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Council on Aging and its staff continue to provide life-changing services and willingly share their knowledge and resources with community organizations to benefit seniors. The Center for Closing the Health Gap (The Health Gap) is excited to renew our partnership with COA because the outcome will result in even more accessible support for seniors and their families.

Our mission at Closing the Health Gap is to improve the health outcomes for marginalized populations in Greater Cincinnati. We meet people and their families where they are and empower them to live healthier lives by activating their individual agency. Closing Health Gap promotes collaboration with community organizations to meet the vast needs of marginalized Greater Cincinnatians.

COA joined other local health organizations and sponsors in supporting The Health Gap’s Annual Health Expo on April 25, 2026. The Health Expo is a free community health event held at Washington Park in downtown Cincinnati. Our 21st annual Health Expo offered over 35 free health screenings, education, community vendors and healthy lifestyle activations for the entire family in a welcoming setting. Learn more about the Health Expo by visiting closingthehealthgap.org/health-expo.

COA is also a valued partner in the development and delivery of the Hamilton County Caregiver Support Initiative launched in 2022. This work began with a literature review and The Health Gap’s primary qualitative research that interviewed over 30 local caregivers to better understand their challenges, stressors, beliefs and the resources used by caregivers of color.

Our findings were in line with the literature. African American Caregivers tend to skew younger in age, spend more time on average caring for their loved one, and are less likely to participate in self-care activities like support groups. These caregivers were weary of participating in support groups with people who do not look like them. This research provided essential context to this growing issue and informed the design of the initiative.

The Health Gap’s Caregiver Support Initiative with Hamilton County aims to educate, identify barriers to self-care and provide strategies for common difficult situations. The initiative also creates community and support with others who truly understand this shared experience. The Health Gap and our partners are committed to providing compassionate care for caregivers to men and women in Hamilton County.
Since its start, the initiative has morphed into two formats to deliver customized content for families and individuals in Hamilton County.

• Six-week series of in-person interactive sessions: three-hour interactive seminars. Both led by a mental health counselor, social worker and/or experienced caregivers and other subject experts.

Click for information about the Caregivers Initiative.