Local senior support groups encourage community members to engage –
By Patricia Beech –
The Adams County Commissioners on Monday, May 7 issued a proclamation declaring May “Older Americans Month” in Adams County.
Representatives from the Area Agency on Aging for District 7 (AAA7) and the Adams County Senior Citizens Center (ACSCC) attended the event including: Debbie Danner-Gulley, Case Management Director AAA7; Tina Lightcap the Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement Manager for AAA7; Jacqueline Jones, Bookkeeper for the ACSCC; Diane Dryden, the Assistant Director of the ACSCC; Mary Stout, Executive Director of the ACSCC; Barbara Bond, Clinical Supervisor for AAA7; and Mary Jo Baumgartner, AAA7 Board Member.
Every May, the Administration on Aging leads a national observance of Older Americans Month to spotlight the accomplishments of our older citizens. Every President since Kennedy has issued a formal proclamation in the month of May asking the nation to pay tribute to older persons in their communities.
The 2018 theme, “Engage at Every Age”, acknowledges the many ways older Americans make a difference in their communities, and promotes the idea that people are never too old (or young) to participate in activities that enrich physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Case Management Director for the local AAA7, Danner-Gulley said providing service information is a critical to helping older Americans become healthier and more engaged.
“We have a fairly complex system of health care and services for seniors citizens” she said. “We have a resource center that people can call for information. We’ve done the research, we have the resource data base, and the phone numbers, so we can get them to the right place and decrease their frustration by just helping them to understand their options”
