Older Americans Month Celebrated in May

May is the time to pay tribute to older people in our communities, so please join the Catholic Health Care System in acknowledging the contributions of older adults. Older Americans Month is a national celebration that honors our elders’ accomplishments and invites us to learn from their experiences.

When Older Americans Month was established in 1963, only 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthdays (that number has more than doubled since). About a third of those over 65 lived in poverty and there were few programs that addressed their needs. However, interest in older Americans and their concerns was growing. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy designated May as Senior Citizens Month (later changed to Older Americans Month), and every President since JFK has issued a formal proclamation near the first day of May asking the entire nation to pay tribute in some way to older people in their communities.

The theme for this year's commemoration is Older Americans: Making Choices for a Healthier Future. This theme reflects our nation’s ongoing efforts to think differently about seniors’ health and long-term care by providing people with choices they want and the tools they need to live longer, healthier and – most importantly – better quality lives. The theme encourages us to work together to modernize our current systems to adequately address the long-term care needs of future generations. CHCS is addressing this need through the development of our Home & Community Services that help people “age in place” with initiatives such as Adult Day Health Care, senior housing, and our new PACE program, an innovative model of medical and social services that provides coordinated and continuous primary care to older adults.

The people of CHCS feel blessed to care for the elders who already call our facilities “home”. They teach us lessons, set examples for younger generations, and demonstrate the generosity and love for which Americans are known. We encourage you to make a special effort to spend time with an older person this month as a personal and compassionate way to celebrate.

There are so many ways to make a difference in an elder’s life – won’t you join our efforts by either volunteering in one of our facilities or making a donation?