Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio (COA) is proud to present its 2020 President’s Award to Anita Logsdon of Montgomery, Ohio. The award was scheduled to be presented at COA’s March Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony, in front of hundreds of people. However, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, Council on Aging CEO, Suzanne Burke, presented the award to Logsdon this summer.
Council on Aging’s President’s Award is given to people who, in their own unique way, have made outstanding contributions to the field of aging. It is for people who demonstrate an unswerving commitment to COA and the aging network and to advocating for the needs of older adults, people with disabilities and their caregivers.
Logsdon knows first-hand the impact COA has on families and working caregivers. More than 10 years ago, she and her husband Chris decided to move Logsdon’s parents into their home after her father received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. As fulltime nurses and parents to school-aged children, the Logsdons connected with Council on Aging for help in balancing their responsibilities. Since that time, Logsdon has become an unwavering advocate for Hamilton County’s Elderly Services Program (funded by Hamilton County’s senior services tax levy), caregivers and COA in general.
Logsdon has testified publicly and through local media about her experience as a working caregiver and the challenges faced by many sandwich generation caregivers. By sharing her story, she has been an advocate for programs that support families with working caregivers and that help older adults remain safe in their homes with dignity. And, through her actions and words, Logsdon has been a role model for other caregivers, encouraging them to seek out support in caring for their older loved ones.
“We appreciate everything that Anita is,” said Burke. “She is an amazing nurse, wife, mother, daughter and caregiver and despite the many demanding roles she plays each day, Anita has found time to be an advocate for other caregivers and for the local programs that provide vital support to working families in our region.”
Logsdon lives in Montgomery with her husband and parents. The Logsdons have three children. Click here to listen to Logsdon share her story.