Senior Programs

Who We Are

SAGE Utah is a chapter of the long standing SAGE USA program and exists for people 50+.   Every day 10,000 people in the United States turn 65.  This will continue for almost 20 more years as the Baby Boomers age.  Interestingly, the senior population is the fastest growing segment in the overall population.  Currently in Utah, there are more people over the age of 65 than there are people ages 0 – 18. 

LGBTQ+ seniors are two times more likely to be aging alone and four times more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to have never married or had children.  It is because of this startling statistic that isolation is often prominent in senior lives.  One of the leading factors contributing to elder suicide is isolation making it vitally important that the Utah Pride Center offer lifesaving programs and events.  

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Death by suicide in seniors is higher than in any other demographic and often includes partner suicide if they are in a relationship or marriage.  For more information on senior suicide, refer to this article.  While it is not specific to senior suicide, it does give the alarming numbers and the increasing number in elder suicide.  https://www.aamft.org/AAMFT/Consumer_Updates/Suicide_in_the_Elderly.aspx  (Source AAMFT)

There has been a long history of discrimination in housing and medical services, among others.  Because of this, seniors may feel they have to go back into the closet for fear of retaliation or non-acceptance, especially when entering long term care, seeking new housing or when they have a need for other social services.  We provide education for providers of health care systems in settings such as assisted living, skilled nursing and medical offices.  We sit on a number of  board and committees such as Aging and Adult Services, Utah Commission on Aging, Alzheimer’s Association Diversity and Inclusion, Time for Loving and Caring and more.Our senior program provides a way for seniors to gather, to find friendship, share resources, stories, meals and more.  The senior history is rich with the fight for the freedoms we now enjoy as an LGBTQ+ community.  We gather with LGBTQ+ youth from time to time to learn about the world they live in and share with them the history of the community we helped build and the rights they now enjoy.  We partner with a number of other organizations to ensure we are providing as many opportunities for involvement, socialization and community connectivity as possible.

“Thank you SAGE for all your hard work as we all try to navigate this crisis! As my mom used to say, “this too will pass.”  
Anonymous
“Thank you!  I can’t adequately express the joy this SAGE group has brought to my life!”
Anonymous
I am so grateful that we have such great resources for members of our community!  Thank you
Anonymous
“SAGE is a blessing in my life.  I am so happy we have this program available.”
Anonymous
“Thank you for the gift card.  My husband and I will have a Thanksgiving now.  It has been a hard year.”
Anonymous
I look forward to seeing everyone on our daily calls.  Thank you for making the pandemic bearable.
Anonymous

Why We are Here

SAGE provides services and resources for the LGBTQ senior community.  SAGE has four foundational pillars and five areas of focus that support those foundational pillars.  Every program, group or event is designed with that support in mind.  SAGE supports each person so they can live their best senior lives.

FOUNDATIONAL PILLARS

  • Community Education
  • Provider Education
  • Social Needs
  • Advocacy

AREAS OF FOCUS SUPPORTING THE PILLARS

  • Socialization (events, activities, functions, gatherings, outings, travel, networking)Emotional (relationships, love, caregiving, caretaking)
  • Physical (housing, healthcare, transportation, financial, sexual health/well being, exercise)
  • Spiritual (connectivity, self-awareness, renewal, self-enlightenment, re-invention and evolving)

Image of a group of people standing in a circle and holding hands.

Contact Information

Deb Hall, Director of Adult Programs
debhall@utahpridecenter.org
801 856 4255 Cell
801 539 8800 x-1017 Office

SAGE Daily Calls:
Monday-Friday 6:30 – 7:30 PM
Check the calendar for details.

Volunteer Highlights

SAGE Utah became a chapter about 12 years ago in Utah and has been mostly volunteer run since the beginning but on March 4, 2019, that all changed.  The Utah Pride Center decided it was important to have a full-time person dedicated to serving seniors through SAGE.  A volunteer Leadership Team was put in place consisting of 20 – 25 volunteers.  Each volunteer either led or co-led one of the monthly

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programs that were established during the first year or helped with logistics of the 1 – 3 monthly stand-alone events.  This amazing volunteer team was responsible for brainstorming and bringing to fruition programs like Easy Does It Yoga, Pet Grief Support, Game Night, Grief Support, Stitch and Bitch Knitting Club, Arts and Culture, Senior Health Fair, Pie and Beer Day, Senior Gingerbread House decorating and so much more.  This volunteer group that was chaired by Angie Salot and co-chaired by Troy Stover came up with a standard that a volunteer term must be a minimum of a two year commitment to establish consistency for seniors in the community.  We wanted everyone to know that SAGE was the leading expert team dedicated to providing services, resources and bringing the fun!  Each person on the diverse group came with an impressive set of skills.  Most were still working full time as University Professors, Social Workers. Non-profit Directors, Police or other First Responders, Nurses and more.  Once Covid is over and it is safe to gather again, we look forward to re-establishing this amazing team who all contributed to growing SAGE by over 3000% during that first year of 2019.  Until  then, we are dedicated to keeping our seniors safe, informed of resources and providing online opportunities to connect.

Senior Programs News

GENDEREVOLUTION 2021

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After a long year of hearing continued debate around transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming rights in Utah, the Utah Pride Center is saying “We Will …
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