aware and can take advantage of all that NIH has to offer." - Jill Bartholomew, AADCC Co-Chair
“The AADCC serves an important role in the NIH community by advocating for services and promoting resources that support employees throughout all phases of their lives. Navigating through resources as acaregiver can often be a challenging and complex endeavor. Members of the AADCC aim to bridge that information gap by sharing existing resources and supporting those in our NIH family who have diverse caregiving and adult dependent care responsibilities. Members of the AADCC are passionate about making a difference and advocating for support systems that support the various needs of the NIH workforce. “ - Cooper McLendon, AADCC Co- Chair
How do I learn more?
If you would like to learn more about the AADCC, you can always visit the AADCC webpage, where you will find the committee charter, membership list, meeting minutes, resources, links to webinars, and more. The AADCC meetings are always open to the public and are a great way to learn more about the committee and how it operates. If you would like to attend our next meeting on June 22, 2021, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., please contact Chris Gaines at gainesc@mail.nih.gov.
Another great resource is the Adult Care Support listserv. Similar to the Parenting listserv, the Adult Care Support listserv subscribers are members of the NIH community that share or are looking for information and resources regarding aging and adult dependent care. There are two ways to sign up - either send an email to LISTSERV@list.nih.gov with the following message: subscribe adult_care_support_list (your name) or you can log into the NIH listserv home page and search for the adult care support listserv.
