Westside Messenger - May 2nd, 2021

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Active Lifestyles
WESTSIDE MESSENGER - May 2, 2021 PAGE 9
Franklin County Board of Commissioners: Commissioner Kevin L. Boyce, President • Commissioner Marilyn Brown • Commissioner John O’Grady
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners and The Franklin County Office on Aging join with the Messenger Newspaper in providing this update on aging issues in Franklin County.
Older Americans Month
Every year in the month of May, we celebrate Older Americans
Month. Older Americans Month, or OAM, was established in the
year 1963, with a goal of bringing awareness to the needs of older
American citizens living within the United States. The Administration
for Community Living, or ACL, is responsible for spearheading
the national observance of Older Americans Month and creating an
honorary theme. In years past, themes have included “Engage at
Every Age”, “Connect, Create, Contribute”, and most recently last
year, Make Your Mark”. For May 2021, the monthly theme just so
happens to be “Communities of Strength”.
“Older adults have built resilience and strength over their lives
through successes, failures, joys, and difficulties. Their stories and
contributions help to support and inspire others. This OAM, we will
celebrate the strength of older adults and the Aging Network, with
special emphasis on the power of connection and engagement in
building strong communities”.
Over the past year, older Americans have had to face several
challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic. Social isolation,
personal and family illnesses, and financial hardship, are just a few
of what older Americans endured and to do so, takes immense
amounts of strength. The Franklin County Office on Aging has been
with these older Americans every step of the way. Through
providing free home-delivered meals for most of 2021, to providing
free transportation to COVID-19 vaccine appointments, to finally
continuing to provide their existing support programs and services
to Franklin County older adults. The community in which the
Franklin County Office on Aging serves, is a diverse group of
individuals who love to stay involved and participate in strength
building programs.
There are a few ways that older Americans and their family or
friends can continue to develop their strength and to stay connected
as a community.
-Utilize social media: Many of us have social media application,
whether that be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Social
media allows for you to connect with others and stay informed about
the lives of loved ones. Most social media accounts are free to join,
and if you decide to create one, make sure to follow the Franklin
County Office on Aging on Facebook, Twitter and/or LinkedIn.
-Create Zoom meetings: Create Zoom meetings: We all miss seeing
others face to face, however with COVID-19 still present we want to
make sure you have safe interactions with others. A popular way of
doing so is by creating Zoom video call groups. You can simply call
one another to chat, you could create a weekly or monthly book
club, or even have a movie night or painting event. The creative
ideas you can come up with are endless.
-Self development and sharing: There are many people who would
love to add an additional skill to their list. Perhaps that is cooking,
drawing, taking up yoga, or maybe even learning a new language.
By continuously learning, you cannot only build up yourself, but
you can share your newly acquired skills with your family, friends,
or acquaintances. You strengthen others, when you strengthen yourself.
This pandemic has taken a lot of enjoyable moments, loving individuals,
and amazing memories from so many of us. However, if we
stick together as a community, we will come out stronger than ever.
If you are an older adult age 65 or over or know of an older adult that
may need any of the programs or services listed above, please contact
the Franklin County Office on Aging at (614) 525-6200.