Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Dear Friends,
May is Older Americans Month, the perfect time to celebrate one of Arizona’s greatest resources – our elders.
In 2012, Arizona will reach a landmark: 100 years of statehood. In those 100 years, our state’s dynamics and demographics have changed dramatically, and are still changing. At the beginning of the last century, the average life span was 47 years, with few people living past the age of 75. Today, most of us will live close to 80 years, with one out of every nine baby boomers expected to live to be at least age 90.
This month, I am hosting a series of Older Americans Month events across the state, and I invite you to join me as we celebrate the achievements of older Arizonans and acknowledge the important role our elders play in our communities and our own lives. During each event, I will visit with you about new resources available to help you get the most out of your health care visits, as well as new opportunities for seniors looking for paid work or for volunteer opportunities.
These events are scheduled for:
| May 12 |
Granite Reef Senior Center, Scottsdale |
| May 14-16 |
Governor’s Conference on Aging, Mesa |
| May 21 |
Lake Havasu Senior Center, Lake Havasu (A.M.)
Yavapai Community College, Prescott (P.M.) |
| May 23 |
Stepping Stone Community Center, Phoenix |
| May 27 |
Surprise Senior Center, Surprise |
| May 29 |
Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center, North Tucson |
One of the highlights of Older Americans Month is the 14th Governor’s Conference on Aging, May 14-16, at the Mesa Convention Center. The theme for this year’s conference is “Myth Busters: Breaking the Myths of Aging.” More than 30 sessions will challenge current societal myths and misperceptions about aging, while debunking conventional roles assigned to older adults, and explore what it truly means to “age” in our communities. For more information about attending the conference, visit www.azagingconf.com, or you can visit my Web site at www.azgovernor.gov.
Our seniors are a vibrant and important part of Arizona and deserve our support as they live active, independent lives well into old age.
As always, I appreciate your input, and encourage you to call my office at 602.542.1318 if you have questions or thoughts to share.
Yours very truly,
Janet Napolitano
Governor |
