Each May, the Administration for Community Living recognizes Older Americans Month to acknowledge the contribution of older adults. This year, the observance’s theme “Communities of Strength,” is especially relevant as the country debates the value of supporting our national care infrastructure. 

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Through their experiences, successes, and difficulties, older adults demonstrate the resilience that helps them to face new challenges. When communities tap into this, they become stronger too. Now, as our nation emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re at a critical time — the most important moment in a generation for our country to renew and revitalize how we support older Americans and their families as millions of us live longer. 

It’s heartening to see the Administration and Congress are turning their attention to strengthening our country’s infrastructure, and we must ensure that investment includes aging services as an essential part of the nation’s care infrastructure. From substantial home health to affordable housing to technology, a range of support is necessary to help millions of older Americans who can’t get the care and support they need.

To understand what’s needed, members of Congress, other policymakers, and the public need to understand our experiences. We encourage you to celebrate and share your stories — of courage and compassion, stories of dedication and healing, stories of unshakeable and boundless commitment to the elders we serve throughout the month.

Communities of Strength Campaign

Here’s how LeadingAge State Associations and members can get involved:

• Advocate: Keep an eye out in your email inboxes for weekly action alerts for contacting Congress on the issues that matter most to strong older adult communities. Visit our Make Your Voice Heard page for additional actions.
• Elevate: Throughout the month, we’ll provide resources to aid with media engagement. You’ll find messaging, fact sheets and op-ed templates on LeadingAge’s vision for what it will take to modernize our system of services, care and support in the 21st Century so you can join the public conversation as Congress and the Administration are turning their attention to rebuilding America’s infrastructure.
• Celebrate: Join us in lifting up older adults and all the ways they enrich our communities during Older Americans Month, see our sample posts and resources below. 
• Share: We need your stories to help us show lawmakers, leaders, and the general public the value of building strong older adult communities. Send your stories to communications@leadingage.org.

Campaign Materials

PR templates: (coming soon!):

 

Social Media:

• Like @LeadingAge 
• Share and “like” LeadingAge social posts throughout the month.
• Add the hashtag #OlderAmericansMonth or #community to your posts/tweets.

Social Media Graphics:

• Infocards
• Banners for social media platforms

Sample Social Media Posts:

Note: We will update this page throughout the month.

• May is #OlderAmericansMonth. Let’s amplify the voices of older adults & raise awareness of how our leaders can help strengthen older adult communities. #community [action alert link to come]
• This #OlderAmericansMonth we are celebrating the strength older adults bring to our community every day. How has an older adult touched your #community? Share in the comments. [share with an infocard]
• It’s heartening to see the Administration and Congress are turning their attention to strengthening our country’s infrastructure, and we must ensure that investment includes aging services as an essential part of the nation’s care infrastructure. [share with an infocard]
• At [YOUR ORG’S NAME], we believe in the power of strong communities. This month we celebrate all the ways older adults strengthen our communities. [share with an infocard]

Additional Resources

This campaign is part of our ongoing effort to combat the deeply held public misperceptions of our field. Often rooted in ageism, these false beliefs are made possible because of an incomplete understanding about aging and aging services. Showcasing the rich and diverse life experiences happening within aging services is one way that we can tell a multi-dimensional story of our work.