This month at ACL we’ve been celebrating Older Americans Month by sharing trailblazer stories (and selfies). The stories and images that have come in from around the country tell a story about what it means to age at this particular moment in history.

We all know that older adults are living longer. But there is more to it than that. What these Older Americans Month stories and selfies reveal is that older adults are transforming what it means to be 60, 70, 80, and even 100 plus. They are reinventing the idea of old age and doing it in ways that improve their communities, their health, their families—and that set an example for the generations to come. They are literally blazing a trail forward—setting the course for the rest of us to follow. And that’s important because in a few short years, more than 77 million people will be over the age of 60. That’s a lot of room for trailblazing in all aspects of our lives.

Over the past seven years, I have had the honor of leading the agency that oversees many of the programs that support older adults on this incredible journey. Our largest programs are made possible by the Older Americans Act, which Congress reauthorized and the president signed into law last month. Through the Aging Network, programs provide healthy meals, nutrition counseling, help with home chores, transportation, and other support to help older adults live in communities and homes of their choosing.

The Act provides funding for elder rights programs that protect older adults in their communities and in long-term care facilities. We have built a federal home for Adult Protective Services to support the evolution of this critical field. While there is still work to be done, this is one of the things of which I am most proud.

Together these efforts help ensure that older adults have the support they need to live independently, free of harm, and with dignity. That support is making it possible for people to redefine aging, making it what it should be: something to celebrate.

If you haven’t read our trailblazer stories, I encourage you to do so. Share them with your friends and neighbors. Use them as a roadmap to 21st century aging. Or, simply find inspiration for your next endeavor. We will use stories like these and other evidence from the field to make sure that ACL programs continue to meet the real-world needs of older Americans.

This Older Americans Month and beyond, let’s blaze a trail together—for ourselves, for our communities, and for our nation.

As we mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) today, I find myself reflecting on our amazing accomplishments these past several years, particularly because this is the last WEAAD I will commemorate in my capacity as Assistant Secretary for Aging. My national “perch” allows me to see the peaks and valleys on our collective journey towards elder justice. In the past seven years, we have had many high points and we’ve made much progress along the road. I want to celebrate that progress with all of you.

I’m proud of this Administration’s focus on elder abuse. I am also proud of what ACL has accomplished. Over the last seven years ACL has:

• Established a federal home for Adult Protective Services (APS)

• Created the National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative

• Allocated and distributed $5 million in funding for elder abuse prevention research (2013)

• Developed the National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (2014)

• Produced Voluntary Consensus Guidelines for APS Programs (2016)

• Allocated $7 million in funding for State APS Enhancement grants (2016)

• Strengthened the National Center on Elder Abuse

I am excited about the work that has been done across so many federal departments and agencies. To this end, ACL is providing leadership for the Elder Justice Coordinating Council, which is a forum for federal departments to share information and align its work for the purpose of creating a national response to elder abuse. Elder justice was also a focus of the 2015 White House Conference on Aging. There we were able to bring in community organizations, businesses, and university collaborators. It is clear our impact is greater when we work together.

In a country where one in ten older people is abused, neglected or exploited each year, America cannot rest on the journey towards elder justice. We must forge on.

First, we must continue to support a national dialogue about the value of older adults and we must confront ageism in all its forms. Older people are vital, contributing members of our society. They work, volunteer, and raise young people. They hold our nation’s memory and are a deep repository of the rich traditions and cultures that make our nation diverse and vibrant. The abuse or neglect of any one of them diminishes all of us.

Second, we must support the frontline programs that interact with victims and survivors of elder abuse, such as APS, the Long-term Care Ombudsman Programs, the Protection and Advocacy network, domestic violence programs, victim services, and law enforcement. We must invest in more research to demonstrate the impact and outcomes of these programs. But, while we wait for this research to inform our future program design, we must counter years of chronic underfunding to ensure the safety, health, and well-being of today’s older adults.

