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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 05-16-2017 - 4-c - Older Americans Month Proclamation 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: May 16, 2017 Action Agenda Item No. 4-c SUBJECT: Older Americans Month Proclamation and National Senior Center Accreditation Recognition DEPARTMENT: Aging and Advisory Board on Aging ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Older Americans Month Proclamation Janice Tyler, Director, 245-4255 Margaret Cohn, Chair, Advisory Board on Aging PURPOSE: To approve a proclamation joining Federal and State governments in designating the month of May as Older Americans Month and a time to honor older adults for their contributions to society and to Orange County; and to recognize the Passmore and Seymour Centers for becoming nationally accredited senior centers with the presentation of accreditation plaques. BACKGROUND: May is Older Americans Month, a tradition dating back to 1963. For many years the Board of Commissioners has issued a proclamation for Older Americans Month. This year's national theme is Age Out Loud. It encompasses the idea that getting older does not mean what it used to. For many aging Americans, it is a phase of life where interests, goals and dreams can get a new and second start. Today, aging is about eliminating outdated perceptions and redefining the way you want to age. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Older Americans Act into law in July 1965. Since that time the Act has provided a nationwide aging services network and funding that helps older adults live with dignity in the communities of their choice for as long as possible. These services include senior centers, daily lunch programs, caregiver support, community-based assistance, preventive health services, elder abuse prevention, and much more. While the Department on Aging offers programs and services to older adults year-round, Older Americans Month offers an opportunity to emphasize how older adults can access the home- and community-based services they need to live independently in their communities. It is also an occasion to highlight how older adults are engaging with and making a difference in their communities. Project EngAGE Senior Leaders are examples of how it is to Age Out Loud by engaging in their communities and reinventing themselves through new work and new passions. 2 Their work is organized into eight Senior Resource Teams working in the following areas: Faith Based Outreach; Senior Falls Prevention and Health Promotion; End of Life Options; Neighborhood Connections, Senior Rural Hunger; Senior Transportation and Mobility; Caregiver Support Team; and Community Visiting. Today there are over 26,000 Orange County residents who are 60+ and, of that group, over 1,800 who are over age 85. As large numbers of baby boomers reach retirement age, it is a goal to keep them physically and socially active through their 80s and beyond. Lifelong participation in community, social, creative and physical activities have proven health benefits, including retaining mobility, muscle mass and cognitive abilities. Older adults are not the only ones who benefit from their engagement in community life - studies show their interactions with family, friends, and neighbors across generations enrich the lives of everyone involved. In conjunction with this year's proclamation, the Passmore and Seymour Centers are recognized for receiving national senior center accreditation. Of the 10,000+ senior centers in the nation, only 116 are nationally accredited. The Passmore and Seymour Centers join with only three other senior centers in NC to be recognized with this achievement. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with approval of the proclamation and recognition of the national senior center accreditation. SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Orange County Social Justice Goals are applicable to this item: • GOAL: ENSURE ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY The creation and preservation of infrastructure, policies, programs and funding necessary for residents to provide shelter, food, clothing and medical care for themselves and their dependents. The Older Americans Act provides funding for senior centers, daily lunch programs, caregiver support, preventive health services, transportation and other community based assistance. • GOAL: ENABLE FULL CIVIC PARTICIPATION Ensure that Orange County residents are able to engage government through voting and volunteering by eliminating disparities in participation and barriers to participation. Orange County's Volunteer Connect 55+ program along with Project EngAGE is committed to engaging volunteers to assist in meeting the growing needs of older adults in the community. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the proclamation designating May as Older Americans Month and authorize the Chair to sign the proclamation, and also recognize the national accreditation of the Passmore and Seymour Centers, based on the efforts of Department on Aging staff, with the presentation of the accreditation plaques. 3 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PROCLAMATION OLDER AMERICANS MONTH — MAY 2017 Theme - "Age Out Loud" Whereas, Orange County includes over 26,000 persons aged 60 and older; and Whereas, Orange County includes older Americans who richly contribute to our community; and Whereas, we acknowledge what it means "to age" has changed —for the better; and Whereas, Orange County is committed to supporting older adults as they take charge of their health, explore new opportunities and activities, and focus on independence; and Whereas, Orange County can provide opportunities to enrich the lives of individuals of all ages by: • Involving older adults in the redefinition of aging in our community; • Promoting home and community-based services that support independent living; • Encouraging older adults to speak up for themselves and others; and • Providing opportunities for older adults to share their experiences; and Whereas, Orange County provides many of these opportunities through the Senior Centers, which recently achieved National Accreditation and are also recognized as Centers of Excellence in NC; NOW THEREFORE, we, the Orange County Board of Commissioners, do hereby proclaim May 2017 to be Older Americans Month and urge every resident to take time this month to acknowledge older adults and the people who serve them as influential and vital parts of our community. This the 16th day of May, 2017. Mark Dorosin, Chair Orange County Board of Commissioners