May has been celebrated as Older Americans Month since 1963, when it was designated by the U.S. Administration on Aging as a time to pay tribute to older persons in our communities. It is a great time to bring attention to the issues that affect older adults.

Older adults support our society by providing millions of hours of volunteer, community and civic service through formal organizations and a variety of informal arrangements. They enhance our communities and personal lives by sharing and transferring knowledge of cultures, values, and life experiences among generations. Thankfully, the contributions of older adults will continue to flourish in the coming years, since older citizens of today and tomorrow promise to be among the most active and engaged older adult populations in our nation's history.

An expanding older adult population also spotlights our responsibility to ensure the well being of our older citizens. As a nation, we are working diligently to address older adults' unique health and long-term care challenges. The thousands of professionals, caregivers, and volunteers that make up the National Aging Services Network have been collaborating in innumerable ways for decades to fulfill the mission of the Older Americans Act. The network is now engaged in modernizing systems of care to provide consumers with more control over their lives.

This year's Older Americans Month theme is “Working Together for Strong, Healthy and Supportive Communities.” This theme speaks to opportunities we have to create better care and reinforce healthier societies for all ages. Working together, our communities can improve older adults' overall quality of life by helping them:

• Make behavioral changes in their lifestyles that can reduce risk of disease, disability and injury

• Obtain the tools they need to make informed decisions about, and gain better access to, existing health and long-term care options in their communities

• Have more options to avoid placement in nursing homes and remain at home as long as possible

Every year in May, the Cayuga County Office for the Aging celebrates Older Americans Month by holding a Senior Citizen's Day. This is a day that local seniors look forward to, to reconnect with each other after the long winter and to celebrate being an “Older American!” This year's festivities will be held at the Emerson Park Pavilion on Owasco Lake on Tuesday May 27. Join us at noon for “Lunch with the Cayuga County Legislators.” At 1 p.m., the legislators will hold its Legislative meeting at the Pavilion. The first item on the agenda will be to honor the Cayuga County Senior Citizen(s) of the Year. The award winners will be recognized for their outstanding volunteer contributions to their communities. There will be a reception immediately following the awards before the Legislative meeting resumes official business.

Reservations for the May 27 Senior Citizen Recognition luncheon at the Emerson Park Pavilion can be made by sending your name, address, telephone number and number of people attending to the Cayuga County Office for the Aging. The cost for the luncheon is $8 per person. Make checks payable to the Cayuga County Office for the Aging and send to 160 Genesee St., Auburn, NY 13021 by May 16. For more information, contact the office at 253-1226.

Janet Taylor is an aging services specialist for the Cayuga County Office for the Aging. She can be reached at 253-1103.