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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: May 5, 2020 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 4-a <br /> SUBJECT: Older Americans Month Proclamation <br /> DEPARTMENT: Aging and Advisory Board on <br /> Aging <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Older Americans Month Proclamation Janice Tyler, Director, 245-4255 <br /> April 17, 2020 Media Release - with Heather Altman, Chair, Advisory Board <br /> Additional Updates on Aging <br /> PURPOSE: To approve a proclamation joining Federal and State governments in designating <br /> the month of May 2020 as Older Americans Month and a time to honor older adults for their <br /> contributions to the community. <br /> BACKGROUND: May is Older Americans Month, a tradition dating back to 1963. For many <br /> years the Board of Commissioners has issued a proclamation for Older Americans Month. This <br /> year's national theme is Make Your Mark. The theme highlights older adults' unique and lasting <br /> contributions to their communities — everything from sharing a story with grandchildren to <br /> leaving a legacy of community action. <br /> It also celebrates the many ways in which older adults make a difference in 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 Today, aging is about eliminating outdated perceptions and redefining the way you want <br /> 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 they need to live independently in their communities. <br /> It is also an occasion to highlight how older adults are engaging with and making a difference in <br /> their communities. In this era of COVID-19, there are shining examples of how older adults are <br /> making a mark on the community. Project EngAGE Senior Leaders are connecting with older <br /> adults in their communities to make sure their needs are being met during these difficult times. <br />