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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: May 7, 2024 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 4-a <br /> SUBJECT: Older Americans Month Proclamation <br /> DEPARTMENT: Aging and Advisory Board on Aging <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Proclamation Janice Tyler, Director, 245-4255 <br /> Colin Austin, Chair, Advisory Board on <br /> Aging <br /> PURPOSE: To approve a proclamation joining Federal and State governments in designating <br /> the month of May 2024 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 years <br /> the Orange County Board of Commissioners has issued a proclamation for Older Americans <br /> Month. This year's national theme is Powered by Connection. It focuses on the profound impact <br /> that meaningful connections have on the well-being and health of older adults — a relationship <br /> underscored by the US Surgeon General's Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection <br /> and Community and recent report on "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation" in the US. It is <br /> not just about having someone to chat with. It is about the transformative potential of community <br /> engagement in enhancing mental, physical and emotional well-being. By recognizing and <br /> nurturing the role that connectedness plays, everyone can mitigate issues like loneliness, <br /> ultimately promoting healthy aging for everyone. <br /> As everyone looks at aging through the Powered by Connection theme, it provides opportunities <br /> to: <br /> • Spread the word about mental, physical and emotional benefits of social connection and <br /> provides an opportunity to encourage friends and family to explore the opportunities that <br /> are available at the Seymour and Passmore Centers. <br /> • Promote opportunities to engage in local cultural, recreational and educational <br /> opportunities. <br /> • Connect older adults with local services, such as the Department on Aging, that can help <br /> them overcome obstacles to meaningful relationships and access to support systems that <br /> support aging well in community. <br /> • Benefit from making more connections, engaging in community and by giving back through <br /> volunteerism. Volunteerism and community engagement is vital for the future in meeting <br /> the growing needs of the older adult community. Communities find strength in people — <br /> and people find strength in their communities. <br /> • Form relationships. If anything was learned during the pandemic, it was that social isolation <br /> is deadly. An essential ingredient of aging well is being socially engaged and having <br />