Council on Aging (COA) is overseen by a board of trustees and assisted by an advisory council. The board establishes rules for COA’s operation and directs the organization’s affairs in keeping with Council on Aging’s mission to enhance lives by assisting people to remain independent through a range of quality services. Advisory council members represent the needs of older adults across COA’s service area and give voice to older consumers of services, people with disabilities and others involved in the field of aging. Board and advisory council members live and work in COA’s five-county service area and bring a wealth of professional and personal experience to COA and its leadership team.
Sarah Boehle, Ph.D., LNHA, LSW, has served for more than 12 years on COA’s Board of Trustees. She has served as the board’s secretary and on the program and planning and human resources committees. Boehle represents Clinton County. She spent 30 years of her career in long-term care administration before joining the faculty of Shawnee State University, where she taught in the health care administration program until retiring in 2023.
What interested you in serving on Council on Aging’s Board of Trustees?
Council on Aging is THE local resource for information to support elders in their homes and communities, and I knew their work was important for enhancing the lives of Clinton County residents. I felt that my rural background and experience with older adults in our community would help to represent our needs and concerns.
Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest challenge(s) facing older adults in our community?
My greatest concerns for the future are assuring the availability of knowledgeable and compassionate workers who are essential to fulfill our mission, and sustaining funding sources to support the outstanding and innovative work we do.
What excites you most about COA’s future and how do you see yourself contributing to it?
There are always opportunities and challenges facing providers of aging-related services. I look forward to working with COA to overcome challenges by introducing and supporting original and creative solutions.
Thinking about your time on COA’s board, what COA moment are you most proud of?
The recent $1.25 million grant COA secured through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for Clinton County is the most exciting. It provides home repairs and safety modifications that will allow Clinton County residents to continue to live in their homes of choice.
Which COA value speaks most to you and why?
COA has always been on the forefront of innovation. They never fail to put creativity, insight, knowledge and flexibility together to create innovative solutions to problems and challenges they, or their clients, may face. They have received numerous local and national awards for the outstanding programs and services they provide.
What’s the most important lesson you learned from an older adult in your life?
I worked as a nursing assistant in a long-term care facility when I was in college. The older administrator was very committed to providing great care and services. One evening my assignment was to support a resident who was nearing the end of life, long before we knew what hospice care was. I learned that caregivers often fulfill the role of friend and/or family, especially when times are tough. The lesson is to always exhibit compassion, dignity and respect for those we serve.
What’s the last book you read?
I have recently reread With a Southern Accent, written by my great aunt, Viola Goode Liddell. It is a collection of essays about family and community life growing up in rural Alabama in the early 1900s. It provided deep insight into the early life of my grandfather’s family, with explicit stories about the trouble nine children can get into!