May is Older Americans Month. Established in 1963, it was designated as a time to celebrate and acknowledge senior citizens for their past and current contributions to their communities and the country at large.

Today, one in six Americans is at least 60 years of age, according to the Administration on Aging. Maine is currently the oldest state in the nation – and, in my opinion, proud of it. Seniors are our link to the past and an inspiration of what can be accomplished in the future.

Every year, the United States Administration on Aging has a different theme for the month.

“This year’s theme, ‘Choices for Independence,’ reflects the continued commitment of the AoA and Eastern Agency on Aging to help older adults to achieve healthy aging,” said Val Sauda, director of outreach at EAA.

“Independence for adults as they age relies on a balance,” she said. “Empowerment in consumer choice, and a healthy lifestyle that emphasizes good nutrition, physical activity, preventative medicine and active participation in their own health care are important elements. Access to the tools necessary to make informed decisions is also very important.

“All of these things combined help older persons maintain their dignity,” Sauda said, “while providing them with more opportunities to live longer independently and contributing to the communities in which they live, and often have for all of their lives.”

In 1965, as the numbers of seniors across the country continued to grow, the Older Americans Act was established in hopes of meeting the varied needs of this population.

“This act created the primary vehicle for organizing, coordinating and providing community-based services and opportunities for older citizens and their families,” said Sauda. “It also established the Area Agency on Aging system, at least one of which is in every state. These agencies provide services and programs to help seniors live well and age well. We at EAA are proud to be part of that goal.”

Along with seniors, caregivers of aging loved ones were taken into consideration, and the Older Americans Act Amendments were signed into law on Nov. 13, 2000.

“The final measure of this act preserves and strengthens many of the essential programs that enable older persons to live independently, and the re-authorized act contains the National Family Caregiver Support Program, which will help hundreds of thousands of family caregivers of older loved ones who are ill or who have disabilities,” said Sauda.

“Family caregivers have always been the mainstay underpinning long-term care for older Americans,” she said. “Among seniors ‘aging in place’ and needing assistance with activities of daily living, two-thirds depend solely on family and friends and another one-fourth supplement the care provided by their families with services from paid providers. Only a little more than 5 percent rely exclusively on paid services.”

The Family Caregiver Support program includes the following areas:

. Information to caregivers about available services.

. Assistance to caregivers in gaining access to the services.

. Individual counseling, organization of support groups and caregiver training to caregivers to assist them in making decisions and solving problems relating care giving.

. Respite care to enable caregivers to be temporarily relieved from their care-giving responsibilities.

. Supplemental services, on a limited basis, to complement the care provided by caregivers.

“The Family Caregiver Support program also recognizes the needs of grandparents who are sole caregivers of grandchildren, and of older persons caring for a disabled or mentally impaired child,” said Sauda. “Currently there are about 5,000 ‘grandfamilies’ in Maine. And Eastern Agency is available to help these caregivers as well.”

So Happy Older Americans Month. Go out and give a hug of appreciation to a senior – preferably one you know.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA, call 941-2865, e-mail info@eaaa.org, or log on www.eaaa.org.