The Legacy Forum #4
Legacy Forum #4: Navigating Healthcare and Becoming an Effective Advocate
Navigating the healthcare system can feel overwhelming—especially when you are trying to make sure that you or someone you love receives the right care, understands the options, and has a voice in important healthcare decisions.
Legacy Forum #4 will help participants become more informed, prepared, and confident healthcare advocates. This free virtual forum will explore practical ways to communicate effectively with healthcare professionals, ask the right questions, prepare for appointments, organize important health information, understand your role in the care process, and speak up when something does not feel right.
Our special guest, Pastor Tony Montgomery, Sr., brings a powerful perspective shaped by faith, lived experience, pastoral leadership, and healthcare advocacy. A pastor for 30 years, Pastor Montgomery has also completed Clinical Pastoral Education training and serves as lead chaplain for the Jackson Fire Department. He is the author of Honey, I Need an Advocate, a book that speaks directly to the importance of having—and becoming—an advocate when navigating healthcare.
Through his personal journey and the lessons behind Honey, I Need an Advocate, Pastor Montgomery will share insight into finding your voice, asking questions, navigating difficult healthcare experiences, and becoming an active participant in decisions affecting your health or the health of someone you love.
Meet Pastor Montgomery:
https://www.compassion-bydesign.org/tmbio
Ebony Travis-Tichenor, MBA, PHR, will guide the conversation as the Legacy Forum Series Facilitator. A respected leader, longtime caregiver, and storyteller, Ebony brings nearly three decades of corporate experience and nearly two decades of personal caregiving experience to the Legacy Forum Series. She creates a welcoming environment where participants can learn, reflect, ask questions, and connect the conversation to their own experiences.
Meet Ebony:
https://www.compassion-bydesign.org/ettfacbio-1
The forum will also feature the Prepared Caregiver Corner™ with Founding Expert Sharron Williams, BSN, RN, ACHC-Certified Consultant. With more than 40 years of nursing experience, Sharron brings extensive clinical, home health, education, and healthcare leadership experience to the series. For Legacy Forum #4, the Prepared Caregiver Corner™ will focus on healthcare preparedness and practical ways to organize essential medical and medication information so it is readily available during appointments, care transitions, and unexpected emergencies.
Meet Sharron:
https://www.compassion-bydesign.org/swbio
Whether you are a family caregiver, older adult, healthcare professional, community advocate, or someone who wants to become a stronger advocate for yourself or a loved one, you are invited to join us.
Your voice matters. Your questions matter. Your preparation matters. Be informed. Be prepared. Be an advocate.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026 | 5:00–6:30 PM ET | Virtual | Free
Register:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/XrlsyQfrSq2ZJ6u7_A6qxA
Legacy Forum LIVE
Legacy Forum LIVE: Emergency Preparedness — Preparing Today for Peace of Mind Tomorrow
Join Compassion by Design for Legacy Forum LIVE, a free, in-person community experience designed to empower older adults, caregivers, and families with practical emergency preparedness tools, essential resources, and valuable connections. Through expert guidance, interactive learning, and community partnerships, we're helping individuals and families prepare today for greater safety, confidence, and peace of mind tomorrow.
Learn More: https://bydesignpm.org/legacy-forum-live
Heroes Behind the Scenes
Heroes Behind the Scenes is Compassion by Design’s special celebration honoring the caregivers and everyday heroes whose compassion, sacrifice, and service often happen outside the spotlight. Join us as we recognize extraordinary individuals, celebrate their impact, and remind caregivers that their work is seen, valued, and deeply appreciated.
The Legacy Forum #5
Legacy Forum #5: Building Your Circle of Support
Caregiving is a journey no one should face alone. Discover how to build a strong circle of support by engaging family, friends, neighbors, healthcare professionals, and community resources. Learn practical strategies for asking for help, coordinating care, and creating a dependable network that can provide encouragement and assistance during both everyday caregiving and unexpected challenges.
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/legacy-forum-5-building-your-circle-of-support
The Legacy Forum #6
Legacy Forum #6: Planning for the Future: Care, Legacy, and Resilience
Prepare for what lies ahead with confidence. This forum focuses on advance care planning, organizing important documents, strengthening family communication, and creating a lasting legacy that supports loved ones through future caregiving transitions.
The Golden Years Summit
The Golden Years Summit is being launched as a three-day annual hybrid conference, with the inaugural Summit planned for December 2027. Designed to inspire, educate, and connect those involved in elder care, the Summit will bring together family caregivers, healthcare professionals, long-term care staff, and advocates for expert-led discussions, interactive workshops, and peer learning.
The Legacy Forum #3
Legacy Forum #3: Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others
You cannot pour from an empty cup. Legacy Forum #3 will offer caregivers a welcoming space to pause, reflect, and learn practical ways to care for themselves while continuing to support the people they love.
This free virtual forum will explore managing stress, preventing caregiver burnout, strengthening emotional resilience, balancing caregiving with personal needs, and becoming more comfortable asking for and accepting help. Participants will leave with practical strategies, supportive resources, and an important reminder: your well-being matters, too.
Our special guest speaker, Dionna Jones, MSW, brings more than 15 years of professional social work experience and the personal perspective of caring for her mother. Through this combination of professional knowledge and lived experience, Dionna will share compassionate, realistic guidance for navigating the emotional demands of caregiving without losing sight of yourself.
Ebony Travis-Tichenor, MBA, PHR, will guide the conversation as the Legacy Forum Series Facilitator, creating a warm and engaging environment for reflection, learning, and connection.
The forum will also feature the Prepared Caregiver Corner™ with Founding Expert Sharron Williams, BSN, RN, who will present Caring for Yourself in an Emergency and share practical tips for reducing stress and remaining prepared during a crisis.
Whether you are a family caregiver, older adult, healthcare professional, community advocate, or someone supporting a loved one, you are invited to join us.
You matter. Your well-being matters. Stronger you. Stronger together.
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/2qOsFPiTTUKtaHjPfALogg
The Legacy Forum #2
Legacy Forum #2: Prepared Caregiver Corner™ Special Edition
Emergency Preparedness: Preparing Today for Peace of Mind Tomorrow
Emergencies can happen without warning. Join us for this free virtual forum to learn practical strategies for preparing yourself and those you care for before a crisis occurs. You'll gain tools to create an emergency plan, organize important medical information, prepare for power outages and evacuations, and build confidence for whatever comes next.
Prepared Caregiver Corner™ is proudly supported by AARP and AARP Maryland through the 2026 AARP Community Challenge. This support helps Compassion by Design expand access to practical emergency preparedness education and resources, ensuring family caregivers and older adults have the tools they need to plan ahead, stay informed, and respond confidently when emergencies arise.
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ZzDntf2_Qj-SiG9l_B94hA
The Legacy Forum #1
Legacy Forum #1: You're Not Alone—Starting the Caregiving Journey
Begin your caregiving journey with confidence. This 90-minute virtual forum provides practical guidance, emotional support, and essential disaster preparedness strategies to help caregivers navigate their new role while preparing for emergencies. Participants will also receive valuable planning tools and resources to support both themselves and their loved ones.