Older Americans Month
By: The Administration for Community Living
Celebrating Older Americans Month: Powered by Connection
Established in 1963, Older Americans Month (OAM) is celebrated every May. Led by a federal agency, the Administration for Community Living (ACL), OAM is a time to recognize older Americans' contributions, highlight aging trends, and reaffirm commitments to serving the older adults in our communities.
This year’s theme, "Powered by Connection," focuses on the profound impact that meaningful connections have on the well-being and health of older adults — a relationship underscored by the U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community.
How can community groups, businesses, and organizations mark OAM?
- Spread the word about the mental, physical, and emotional health benefits of social connection through professional and personal networks.
- Encourage social media followers to share their thoughts and stories of connection using hashtag #PoweredByConnection to inspire and uplift.
- Promote opportunities to engage, like cultural activities, recreational programs, and interactive virtual events.
- Connect older adults with local services, such as counseling, that can help them overcome obstacles to meaningful relationships and access to support systems.
- Host connection-centric events or programs where older adults can serve as mentors to peers, younger adults, or youths.
What can individuals do to connect?
- Invite more connection into your life by finding a new passion, joining a social club, taking a class, or trying new activities in your community.
- Stay engaged in your community by giving back through volunteering, working, teaching, or mentoring.
- Invest time with people to build new relationships and discover deeper connections with your family, friends, colleagues, or neighbors.
For more information, visit the official OAM website and follow ACL on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #OlderAmericansMonth.
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May is National Stroke Awareness Month
Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke. It could happen on your street, in your workplace, at a store where you shop — anywhere. Your readiness to spot the stroke warning signs and call 911 could save a life or make the difference between a full recovery and long-term disability. That’s why it’s so important to learn the stroke warning signs and urge everyone you know to do the same
The faster stroke is treated, the more likely the patient is to recover. In fact, stroke patients who are treated with the clot-busting drug IV r-tPA Alteplase within 90 minutes of their first symptoms were almost three times more likely to recover with little or no disability. In some cases, a procedure to remove the clot causing the stroke is also recommended. Nintey-one percent of stroke patients who were treated with a stent retriever within 150 minutes of first symptoms recovered with little or no disability. The thing to remember is that stroke is largely treatable. It’s a matter of getting the right treatment, right away.
F.A.S.T. Warning Signs
Use the letters in F.A.S.T. to spot a Stroke
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F = Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven?
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A = Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
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S = Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred?
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T = Time to call 911 – Stroke is an emergency. Every minute counts. Call 911 immediately. Note the time when any of the symptoms first appeared.
Other Stroke Symptoms
Watch for Sudden:
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NUMBNESS or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
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CONFUSION, trouble speaking or understanding speech
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TROUBLE SEEING in one or both eyes
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TROUBLE WALKING, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
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SEVERE HEADACHE with no known cause
More information can be found at: American Stroke Association
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Build a Personalized Disaster Plan with Disaster PrepWise
Friday, May 31, 2024
11:00am to 5:00pm
Iowa City Public Library
Meeting Room A
Have you thought about becoming better prepared for disasters but don’t know where to start? Sit down with trained interventionists from the UI College of Public Health who will help you build a plan that suits your needs at no cost with Disaster PrepWise. Disaster PrepWise is a tool developed at the College to help older adults build a personalized disaster plan, which is being offered FREE for anyone interested in getting prepared for any type of emergency.
Disaster PrepWise will be holding a half-hour presentation at 11am about the importance of preparation and how best to prepare for any type of emergency. Starting at 11:30am and going until 5pm, PrepWise team members will be offering FREE assistance building personalized disaster plans designed for older adults and those with special health needs (although everyone is welcome and would benefit from disaster planning!) These meetings will last about 90 minutes, and participants are encouraged to bring in things that they will need to develop their plan, such as contact information and prescription information. To guarantee a specific time, please email nostrem@uiowa.edu, but walk-ins are welcome as well.
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IOWA RETURN TO COMMUNITY (IRTC)
The Iowa Return to Community initiative provides long-term care support planning to assist non-Medicaid eligible seniors who want to return to their community following a nursing facility or hospital stay. By helping to coordinate wrap-around services and supports for these individuals that enable them to live safely and comfortably at home, this initiative will provide increased quality of life by ensuring consumer choice; potentially producing cost savings for older Iowans and the State by preventing or delaying an individual’s enrollment in Medicaid.
The program recently expanded into Johnson County. Find out more information here: Iowa Return to Community
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Coralville Parks and Recreation Summer Activity Guide
The city of Coralville's Parks and Recreation Center is hosting activities this Summer for older adults ages 55 and up! Whether you would like to make some new friends, work on crafts, or go out and enjoy the weather- the Coralville Summer Activity Guide has something for you!
For more information see the flyer below or click the following link- Activity Guide.
To register for applicable activities, please follow the link- Registration.
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Senior Farmers Market Checks Program Update
• Heritage is expecting to receive the application forms in late April/early May.
• All participants from last year will automatically be mailed an application and pre-paid return envelope.
• New participants are of course welcome. Call Heritage or stop by after May 1 to get your application.
• Heritage will process applications as they are submitted. Checks will be mailed on or around June 1 when the program opens.
• Applications submitted after June 1 will receive their checks when signing up or promptly by mail.
• The only change for participants that we currently know of: you will no longer need to sign the checks when making your purchases.
It's 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 important that if you receive checks, you use as many as you can. That means more fresh, local produce for you and a higher usage rate for the program. Usage rates help determine funding for the year to come, so please use them up and eat well
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May 11th - Tiffin Citywide Clean-Up | |
Local Programming and News
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