Older Americans Month Introduction:
Older Americans Month is an annual event that honors older Americans and celebrates the contributions they have made, and continue to make, to the nation and their communities.
Date of Older Americans Month:
Older Americans Month is an annual month-long observance that occurs every year in May.
When Older Americans Month Began:
Older Americans Month was first established in 1963. Since then, it has become a tradition that is repeated every year.
Older Americans Month Founder:
President John F. Kennedy designated May as Senior Citizens Month, which was later renamed Older Americans Month.
How Older Americans Month was Created:
In April 1963, President John F. Kennedy met with the National Council of Senior Citizens to learn more about the needs and concerns of older Americans.
Following that meeting, President Kennedy issued a presidential proclamation designating May as Senior Citizens Month, encouraging the nation to pay tribute in some way to older people across the country.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter changed the name to Older Americans Month.
Motivation for Older Americans Month:
When President Kennedy established Older Americans Month in 1963, 17 million Americans were age 65 or older, about a third of those seniors lived in poverty, and there were few programs to meet their needs.
Two years later, in 1965, Congress passed the Older Americans Act to address the lack of community social services for older people in the United States. The original legislation authorized the federal government to make grants to the states for community planning and social services, research and development projects, and personnel training in the field of aging.
The Older Americans Act also established the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) to administer the newly created grant programs and to serve as the primary federal agency on issues concerning older Americans.
U.S. Presidents and Older Americans Month:
Every U.S. president since John F. Kennedy has issued a formal presidential proclamation either before or during the month of May, asking the nation to celebrate Older Americans Month by finding some way to honor the older Americans in their communities.
How to Celebrate Older Americans Month:
Every year, the U.S. Administration on Aging creates a new theme for Older Americans Month—one that highlights a different aspect of the lives of older Americans and their relationship to their communities—and sponsors a few official activities to honor older Americans and to celebrate their contributions.
Older Americans Month is also celebrated across the country at the state and local levels, through a variety of ceremonies, events, fairs and other activities.
Perhaps the most important and effective way to celebrate Older Americans Month is to do something direct and personal with the seniors you know and care about.