ASA - American Society on Aging

2008 Awards Programs
Recognizing Excellence in the Field of Aging

Award Winners

2008 Forum on Religion, Sprituality and Aging (FoRSA) Award

The Forum on Religion, Spirituality and Aging (FoRSA) of the American Society on Aging (ASA), is pleased to announce its inaugural Religion, Spirituality and Aging Award, recognizing outstanding individuals, programs, and services in religion, spirituality and aging.

Martha E. Richards, MSW

Port Townsend, Washington

Martha Richards Marty Richards has been as a social worker for 40 years and is currently in the private practice social work in Port Townsend, Washington. She has worked with several long-term care facilities as a staff social worker and as a consultant. She is now involved with working with issues in the rural context after several years of working in urban Seattle. After Marty received her BA in Sociology from Augustana (Rock Island IL) in 1967, she received her MSW from the UW in 1970. She is currently affiliate assistant professor of social work. She teaches at the School of Social Work and through the Institute on Aging at the University of Washington’s online certificate program in gerontology.

Marty provides educational sessions in congregations of many traditions concerning aging concerns, meaning and purpose, spirituality, and caregiving. She is a nationally known speaker in areas of long term care, family caregiving, and spirituality and aging. Marty also works with business, conducting employee assistance programs in the areas of dementia concerns and family issues. She is the author of several articles on families and aging, spirituality and aging, and dementia care. She is a past chair and current member of the Forum on Religion Spirituality and Aging of the American Society on Aging, and currently serves on the delegate council of the National Interfaith Coalition on Aging of the National Council on Aging. She speaks throughout the United States on issues of Aging and Spirituality and Hope and Caregiver issues.