Age Out Loud During Older Americans Month

May 5, 2017

Older Americans Month 2017 logo

Posted May 5, 2017

NASW invites social workers to join and promote the celebration of Older Americans Month (OAM). Established in 1963 and coordinated by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), OAM celebrates the contributions older adults make to society.

The theme for OAM 2017 is Age Out Loud. This theme emphasizes the ways in which older adults live with boldness and passion, inviting people of all ages to learn about how older adults are redefining aging. ACL offers OAM 2017 materials, activity ideas, resources, and stories to enhance your OAA celebration.

During OAM 2017, NASW will continue its advocacy to eliminate barriers that limit older adults’ participation in society. For example, the association is submitting two sets of comments to ACL this month. One letter will advocate for retention of data collection regarding sexual orientation and gender identity within the National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants. The other letter will express support for, and recommendations to enhance, ACL’s draft Principles for a Person-Centered Approach to Serious or Advanced Illness. NASW will post these comments to its advocacy microsite in late May.

NASW 2017 VIrtual Conference logoNASW is also celebrating OAM 2017 by planning its first fully virtual conference, Aging Through the Social Work LensThe conference, which will take place on June 14 and 15, features plenaries highlighting the Aging Network, trauma-informed practice with older adults, health care social work with older adults, and reframing aging and elder abuse. Breakouts will address the following topics as they relate to aging: assessment, HIV/AIDS, interdisciplinary collaboration, the LGBTQ landscape, palliative care, self-neglect, technology, and mental and behavioral health.

NASW welcomes feedback about how you are observing OAM 2017 in your own community.

#OAM17 #AgeOutLoud

NASW Resources Related to OAM

Aging practice tools, resources, and announcements

Standards for Social Work Practice with Family Caregivers of Older Adults

Standards for Social Work Practice in Health Care Settings

Standards and Indicators for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice

Continuing education (CE): 2017 NASW Virtual Conference, Aging Through the Social Work Lens; other national CE programs; chapter-level CE programs

Aging Specialty Practice Section: benefits include May 24 Webinar on ethical considerations in working with older adults, access to archived Webinars on aging, and newsletters

Advanced practice specialty credentials in gerontological social work

NASW Press books and eBooks

Hartford–NASW Supervisory Leaders in Aging initiative

Consumer-friendly information about aging on Help Starts Here™

Find a Social Worker: online databases

Flyer of NASW resources related to aging

Related Initiatives in Which NASW Participates

CARF International Advisory Council

Center for Advancing Holocaust Survivor Care Review Committee

Center for Excellence in Assisted Living Advisory Council

Coalition for Quality in Geriatric Surgery

Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation

Eldercare Workforce Alliance

Friends of the National Institute on Aging

Go4Life®

Jimmo Implementation Council

The Joint Commission Professional and Technical Advisory Committees for Behavioral Health, Home Care, and Nursing Care Center accreditation programs

Leadership Council of Aging Organizations

Malnutrition Quality Collaborative

National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging

Reframing Elder Abuse Stakeholder Advisory Committee (National Center on Elder Abuse and the FrameWorks Institute)

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Third Global Summit

Other Resources Related to OAM & Aging

Benefits CheckUp®

Eldercare Locator

NIH Health and Aging; National Institute on Aging information on health and aging

U.S. Census Bureau statistics for OAM 2017; other federal data and statistics regarding aging

U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging

Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work

Council on Social Work Education Gero-Ed Center

Nursing Home Social Work Network

Chris Herman, MSW, LICSW

NASW Senior Practice Associate

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