In 1963, after meeting with The National Council of Senior Citizens, President John F. Kennedy designated May as Senior Citizens Month, encouraging the nation to honor its elders in a variety of ways. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter changed the name of this tribute to Older Americans Month, but the goal remains the same: to celebrate those 65 and older through ceremonies, events and acts of public recognition.
48 years after its founding, in the spirit of Older Americans Month, Home Helpers is proud to announce a lively schedule of events designed to pay tribute to our nation’s elders.
This year’s theme -- Older Americans: Connecting the Community -- pays homage to the many ways in which older adults bring inspiration to the fabric of our communities.
First up, The U.S. Administration on Aging is sponsoring two exciting activities in observance of Older Americans Month 2011. The intergenerational video challenge invites teams of two or more to submit videos that creatively demonstrate the role of older Americans in connecting the community. Entries will be posted online and participants can view and comment on all videos.
Then, the Community Connection Video Game Tournament uses the interactive Nintendo Wii video game console, promoting tournaments within participating senior centers. At the end of two rounds of play, the senior centers with the highest average scores will be publically recognized by the U.S. Administration on Aging.
More information regarding these nationwide events can be found here.
Home Helpers is also delighted to announce some area-specific events in celebration of Older Americans Month. On May 5th, residents of Montgomery County will be honoring community elders with the 2nd annual Montgomery County Centenarian Celebration at the Dock Woods Community Center. As a Premiere sponsor for the event, Home Helpers is honored once again to be working very closely with Joanne Kline, executive director of Montgomery County’s Office of Aging and Adult Services of Montgomery County, and her staff. This year’s Centenarian Celebration theme is “Strong Roots, Rich Legacy,” and Home Helpers will be presenting a bonsai tree to each centenarian, in keeping with the theme. Home Helpers is proud to be honoring our inspirational centenarians by helping to plan for the celebration and participating in the festivities. Because we feel this celebration is one that no centenarian and their family should miss, Home Helpers has generously donated admission tickets to family members that perhaps could not afford to attend.
On May 10th, the Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging (COSA) is sponsoring a centenarian luncheon of its own, celebrating seniors who have been part of the community for more than 100 years. Come out and help us celebrate the lives of local Delaware County centenarians! Home Helpers is supporting this event with active participation and a silver sponsorship.
On May 13th, The Home Helpers Media and Drexel Hill offices will share a table at the Older Americans Month event at Harrah's Casino. Learn about services and programs available to residents of Delaware County age 50 and older at this fun filled Celebration of Age. Raffles will be held throughout the day. Entertainment for this event will be provided by the Bravo Health Jazz Band, Sounds of Independence and special guest Sally Starr.
To learn more about how you can support your community’s seniors year-round, visit Home Helpers online.
About Home Helpers
Home Helpers is the region’s premier provider of non-medical caregiving services for seniors, people coping with a lifelong illness or disability, and those recuperating from a recent surgery or hospitalization. We don’t just take care of our clients; we plan for them, using our comprehensive and customized Home Helpers Total Care Plan™. Home Helpers is proactive, not reactive, and offers a flexible, affordable continuum of care that changes as our clients’ needs change. We tailor our care plans to our clients’ unique needs, and tap our extensive network of referral resources relevant to every aspect of care.
To learn more about Home Helpers call us at (877) 464-9090 or contact us online.