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6 <br /> The Board considered voting to approve the proclamation designating May 2019 as <br /> Older Americans Month and authorize the Chair to sign the proclamation. <br /> Heather Altman, Vice Chair of the Board on Aging, and Janice Tyler, Department on <br /> Aging Director, presented this item. <br /> BACKGROUND: <br /> May is Older Americans Month, a tradition dating back to 1963. For many years the Board of <br /> Commissioners has issued a proclamation for Older Americans Month. This year's national <br /> theme is Connect, Create, Contribute. The theme emphasizes that no one is ever too old (or <br /> young) to take part in activities that can enrich their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. <br /> It also celebrates the many ways in which older adults make a difference in their communities. It <br /> encompasses the idea that getting older does not mean what it used to. For many aging <br /> Americans, it is a phase of life where interests, goals and dreams can get a new and second <br /> start. Today, aging is about eliminating outdated perceptions and redefining the way each <br /> individual wants to age. <br /> President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Older Americans Act into law in July 1965. Since that <br /> time, the Act has provided a nationwide aging services network and funding that helps older <br /> adults live with dignity in the communities of their choice for as long as possible. These services <br /> include senior centers, daily lunch programs, caregiver support, community-based assistance, <br /> preventive health services, elder abuse prevention, and much more. <br /> While the Department on Aging offers outstanding programs and services to older adults year- <br /> round, Older Americans Month offers an opportunity to emphasize how older adults can access <br /> the home- and community-based services needed to live independently in their communities. It <br /> is also an occasion to highlight how older adults are engaging with and making a difference in <br /> their communities. Project EngAGE Senior Leaders are shining examples of how it is to <br /> Connect, Create, Contribute by connecting in their communities and reinventing themselves <br /> through creating new projects and contributing to their community. Their work is organized into <br /> thirteen Senior Resource Teams working in the following areas: Faith Based Outreach; Senior <br /> Falls Prevention and Health Promotion; End of Life Choices; Neighborhood Connections, Senior <br /> Rural Hunger; Senior Transportation and Mobility; Caregiver Support Team; Community <br /> Visiting; Mental Health and Aging; Long Term Care; Intergenerational Aging; Aging Policy and <br /> Advocacy; and LGBTQ and Aging. <br /> Today there are over 28,000 Orange County residents who are 60+ and, of that group, over <br /> 1,800 who are over age 85. As large numbers of baby boomers reach retirement age, it is a <br /> goal to keep them physically and socially active through their 80s and beyond. Lifelong <br /> participation in community, social, creative and physical activities has proven health benefits, <br /> including retaining mobility, muscle mass and cognitive abilities. Older adults are not the only <br /> ones who benefit from their engagement in community life - studies show their interactions with <br /> family, friends, and neighbors across generations enrich the lives of everyone involved. <br /> In honor of this year's theme, Connect, Create, Contribute, everyone is challenged to get <br /> connected by participating in activities that promote mental and physical wellness, offering <br /> wisdom and experience to the next generation as everyone works to create the best community <br /> possible, and contribute to the community by seeking mentorship of someone with more life <br /> experience. No matter where an individual is in life, there is no better time than now to start <br /> living life to the fullest. <br /> Commissioner Bedford read the proclamation: <br />