I know we were all around in 1963 when President John Kennedy designated the month of May as Senior Citizens Month. Since that time, the name has been changed to Older Americans Month. Sixty-two years later, the focus is still the same: to bring recognition to older Americans who have contributed so much to make our communities what they are today.
Back in 1963, there were 17 million of us over the age of 65, and now there are 76.5 million of us just over the age of 60! Every year since then, the Administration on Community Living has created a theme for the month to help us celebrate the ongoing contributions that Older Americans make to our daily lives.
This year, the theme is “Flip the Script on Aging.” No, they do not expect senior citizens to do backflips, or somersaults. What they want is for all of us to begin to “transform how society perceives, talks about and approaches aging, recognizing the contributions of older Americans and highlighting aging trends.”
In other words, they want our society to stop talking about “senior moments” when individuals talk about momentary forgetfulness because it happens to us at all ages. They want us to take the “still” out of our conversations when we talk about a senior citizen who “still” lives by themselves, who “still” drives, who “still” likes to travel or who “still” goes to a casino or who “still” volunteers. Just because we cross over the 65 age line does not mean that we become incapable of enjoying ourselves, of contributing to our own or someone else’s life. We all need to help “Flip the Script on Aging,” we need to challenge the idea that aging means slowing down. (I, for one, would like to challenge this group to help me find the energy to keep going like I did five or 10 years ago. I would be happy to help “flip the script” … just tell me where to get the energy to do so.)
The Ohio Department on Aging is again having its Older Americans Month celebration in Mansfield. The ODA’s Senior Spring Extravaganza will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 21 at the former Richland Mall. This celebration is free for seniors and includes an exhibition of senior services, food and entertainment. If the day is nice, you may want to take a ride out to Mansfield and take part in this State of Ohio recognition of senior citizens.
If you would rather celebrate National Older Americans Month closer to home, you might want to take advantage of some of the local “perks” of being older. Do not forget to check out our local movie theaters for Senior Discount Days (in Kent at University Plaza movies, seniors pay $6.50 on Thursdays). That same day, you could go have lunch at a Dairy Queen (they give a 10% discount on senior purchases). If you went on a Wednesday, you could drive to a local Kohl’s store and get a discount on that new piece of clothing you have been wanting. On your way home from shopping or a movie, stop by Papa John’s and get a discount on a pizza to take home for dinner.
These discounts not only can help your budget but also help you feel a little more special.
I missed it, but I hope you were able to go to the “Senior Prom” at NEOMED in Rootstown on April 7. Looking at some of the photos I was sent by Theresa Summers, it appears as if everyone had a great time.
This turned out to be an early celebration of Older Americans Month. NEOMED’s Geriatric students and members of the Portage Senior Services Network worked together to create a “Senior Prom” for not only the university’s students but also area senior citizens. The school’s sponsorship of this event comes from its belief that it is important to learn to “interact with people you don’t interact with generally, and to hear stories with different perspectives.”
The students coordinated the “prom” with the NEOMED Office of Geriatric and Palliative Care, the Consortium of Eastern Ohio Master of Public Health program, the Peter Burg Fund, the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, and the Portage Senior Services Network to put this together for the community.
Without the extra help of the members of the PSSN, this event would not have been as special. They spent many hours collecting donations of raffle baskets, money for corsages and boutonnieres, as well as money to help subsidize the cost of the event. This group of area professionals not only worked tirelessly to make this a special event for area seniors but also spent their evening enjoying the “senior prom” with them.
Contact Sally Kelly with your senior news at 330-687-9501 or [email protected].
