2008 News
May 7, 2008
May is Older Americans Month
The month of May is recognized nationally as Older Americans Month, a time when we acknowledge the vast contributions older adults make to their families, communities and the nation. On May 7th, the Bucks County Commissioners will officially proclaim Older Americans Month throughout the County of Bucks.
Older Americans Month was officially proclaimed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Declaring the month of May to be Senior Citizens Month, the President called older Americans “a great national resource of skills, wisdom and experience upon which much of our nation’s progress has been built…older Americans continue to enrich our daily lives and provide counsel and leadership.”
At that time, only 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthdays. About a third of older Americans lived in poverty and there were few programs to meet their needs.
Today, the U.S. is nearing the start of a tremendous demographic shift. Beginning in 2011, the first of 78 million baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) will start transitioning into retirement, kicking off an expansion in the number of elderly people that will continue for decades. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one out of every nine baby boomers will live to be at least age 90.
In 2000, there were 74,282 residents age 64+ in Bucks County. That number is projected to increase to 160,675 by the year 2025. Additionally, Bucks County will experience a growth of 27% of persons over the age of 85 between 2000 and 2010, from 10,862 to 12,833.
Bucks County Commissioners Chairman Jim Cawley said, “Bucks County has been proactive in actively studying the needs of our growing senior community. We continue to work towards providing the targeted services that our seniors need and deserve.”
The 2008 theme for Older Americans Month, “Working Together for Strong, Healthy and Supportive Communities,” speaks to the need to provide better care and reinforce healthier societies for all ages. Working together, our communities can improve the overall quality of life for older adults.
The goals of Older Americans Month are to:
- Increase community awareness about the problems faced by older adults;
- Strengthen services and opportunities to meet their needs;
- Recognize their past and present contributions; and
- Make this special month the beginning of continued interest and activity on their behalf.
This year also marks the 43rd anniversary of the signing of the Older Americans Act of 1965, which started a new structure for delivering much needed services to older Americans. At the top of that structure is the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA). Charged with serving as the leading advocate for older people at the federal level, the AoA presides over a host of programs nationwide and relies on a country-wide network of 57 State Units on Aging, 670 Area Agencies on Aging, 5,000 senior community centers and more than 25,000 local groups to provide a huge array of services.
In Bucks County, the Area Agency on Aging (AAA), under the direction of Brian Duke, administers more than 20 programs designed to help older adults and their families get the care they need to stay in their own homes as long as possible: care management and assessment, in-home/adult day care services, long- term care, ombudsman/protective services, information and referral, senior center/nutrition, shared-ride transportation, legal assistance, volunteer opportunities, insurance counseling, health promotion and employment assistance.
During the month of May, the Bucks County AAA is sponsoring several events, including the Senior Games and EXPO, a Senior Arts Exhibit and the 34th anniversary celebration of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).
For more information about the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging and the many programs and services it provides, or for more information about Older Americans Month special events, please call 215-348-0510. We welcome you to stop by the office at 30 E. Oakland Ave., Doylestown, Pa. 18901. Information can also be found at www.BucksCounty.org.