Third, we must instill in the American public the belief that they can make a difference in the fight against the epidemic of elder maltreatment. Research tells us that collective action is necessary. Elder abuse is a societal problem that can be tackled at the systemic level. We must educate policy leaders about elder abuse and encourage them to support programs at the local, state, and tribal levels that provide services to prevent abuse or to support victims. Additionally, social media’s “virtual community” is increasingly a place where we can come together across geographical boundaries to create a chorus of voices sharing stories, teaching one another, and promoting elder justice.

Looking back along the road we’ve traveled to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2016, I am grateful to each of you for the roles you’ve played and for the partnerships you’ve established with me and ACL. We’ve gathered strength from each other and we’ve challenged each other to do better. Looking ahead, though our destination is still in the distance, the way forward is clearer and the goal of elder justice closer than ever. I know we will get there eventually, together.

See a round-up of WEAAD statements and activities.

I am delighted to welcome two important programs to ACL—the Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) and the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs). These programs are moving to ACL as a result of the 2014 budget recently signed by President Obama.

ACL was formed in April 2012 to advance policy and implement programs that support the rights of older Americans and people with disabilities to live in their communities throughout their lifespan. The missions of the PRC and SHIPs align perfectly with our mission and provide ACL with important new programmatic opportunities to help persons with physical disabilities as well as older adults and people with developmental disabilities.

The PRC provides a comprehensive, national source of information for people living with paralysis and their families to promote health, foster involvement in the community, and improve quality of life. Resources on spinal cord injury, paralysis and mobility-related disabilities, including information and referral by phone and email are available in English and Spanish. The PRC currently operates through a cooperative agreement between the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACL will be working with the CDC on transitioning the program to ACL.

SHIPs are federally funded, state-based programs that offer free one-on-one counseling and assistance to assist Medicare beneficiaries and their families in navigating the complexities of health and long-term care systems. Services are provided via telephone and face-to-face interactive sessions, public education presentations and programs, and media activities. SHIPs originated as a grant program within the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). ACL will be working with CMS on transitioning the program to ACL.

Additionally, ACL will be implementing a new injury prevention program, focusing on helping prevent seniors from falling, which is the leading cause of injuries to people more than 65 years old; and will be expanding its efforts to meet the needs of caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's Disease through an outreach campaign and the development of more dementia-capable long-term service and support systems.

It is a pleasure to welcome these programs that help Americans access the services and supports that enable them to live as vibrant, participating members of their communities.

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" is as true now as it was in 360 BC when Hippocrates gave this prescription to his patients. Good nutrition promotes health and helps prevent and manage many diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, and high blood pressure. As the Older Americans Act’s largest health promotion program, the Elderly Nutrition Programs do more than just provide food. The purposes of the Elderly Nutrition Programs, which are administered by ACL, are

• to reduce hunger and food insecurity for older individuals,
• to promote socialization of older individuals, and
• to promote health and well-being of older adults.

In 2012, the Elderly Nutrition Programs served more than 223 million meals to almost 2.5 million people. From 2007–2011, these programs helped provide over 1.2 billion meals. Federal funding for the Elderly Nutrition Programs is combined with non-federal sources to expand its reach. This way taxpayer dollars are stretched even beyond the federal portion, since typically states are able to increase or expand resources of between 2 to 3 dollars per every federal Older Americans Act dollar.

The Elderly Nutrition Programs has two main components: the home delivered nutrition program and the congregate nutrition program.

Home-Delivered Meals Provide More than Just Food

More than 60 percent of meals served during 2012 were home delivered, generally to a homebound, frail and/or isolated older person. Seventy percent of these individuals served by this program are more than 75 years old, and more than 60 percent rely on their home delivered meal for more than half of their total daily food intake. In addition, more than half of all nutrition program participants live alone, which in some situations means they do not have anyone checking on them. This program provides much more than food; it provides a wholesome meal plus a safety check, and sometimes the only opportunity for face-to-face contact or conversation for that day.

