In yesterday’s second part of our conversation with Viola Hebert on TSHL 101, listeners heard from a woman whose commitment to Older Texans is rooted in both professional experience and personal conviction. A four‑term member of the Texas Silver‑Haired Legislature, Viola brings decades of nursing expertise and years of caregiving within her own family—perspectives that continue to shape her advocacy today.

This week, Viola reflected on the issues that keep her motivated: access to healthcare, support for caregivers, and the growing needs of Texas’ aging population. She spoke candidly about the challenges she’s seen firsthand and the importance of elevating the voices of older adults in every corner of the state. Her work on full practice authority for APRNs is just one example of how she blends lived experience with policy insight to push for meaningful change.

Viola also shared how the TSHL has changed her—broadening her understanding of statewide needs, strengthening her resolve to serve, and deepening her belief that advocacy is most powerful when it’s personal. Her message to listeners was simple but compelling: every Texan has a role to play in shaping the future of aging in our state.

A new episode of TSHL 101 airs every Tuesday at 6:15pm on KNCT FM 91.3. Next week, we sit down with Dr. Pat Gleason‑Wynn, who is leading a resolution focused on Home Delivered Meals—an issue at the heart of independence, nutrition, and dignity for older adults across Texas.

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The Texas Silver‑Haired Legislature works to strengthen good government in Texas by actively engaging older adults in the legislative process. It offers a nonpartisan space for discussing and debating issues affecting Seniors, provides advocacy training, and creates opportunities for older Texans to share their experience and insight with both public and private leaders.