Champion Your Health This Older Americans Month

May is Older Americans Month. The theme, selected by the federal Administration for Community Living, is “Champion Your Health.” It focuses on prevention, wellness, and personal responsibility. The effort highlights aging trends and encourages community engagement. It was first observed in 1963, created by President John F. Kennedy and the National Council of Senior Citizens to honor the contributions of older adults. At the time Older Americans Month was established, there were only 17 million Americans who had reached their 65^th birthday. The 2020 U.S. Census reported that there are 55.8 million people 65 and older, and the number is rapidly growing. With that increase, it is more important than ever to recognize, honor, and support older adults in living safely and with dignity in our communities.

We frequently hear about the challenges the older adult population face, like failing health, high cost of living to meet expenses on a fixed budget, isolation, ageism, and lack of mobility. These are all important issues to keep on the community’s radar and advocate for changes in policy and funding.

But this month also gives us an opportunity to celebrate what older adults contribute to their families and their communities. There are stereotypes in our culture about older adults being inactive, rigid, or no longer interested in learning new things. Sometimes this population is overlooked when it comes to handing out kudos! Many of us know older adults who care for their grandchildren to ease the burden of childcare costs for their kids or care for adult family members at home who have health or mobility issues. Older adults have a high rate of serving on nonprofit boards and governmental commissions to promote civic engagement and share their expertise and knowledge. There are many older adults who hold elective offices and give back to the community in this way. Younger generations can be inspired by the many acts of leadership, small and big, that older adults make, as many older adults also volunteer by tutoring youth or providing supervision or coaching in youth recreation programs. The list goes on and on about how older adults should be recognized for what they contribute.

What does prevention and wellness mean to older adults? It is as diverse as older adults themselves. Here are some articles to check out in this issue of AgeWise that give some examples:

• Wellness includes our emotional and mental as well as physical health. Sometimes decreasing isolation involves traveling to visit family and friends or just seeing new parts of our world; check out the article in this issue of Advocacy 101 on a great program at airports to get some extra help going through security if traveling is your passion. Advocacy can take many forms and can happen in everyday spaces.
• The Civic Coffee Recap gives some great resources and suggestions if you are considering returning to work, which can sometimes reduce loneliness and improve your economic wellness.
• The new Find A Ride trip planner is explained in this isse. It can make getting around Puget Sound using public transit and other transportation options easier to get to appointments or see the sights or go to activities.
• Getting COVID and other vaccines updated helps on the prevention end. Find information on spring vaccines for older adults in a great article from staff at Public Health-Seattle and King County.  
• Did you know there is a digital map of the pedestrian network of pathways across Washington State? Learn about how the Taskar Center at the University of WA developed this coordinated picture and how you can help keep it updated by holding a Walk and Roll event in your community so you can keep sidewalks and roads accessible to everyone.

Whatever you do this month, remember to give yourself credit for making it to this stage of life. Consider expanding your interests by trying something new. Evaluate how you can increase your wellness by adding some physical activity, or practice prevention by getting up to date on your vaccines or scheduling your annual health check-up. And, above all, enjoy the wonderful spring flowers and more hours of daylight!

Editor’s note: The Seattle Tree Walk App, mentioned in last month’s Walking the Waterfront article, is now live! Just in time for the beautiful May weather. Take a walk at the waterfront or around Pioneer Square and beyond to find information about what trees are planted there and the cultural decisions on why those trees were chosen.

Contributor Alex O’Reilly chairs the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services. She welcomes input from readers via email (advisorychair@agewisekingcounty.org).

Mark Your Calendars

The following are upcoming events of interest:

• ADS Advisory Council Meeting: Friday, May 15 (noon–2 p.m.); virtual meeting unless otherwise specified. To receive the meeting link and information, email michael.adusah@seattle.gov in advance.

• Civic Coffee: End of Life Planning: Friday, May 15 (10 a.m.–11 a.m.) at Lamb of God Lutheran Church Seattle, 12509 27th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125, or online. Contact agefriendly@seattle.gov for more information. 
• My Mama Joe Film Screening: Saturday, May 16 (2 p.m.–4 p.m.) at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 104 17th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144. FREE movie screening on caregiving, healthy aging, and dementia, followed by a discussion about family caregivers.