May is Older Americans Month

Posted by Carolyn Martin on May 1st, 2017 Posted in: Health Literacy, Health Observances, Public Libraries

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The theme for the 2017 Older Americans Month is “Age Out Loud”.

Originally called Senior Citizens Month when established in 1963 by President Kennedy,  only about 17 million Americans had reached age 65.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of July 2014 the number of Americans age 65 or older was 46.2 million and will continue to grow and outnumber children.  Many were present and participated in Civil Rights movement, saw the landing on the moon, lived through several wars and conflicts, witnessed changes in the environment, and entered the world of the Internet. This country has benefited greatly from the work, the wisdom and the resiliency of our older adult population. Older Americans continue to contribute through work, volunteering, and providing a voice for a variety of causes.

But as our population lives longer and healthier lives than in generations past, many are also experiencing more chronic health conditions. Libraries and community organizations can help bring health information and services to the older adults that they serve through newsletters, websites, programs, and social media. Here are some resources to consider:

• Celebrate Older Americans Month information https://oam.acl.gov/
• NIH National Institute on Aging  https://www.nia.nih.gov/health
• Administration for Community Living https://acl.gov/
• NLM 4 Caregivers https://sis.nlm.nih.gov/outreach/caregivers.html

Speak up and #AgeOutLoud not just in May but all year long!