Congregate Nutrition Programs Provide More than a Meal

The congregate nutrition program participants are most often served in local senior centers, community centers, or places of worship. Participants receive a wholesome meal alongside the opportunity to socialize and participate in healthy aging activities. About 40 percent of meals served during 2012 were served in the congregate program. In a recent survey, 58 percent of congregate meal participants said that they rely on congregate meals for half or more of their total daily food needs and 60 percent feel the congregate meal allows them to continue living in their home.

With the older population increasing and resources shrinking, cost efficiencies are needed now more than ever. The Aging network (which includes states, area agencies on aging and, in some locales, nutrition providers) is becoming more innovative to improve efficiencies and growing more entrepreneurial in order to become more self-sustaining as they age.

During National Nutrition Month, I encourage you to reach out to a local agency that serves your community’s older members. Volunteers are always needed! Volunteering to bring a wholesome meal to a homebound person provides them with nutritious food, and it can also make you feel good too. If that meal is delivered with a smile and a sincere “How are you today?” it can make all the difference in the world to that older person.

To learn more about the Elderly Nutrition Programs, the importance of nutrition as we age, or how to find a local nutrition provider, please visit these websites:

• Administration on Aging
• Older Americans Act Elderly Nutrition Program
• Eldercare Locator
• Meals on Wheels Association of America
• Nutrition and Aging Resource Center
• National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Program

What people say when they greet each other can tell us about their culture as well as their community’s experience. One traditional Mandarin greeting translates into English as "Have you eaten?" Linguists believe this practice probably started when food was scarce and people were often hungry. A recent study in the United States indicated that 8.8% of households with older adults are food insecure, which means they aren’t sure where or how they will get their next meal.

ACL administers the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program through a network of state departments of aging, area agencies on aging, and local nutrition providers. This federal program provided funds which served over 2.5 million older adults in 2011, many of whom rely on the program for their next meal.

Living with food insecurity—not knowing where your next meal will come from—is not just stressful, it increases risk of serious illness. A recent study shows that older adults who are food insecure are three times more likely to have clinical depression. The study also found that seniors at risk of hunger are 50% more likely to have diabetes and nearly 60% more likely to have congestive heart failure or experience a heart attack. According to the Older Americans 2012—Key Indicators of Well-Being (PDF) report, diabetes and heart disease are two of the most common and costly chronic health conditions.

The Older Adults Act Nutrition Program reduces food insecurity among older adults by providing wholesome meals in group settings and by delivering meals to older homebound individuals. The Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP), previously known as food stamps, also helps reduce food insecurity among the very poor. Unfortunately, only one in three eligible older adults participate in SNAP. For more information about SNAP and other benefits, visit the Benefits Checkup website. Visit Older Americans Act Nutrition Program to learn more about the federal nutrition programs.

Whether they’re designing new digital programs to tutor students in mathematics or organizing meal programs for elderly neighbors; whether they’re driving veterans to doctor appointments or visiting patients in nearby hospitals, older Americans are transforming lives and communities across the country.

As leaders of two of the country’s foremost organizations that provide service opportunities for seniors, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the Administration for Community Living, we are consistently grateful for and inspired by our nation’s senior volunteers. And every day, we see the transformative power of service as older Americans use their skills and talents to make a difference, and we witness the tremendous value of their contributions. Their commitment reminds us that serving others not only changes the lives of those who are served, but forever changes those who serve, as well.

Many of the greatest moments that we share as a nation are the direct result of the many contributions that seniors have made.

As President Obama recently noted, “Older Americans have fortified our country and shaped our world. They have made groundbreaking discoveries, pioneered new industries, led our nation's businesses, and advanced our unending journey toward a more perfect Union.”

We are committed to making sure that we honor their contributions by engaging them in the important work of service and volunteering.

