Do you dream of a long life filled with memories of your accomplishments, content that you did your best to make the world a little bit better, making choices to be involved in your life until your last day?

Throughout our communities, the dream is multiplied by the thousands.

The dreams of our parents and grandparents are expressed all around us in the businesses, housing, schools and recreation that are available to us across the region.

We are able to experience their knowledge, their values, and understand their life experiences when we take the time to listen.

We have shared experiences across the generations, teaching and mentoring our children and grandchildren to dream and to create their own lives.

Each year during the month of May, we have the opportunity to celebrate Older Americans Month and celebrate the creations and dreams of our elders. This year’s theme, which has been selected by the Administration on Aging, is “Working Together for Strong, Healthy, and Supportive Communities.”

Building communities is a theme which certainly resonates in Oregon. We have excelled at balancing growth with quality of life. We value the strength of the individual as well as the value of our community.

When the first of the 78 million Baby Boomers begin to transition into retirement, there will be an expansion of the number of elders that will continue for decades.

By 2025, Oregon’s population will be the fourth-oldest in the nation.

During Older Americans Month, we are reminded that now is the time to plan for our communities as we become one of the states with the oldest population in the nation 17 years from now.

This is the time to begin to examine how we encourage making lifestyle choices that reduce the risk of disease, disability and injury.

We must expand our ability to become better informed about financial planning tools that will assist in making our retirement financially possible.

We need to ask for better health and long-term care options in the community as well as retain our strong value on having the option to be at home for as long as possible as we age and need more supports.

For the fourth year, Senior and Disability Services, along with our community partners, is offering you an opportunity to visit the Living Well, Aging Well Health Expo.

The expo is a free educational event where you can talk to professionals in a relaxed environment.

There will be a series of health screenings provided by the Lions Mobile Health Screening Unit. There will be informational booths with a wide range of aging professionals who offer services and education.

We have a speaker series throughout the day, which will help you with nutrition concerns, hearing concerns and fall prevention basics.

This year we have the services of licensed massage therapists who will provide free chair massages. And through the OSU Master Gardener Program and the OSU Extension Service, we will have presentations during the day on container gardening and cooking demonstrations geared to help you cook healthy meals.

It will be an exciting and informative day at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center on May 14. I hope that you will plan to join us for the day and celebrate Older Americans Month by participating in a class or listening to one of our speakers.

Our community has wonderful resources to support healthy aging, a productive life, and an opportunity to make your dream come true.

Scott Bond is the director of Senior and Disability Services for Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments, the Area Agency on Aging for Benton, Linn, and Lincoln counties. He can be reached at 541-812-6008 or by e-mail at sbond@ocwcog.org.

GT Reader Comments

The comments below are from readers of gazettetimes.com and in no way represent the views of the Gazette Times or Lee Enterprises.

*Member ID: *Password: Remember login? (requires cookies)   You must be logged in to comment. It's free and quick!