Berry Dilley: Who Will Be My 24/7? A Concern that Grows with Age

Berry Dilley’s areas of interest cover movement, dance and mindfulness, teaching,creativity, as well as health, disability services, and quality of life for elders. She hasdegrees in dance, sociology and counseling and more recently trained in SomaticExperiencing to help people who have experienced trauma.<br />Berry grew up on the east coast and moved, with her son, Steve, to Athens, Ohio, in1971, to teach in the theater department at Ohio University. She remarried and madeAthens her home.<br />The 1970s was the time of the Feminist Movement, the EEOC and Title 9. Berry andseveral other young women in Athens joined the movement and founded their owngroup, Feminists and Faith, which has been active for about 45 years now.<br />"There’s a tendency to have friends who are the same age. It’s important tocultivate friendships with younger people who bring excitement, vitality, and newperspectives." - Berry Dilley<br />In the late 1990s Berry became acutely aware of the needs of those with disabilities,learning first hand while caring for family members. In 2002 she went to the mayorabout making the city more accessible. In 2004, the Athens City Commission onDisabilities was created.<br />Now as Berry is aging, she is more aware of what older people need and want. Shejoined a community group which is now focused on becoming AARP Age FriendlyAthens County. Because of her membership with this group, Berry began visitingcommunities, new to her in Athens County and meeting people whose life experiencesare very different from hers to discover what their needs and wants are, oftenquitedifferent from hers. A common issue seems to be having someone to oversee one'scare when needed.<br />The biggest issue Berry faces is who will be her 24/7.