That’s why we support the President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service and are working to meet the President’s charge to develop innovative partnerships—across the federal government and with dedicated nonprofits and corporations—in ways that expand service opportunities for older Americans.

And it is in this spirit that we are working to bolster our existing programs.

CNCS administers three Senior Corps programs: RSVP, Foster Grandparents, and Senior Companions. In each of these programs, participants serve as mentors, tutors, advocates, and companions whether working with the young or young at heart.

Through the Administration for Community Living, volunteers in the Senior Medicare Patrol do nothing less than help stop criminals. They teach fellow older Americans the critical signs to look for that indicate Medicare or other safety net programs might be defrauded in their name. Volunteers also explain what to do when billing errors or fraud is suspected, and spread this important information throughout communities. Their efforts literally put taxpayer money back into federal coffers.

We look forward to building on these efforts together by recruiting, engaging, and supporting more senior Americans who want to serve. The skills and expertise cultivated over a lifetime are valuable tools for strengthening our communities and creating the next generation of leaders. Today, we renew our commitment to ensuring that opportunities to serve are always made available to older Americans.

Despite the large number of people who share their time and talents through service, the needs of our communities and the nation surpass the number of people who volunteer. So finding more ways to engage seniors is not just about finding more ways to occupy their spare time. Rather, finding solutions to our country’s most pressing challenges requires that we involve the talent of our seniors.

Senior Corps volunteers like Virginia McLaurin know this all too well.

For the last 20 years, “Grandma Virginia” has served as a Foster Grandparent in Washington, DC. Every day, she walks two blocks to the Sharpe Health School where she helps children with special needs. McLaurin recently celebrated her 105th birthday by being inducted into the DC Commission for Women’s Hall of Fame. McLaurin is both an inspiration and a powerful example of what studies show—volunteering can lead to a healthier and longer life.

Meanwhile, Carolyn Mosbar is a volunteer with another program supported by the Administration for Community Living—the Washington State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Mosbar is trained and certified as a volunteer ombudsman. In that role, she meets regularly with residents and family members of 11 long-term care facilities across southeast Washington state, ensuring that facility staff honors residents’ rights to appropriate care and a dignified quality of life.

Virginia and Carolyn prove there is no age limit to the capacity to enact change. Virginia, Carolyn, and thousands of volunteers like them not only understand the importance of being involved in their communities, but they also understand how to stay involved.

CNCS research supports this. In 2012, 10.3 million Americans ages 55 and older dedicated 1.8 billion hours of service. And volunteers age 65 and older spent an average of 90 hours on volunteer activities in 2012, the highest among any age group.

Some studies also show that one of the primary reasons why our fellow citizens don’t serve is because they’ve never been asked to. We must seize this opportunity to engage seniors in service. We must ensure that as we build up volunteer networks, we deliberately include Americans of all backgrounds at every step. We must encourage every older American to answer the call to service. We cannot succeed without them.

Wendy Spencer is the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and Kathy Greenlee is the Assistant Secretary of Aging and Administrator of the Administration for Community Living.

Over the course of my service as Assistant Secretary for Aging, one imperative has stood above all others: preventing elder abuse. I talk about it every chance I get, and it is something we all need to talk about. Preventing elder abuse must be part of the national conversation about how we care for older Americans.

That’s why, as our nation prepares to observe World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on June 15, 2014, I hope you will join me in seeking out opportunities to raise awareness about elder abuse and neglect.

Unfortunately, as the world population of older people grows, so does the problem of elder abuse. This is a global health problem and it is a community health issue. It affects people around the world and it affects our neighbors. In fact, research published in the American Journal of Public Health found that one in 10 Americans over the age of 60 had experienced emotional, physical, or sexual abuse—or some form of neglect—in the previous year. This figure does not include financial fraud, a crime to which older Americans are particularly vulnerable.

