Table of Contents
Celebrating
& Supporting Our Living Treasures
Each
May, the District of Columbia joins the nation in celebrating ‘Older Americans
Month.’ Designated in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy, this is a month
when we pay tribute to our older friends, family and neighbors. The theme
this year is ‘Blazing a Trail,’ in recognition of the many contributions our
elders have made to our country, and to our society.
We
have some great activities lined up for Older Americans Month, including senior
proms, senior games, forums, art shows and community days. Our seniors
are central to the vibrancy and success of our city, and I look forward to
honoring you. I hope you’ll come out and join me and members of my team at
events in all 8 Wards, as we celebrate the diverse and invaluable contributions
of our older residents. You can find a list of events at DCOA’s website at http://dcoa.dc.gov/.
Here
in DC, we don’t just honor our seniors during May. We honor them every
single month by creating an environment in which they can thrive. As
Mayor, I am focused on making the District a world class, age-friendly
city. It is our creed that any person, of any age, should be able to have
a great life in DC – whether you’ve been here for five minutes, or five
generations. We are proud that DC has one of the most active and widely
recognized age-friendly efforts in the world. We are constantly looking
for new ways to support our older residents, so that people can live
independently - in their homes and communities - as long as they choose.
Read full message.
 The District saluted 22 centenarians at a luncheon held to celebrate the oldest residents of the city. Eleanor Valentine who will turn 108 in October was the oldest honoree present. Mayor Bowser was on hand to greet the centenarians and each honoree was given a medallion to celebrate their milestone.
The oldest registered centenarian with the Office on Aging is Ward 4 resident Betsy Stanford who was born in 1903. There is estimated to be more than 300 centenarians in the District of Columbia.
Photo Gallery.
Participants of the Saturday Respite Program (SRP) at the Washington Seniors Wellness Center created collages/scrapbooks as part
of their memory care group activity. They used pictures of themselves
at various ages, family, and friends and shared stories of past
events related to the pictures with each other and staff at SRP.
After
lunch and social hour with other senior wellness center participants, the
program participants engaged in games and social activities that demonstrated their team spirit.
If you are caring for a loved one who is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Related Dementia or other disorders and need a 4-hour break, consider enrolling your loved one in the Saturday Respite Program today! Call 202-724-5626 or visit dcoa.dc.gov for more information.
Save the date for the next Ms. Senior D.C. Pageant scheduled for Sunday, June 26, 2016 at the University of the District of Columbia, 4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW., Main Auditorium, Building 46. Call 202-724-5622 for more information or visit dcoa.dc.gov.
The Ms. Senior D.C. Pageant is presented by the Office on Aging, the Senior Service Network and the DC Seniors Cameo Club.
 The topic for the next D.C. Caregivers Online Chat at Noon on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 is "Caregiving for an Older Adult." Log on for advice, resources and tips to assist you with your caregiving responsibilities. If you are not available at 12 p.m., check back at your convenience and hit replay to see the entire chat. Join next week's discussion at www.dcoa.dc.gov/page/caregiver-chat.
For more information, contact Linda Irizarry at 202-535-1442 or linda.irizarry@dc.gov.
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 The 2016 DC Senior Games hosted by the Department of Parks and Recreation opened this week with a ceremony at the Howard Theatre. Athletes and spectators were greeted by officials including DCOA Executive Director Laura Newland. Participants will be competing in various events in track and field, swimming, field events and more. For a complete listing visit www.dpr.dc.gov.
View the photo gallery from the opening here.
DCOA has two job openings, Data Quality Assurance Coordinator and Public Information Officer. Call DC Department of Human Resources for general information at 202-442-9700 or visit dchr.dc.gov.
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