April showers bring May flowers—and Older Americans Month (OAM). Not only does this month-long observance recognize older adults and the role they play in society, but it also provides an opportunity for us to build awareness around critical issues impacting older adults’ abilities to age with dignity and respect.
Every year, LeadingAge focuses on several priority issues in our OAM social media posts, with a goal of educating people about the important issues in aging services. This year, we have curated our posts around affordable housing, education, volunteerism, women’s health, social isolation, technology, and wellness.
History of Older Americans Month
OAM was established in 1963 by President Kennedy to pay tribute to older adults in communities across the country. At that time, only 17 million Americans were over 65, a third of whom lived in poverty.
While we have made demonstrable progress, 14.1% of America’s 47.8 million older adults still live in poverty. This number is far too big.
Why Do Older Americans Deserve a Full Month’s Observance?
The spirit of why this month is relevant to the work we do and the people we support lies in this year’s theme: Connect, Create, Contribute. We need to routinely remind our society of older adults’ value and the different ways older adults continue to live rich, purposeful lives.
Connect—Research in recent years has pointed to the inextricable link between social isolation and loneliness with poor health. What are we doing in our communities and in our own lives to address this serious issue? Maybe Diana Ross had it right when she sang “reach out and touch somebody’s hand, make this world a better place if you can.”
Create—How are we helping older adults tap into their passions and creativity at every stage of their lives? The ingenuity of LeadingAge members to design programs and models of service delivery is inspiring. We are in a constant state of restless discovery as we work to improve the overall wellbeing of older adults.
Contribute— Over 1,100 older adult residents of affordable housing attended our rally last week on Capitol Hill—SENIOR HOUSING NOW—to raise their voices and share their passions about this critical issue. Millions of older adults build and sustain healthy communities every day and remain vital contributors to their families and communities.
Our vision—an America Freed From Ageism—embraces the importance of connecting, creating, and contributing. It is a constant reminder of our responsibility to recognize older adults for who they are and the difference they have made to our communities during their lifetimes. Age is merely a number. Older Americans Month reminds all of that older adults enrich our country and make our communities stronger.
Join us in strengthening our community—this May and throughout the year. Visit our website for ideas and inspiration.