Among the growing population of older Americans, the number of people who are living past the age of 85 is increasing. Many of these individuals live with some form of dementia. Cognitive impairment puts older people at significant risk for elder abuse. A 2009 study found that nearly half of people with dementia had experienced some form of abuse. And unfortunately, many of these people are not equipped to report it.

We have made significant strides in raising awareness of elder abuse—for example, last year the ACL held an international event at the United Nations co-sponsored by the United States and Canada in honor of WEAAD. But we need to do more to prevent elder abuse and bring abusers to justice. Here are three simple steps every organization and family can take to prevent elder abuse:

1. Learn to recognize the signs of elder abuse. The National Center on Elder Abuse, a program of the Administration on Aging, developed a helpful Red Flags of Abuse Factsheet (PDF) that lists the signs of and risk factors for abuse and neglect.
2. Raise awareness in your community by taking part in events such as WEAAD. We can help; ACL’s World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Tool Kit contains resources to help you engage your community, plan events, educate others, raise awareness about this serious problem, and empower people to action to end elder abuse.
3. Report elder abuse when you see it. To report suspected abuse, contact your local adult protective services agency. For state reporting numbers, call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

This year, as we observe WEAAD, please join me in taking a stand to ensure that all older Americans are safe from harm and neglect. For their contributions to our nation, to our society, and to our lives, we owe them nothing less.

It starts with one person and one action. It starts with you.

To learn more about how to get involved and make a difference in preventing elder abuse, visit the ACL World Elder Abuse Awareness Day section on this website.

This Sunday, June 15, is Father’s Day, a day devoted to honoring our fathers—and our father figures—for the love and support they have given us over the course of our lives. Fittingly, it is also World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), a day devoted to raising awareness of a serious world health issue that affects as many as one in ten older Americans.

Many people think of elder abuse as something that happens to women. But elder abuse is not just a women's issue. Older men are abused, as well. In fact, about a third of reported cases of elder abuse involve men who have been harmed in some way.

Elder abuse can include emotional, physical, or sexual abuse—or some form of neglect. It most often affects those who rely on others for help with day-to-day activities, such as bathing and dressing. Many studies have shown that older people with cognitive impairment are especially vulnerable to abuse and neglect. And financial fraud, one of the most common forms of elder abuse, can happen to anyone.

That’s why, this Sunday, it is important to look beyond the giving of gifts and the sending of greetings cards to see the larger purpose in these observances. Dedicate this weekend to making sure that the men—and women—who have contributed so much to our lives and to our society, are safe from harm and neglect.

That means taking steps to educate our communities about elder abuse. Following is a list of simple resources that can help to prevent elder abuse. Read them. Post them. Share them with the caregivers you know. Make this Father’s Day meaningful by ensuring that all older Americans receive the care, support, and appreciation they deserve.  Today is the day to ask, “Is dad okay?”

• How Your Organization Can Generate Awareness and Foster Action to Guard Against Elder Abuse (PDF, 510KB)
• How to Answer Those Tough Questions about Elder Abuse (PDF, 2.98MB)
• Red Flags of Abuse (PDF, 383KB)
  
  Also available in: Chinese | Korean | Español (Spanish) | Tagalog (Filipino) | Tiẽng Viêt (Vietnamese)
• 12 Things Anyone Can Do to Prevent Elder Abuse (PDF, 180KB)

To learn more about how to get involved and make a difference in preventing elder abuse, visit the ACL World Elder Abuse Awareness Day microsite.

Today, President Obama signed the "Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act" into law. This bipartisan bill, which recently passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 95-3 and the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 415-6, makes important changes to disability programs authorized under the Rehabilitation Act and the Assistive Technology Act, including the transfer of three programs from the Department of Education to the Administration for Community Living (ACL). With this law, the Independent Living programs, the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, and the Assistive Technology Act programs will move to ACL.

