Advocate for Older Adults

May is Older

Americans Month

Everyone benefits when older adults are active and engaged in their communities.

When older adults mentor the intergenerational leaders of tomorrow, young minds are inspired and guided. Active aging in the United States calls for a new conception of social and community roles.

May 2011 / Issue 3

Dear MAAA News Readers,

In these days of extremes where compromise and solutions are not yet on the horizon, there is at least one certainty. Time marches on and the older population swells a bit more every hour. Spouses, partners and adult children become caregivers. Neighbors pitch in to help like never before. People have a growing need for information and services. As a result, the core work of MAAA's service provider partners and of the Senior LinkAge Line® is more important than ever.

You'll find information in this issue outlining the tremendous breadth and amount of service that the Older Americans Act and State funds support to help older adults live at home with some measure of dignity.

As Older Americans Month unfolds and the Legislature continues to identify strategies to meet a challenging budget situation, let policymakers know that the older adults you serve could not live at home without support and care.

Make each day in May an opportunity to honor the past and ongoing contributions of a most vital segment of our communities.

Dawn Simonson

Sincerely,

Dawn Simonson, Executive Director

Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging

Older Americans Month: Connecting the Community

Every May since 1963, people in towns and cities across the country have come together to celebrate the enormous contributions of older Americans born of wisdom, experience, and the will to realize their dreams and speak their minds. Older Americans Month is our chance to show appreciation and to support older adults as they continue to enrich and strengthen our communities.

Click here to learn more.

MAAA 2011 Funding Recipients

As the designated area agency on aging for the seven county Metro Region, MAAA funds services through the Older Americans Act and nutrition dollars from the State of Minnesota.

Priority service areas for the region include: legal services, transportation, special access and outreach, respite services, chore services, senior nutrition services, grocery delivery, health promotion and disease prevention, medication management, and family caregiver support. Click here to view 2011 MAAA funding priorities and recipients.

Affordable Care Act Information

President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (known as ACA or health care reform) into law on March 23, 2010. The law focuses on reforming the private health insurance market, providing additional coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, improving prescription drug coverage in Medicare, and extending the Medicare Trust fund by 12 years. Explore how this Act impacts older adults.

Shelley Joseph-Kordell Award Nominations

The Shelley Joseph-Kordell Award was established by the Hennepin County Commissioners in 2004. In 2009, County Commissioners created a second award to honor an "unsung hero" whose work has had an impact on individual clients or has transformed his/her workplace. Find out how to nominate an inidividual or agency in 2011.

2011 MAAA Officers and Board Members

As a federally funded and state designated area agency on aging, the MAAA is accountable for the stewardship and distribution of public funds, the provision of information about services and benefits, and advocacy on behalf of older persons in accordance with the Older Americans Act. The MAAA board of directors serves in a key governance role. Click here to view our current board member composition.

Lifetime Housing Workshop & Exhibit

An array of innovative home design and technology products are available to consumers to support independent living. On May 11 at the Goldstein Museum of Design, University of Minnesota, Lyn Bruin, Ph.D. will share innovative design and technology products that allow older aduts and others to live comfortably at home as long as possible. Click here to register and learn more about the Smart House project.