Agenda - 06-01-2021; 8-a - Minutes

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8 1 Commissioner Dorosin said it is important to approach the issue from the vantage point 2 of and how it intersects with the other issues on which the Board works: education, criminal 3 justice, policing, etc. He said issues of care, treatment and access do not exist by themselves, 4 and an intersectional perspective should be kept in mind. 5 Chair Price thanked Commissioner Fowler for bringing this item forward. She said there 6 are many people suffering from isolation, with both the young and old being suicidal. She said 7 people sometimes turn to opioids and narcotics, instead of seeking out help. 8 9 c. Older Americans Month Proclamation 10 11 The Board considered voting to approve a proclamation joining Federal and State 12 governments in designating the month of May 2021 as Older Americans Month and a time to 13 honor older adults for their contributions to the community. 14 15 BACKGROUND: 16 May is Older Americans Month, a tradition dating back to 1963. For many years the Orange 17 County Board of Commissioners has issued a proclamation for Older Americans Month. This 18 year's national theme is Communities of Strength recognizing the important role older adults 19 play in fostering the connection and engagement that build strong, resilient communities. 20 21 In tough times, communities find strength in people—and people find strength in their 22 communities. In the past year, this has occurred time and again in Orange County as friends, 23 neighbors, and businesses have found new ways to support each other. 24 25 In the community, older adults are a key source of this strength. Through their experiences, 26 successes, and difficulties, these residents have built resilience that helps them to face new 27 challenges. When communities tap into this, they become stronger, too. 28 29 Strength is built and shown not only by bold acts, but also small ones of day-to-day life—a 30 conversation shared with a friend, working in the garden, trying a new recipe, or taking time for 31 a cup of tea on a busy day. And when people share these activities with others—even virtually 32 or by telling about the experience later— it helps them build resilience too. 33 34 This year, Orange County celebrates Older Americans Month by encouraging community 35 members to share their experiences. Together, everyone can find strength —and create a 36 stronger future. The County also celebrates the many ways in which older adults make a 37 difference in the communities. It encompasses the idea that getting older does not mean what it 38 used to. For many aging Americans, it is a phase of life where interests, goals and dreams can 39 get a new and second start. Today, aging is about eliminating outdated perceptions and 40 redefining the way you want to age. 41 42 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Older Americans Act into law in July 1965. Since that 43 time, the Act has provided a nationwide aging services network and funding that helps older 44 adults live with dignity in the communities of their choice for as long as possible. These services 45 include senior centers, daily lunch programs, caregiver support, community-based assistance, 46 preventive health services, elder abuse prevention, and much more. 47 48 While the Department on Aging offers outstanding programs and services to older adults year- 49 round, Older Americans Month offers an opportunity to emphasize how older adults can access 50 the home- and community-based services they need to live independently in their communities.