This is an exciting development that will benefit both the transferred programs and ACL's current efforts, with strong alignment to implement our mission—to maximize the independence, well-being, and health of older adults, people with disabilities, and their families and caregivers.

When the ACL was established in 2012, we brought together HHS’s Administration on Aging, the Office on Disability and the Administration on Developmental Disabilities into a single entity, in order to focus on both the shared interests of older adults and people with disabilities, while acknowledging and continuing to address the unique needs and differences across the populations we serve. ACL strives to ensure that all Americans, regardless of age or disability, can live, work, learn, and play in their communities with the services and supports they need to be fully participating and contributing members. The transferred programs all make important contributions to this work in unique ways.

The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (formerly known as the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research) supports applied research, training and development activities to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities through comprehensive and coordinated research programs designed to maximize the inclusion, social integration, employment and independent living of individuals with disabilities of all ages. As part of the scientific community, the Institute makes important contributions to the overall knowledge of rehabilitation medicine, engineering, psychosocial rehabilitation, community integration, employment, family support, and other outcomes for persons with disabilities.

Independent Living empowers individuals to live independently in their communities through two programs: Centers for Independent Living, and Independent Living State Grants. The approximately 500 Centers for Independent Living are consumer-controlled, community-based, and cross-disability nonprofit agencies providing an array of independent living services. The State Independent Living Councils are composed of gubernatorial appointees who represent people with significant disabilities and other independent living stakeholders. The councils have the primary responsibility for developing and implementing a state plan to ensure appropriate planning, financial support, coordination, and other assistance to individuals with disabilities.

In today’s world, technology plays an increasingly important role in ensuring that people with disabilities have equal opportunity to participate fully in all aspects of our society. The Assistive Technology program increases access to assistive technology devices and related services for individuals with disabilities of all ages.

These programs represent important investments in disability program and policy. HHS and the Department of Education will partner on a thoughtful and carefully constructed transition that ensures continuity, while minimizing disruption and maintaining focus on our mission. We look forward to engaging with all of our stakeholders as this process evolves, and to working together to improve community living for all Americans with disabilities and older adults.

To learn more about ACL and our work, explore our website (www.acl.gov).

Suicide takes a tremendous toll on older adults, particularly men over the age of 65. Yet the number of older adults in the United States is growing. Nearly 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day. The good news is that there are more than 11,000 senior centers that offer a wide range of services and supports to help older adults stay mentally and physically healthy and live independently in their communities.

In order to support the work of these valuable organizations, SAMHSA and the Administration for Community Living are pleased to release Promoting Emotional Health and Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for Senior Centers. This resource serves as a companion piece to the SAMHSA publication Promoting Emotional Health and Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for Senior Living Communities. The toolkit for senior centers includes resources to help senior centers implement three strategies that promote emotional health, recognize and respond to suicide risk, and respond to a suicide attempt or death.

The toolkit provides information to help senior centers connect with behavioral health resources in their communities. Community mental health organizations and other partners can help train senior center staff and volunteers to recognize suicide risk and welcome referrals from the centers to help reduce this risk. Some of these community mental health providers even offer direct services in the senior centers themselves, which helps overcome two common barriers older adults face in accessing mental health care: lack of transportation and reluctance to seek help from an unfamiliar provider in a new and sometimes intimidating environment.

For senior centers who serve older adults that are homebound, the toolkit helps identify other professionals who can help carry out the suicide prevention strategies. Organizations who provide home visits, senior shuttle programs, Meals on Wheels, and other services can equip their staff to recognize signs that may indicate a client is at risk of suicide or may be experiencing a behavioral health problem.

Senior centers and their dedicated professionals and volunteers play a critical role in preventing suicide among older adults. Ensuring they know how to access resources and are versed in suicide prevention strategies will help them better serve people who may be at risk. We hope Promoting Emotional Health and Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for Senior Centers both encourages and assists those efforts.

Get the suicide prevention toolkit for senior centers.