August Special Feature

August is National Eye Exam Month.

As we get older it is important to get our eyes checked to screen for diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma.

For the August Special Feature we would like to highlight "August is National Eye Exam Month" from American Eye Associates.

Read the Full Article Here

November Special Feature

November is National Family Caregivers Month! Please join in recognizing and honoring family caregivers in East Central Illinois. Celebrating family caregivers during National Family Caregiver Month gives us a chance to celebrate the efforts taken to support the estimated 1.3 million caregivers in Illinois. Their collective effort results in 1.23 billion hours of unpaid care annually at an economic value of $21 billion. Please take a minute to review the following:

Raise Awareness of Family Caregiver Issues: Illinois Family Caregiver Resolution. On November 10, 2023, the Illinois Family Caregiver Resolution was filed as HR506 by the Illinois General Assembly. This is the first time Illinois has adopted a Resolution recognizing the estimated 1.3 million Illinois family caregivers providing care to care-recipients to help make it possible for older adults, people with disabilities and veterans to live independently in their homes and communities, and they are the backbone of the care system in Illinois and across the United States. We wish to thank AARP, Illinois Association of Area Agencies on Aging (I4A), and the Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition for launching this effort. View the Illinois Resolution .
Presidential Proclamation 2023: On October 31, President Biden Proclaimed November 2023 as National Family Caregiver Month. In a press release, President Biden recognized the love and sacrifice of millions of American caregivers by stating… “Let us celebrate and honor our caregivers and renew our efforts to protect their dignity, health and security. Because when we care for caregivers, we honor our American ideals and mover closer to a future where not one in this Nation is left behind.” View the President’s Proclamation.
Celebrate the Efforts of Family Caregivers: On September 20, 2023, ECIAAA proudly recognized our nine (9) Caregiver Advisory Programs, sixteen (16) Caregiver Advisors (staff), and ten (10) Caregiver Champions (5 family caregivers and 5 grandparents/relatives raising grandchildren/children) during the Annual Luncheon. During FY 2022, the ECIAAA Caregiver Advisory Programs served over 1,100 caregivers and grandparents/relatives raising grandchildren/children. View ECIAAA’s presenta tion honoring the Caregiver Advisory Programs and Caregiver Champions.
Educate Family Caregivers About Self-Identification: As a member of the Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition (IFCC) and under the leadership of Amy Brennan, IFCC Director, we are working with many partner agencies to better target the estimated 1.3 million family caregivers in Illinois. We are working on ways to refine our messaging – so help family caregivers recognize that they are caregivers and are eligible to receive supportive services. To support our cause, please join the Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition .

Increase Support for Family Caregivers: ECIAAA, in conjunction with I4A and the Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition, interviewed twenty-five family caregivers across Illinois. The stories were extremely powerful as they described each caregiver’s journey. In addition, we used the stories to help with I4A’s advocacy efforts to increase funding support through the Illinois General Assembly and U.S. Congress. View the synopsis of Illinois Family Caregiver Stories collected during 2023.
Reduce Feelings of Isolation: ECIAAA has launched several pilot projects to help reduce social isolation among older adults, including family caregivers. Plus, we currently fund the Stress Busting for Family Caregivers program. In addition, ECIAAA has adopted as a local initiative, the development and designation of Dementia Friendly America Communities in East Central Illinois. Finally, we value our partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association in bringing programs and support to family caregivers of older adults with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias.

Graphics for Social Media Posts: Please utilize the variety of social media graphics down below to promote National Family Caregivers Month with us!

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Be Safe & Be Well – Happy National Family Caregivers Month!

Caregiver Action Network is proud to be the organization that sets the theme for National Family Caregivers Month each year. Please click on the image above to learn more and promote National Family Caregivers Month with a variety of social media graphics!

May Special Feature

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Established in 1963, Older Americans Month (OAM) is celebrated every May. Led by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), OAM is a time for us to acknowledge the contributions and achievements of older Americans, highlight important trends, and strengthen our commitment to honoring our older citizens.

This year’s theme, Aging Unbound, offers an opportunity to explore a wide range of aging experiences and to promote the importance of enjoying independence and fulfillment by paving our own paths as we age.

This May, join ECIAAA as we recognize the 60^th anniversary of OAM and challenge the narrative on aging. Here are some ways we can all participate in Aging Unbound:

Embrace the opportunity to change. Find a new passion, go on an adventure, and push boundaries by not letting age define your limits. Invite creativity and purpose into your life by trying new activities in your community to bring in more growth, joy, and energy.
Explore the rewards of growing older. With age comes knowledge, which provides insight and confidence to understand and experience the world more deeply. Continue to grow that knowledge through reading, listening, classes, and creative activities.
Stay engaged in your community. Everyone benefits when everyone is connected and involved. Stay active by volunteering, working, mentoring, participating in social clubs, and taking part in activities at your local senior center or elsewhere in the community.
Form relationships. As an essential ingredient of well-being, relationships can enhance your quality of life by introducing new ideas and unique perspectives. Invest time with people to discover deeper connections with family, friends, and community members.

ECIAAA is proud to support the National Center to Reframe Aging (NCRA) Reframing Aging Initiative. The Reframing Aging movement is a long-term social change endeavor designed to improve the public’s understanding of what aging means and the many ways that older people contribute to our society. This greater understanding will counter ageism and guide our nation’s approach to ensuring supportive policies and programs for us all as we move through the life course. Lean more about the initiative at https://www.reframingaging.org/.

For more information, visit the official OAM website, follow ACL on Twitter and Facebook, and join the conversation using #OlderAmericansMonth.

June Special Feature

Happy Pride Month!

For our June special feature we would like to highlight the experience and advice of our LGBTQ+ Elders with the Washington Post Article "LGBTQ youth want role models. Queer Elders have a lot of advice.

Excerpt:

When I think back to coming of age as a queer man, I most remember the lack of “possibility models.” I had no idea what my life could look like.

I had never seen — in real life or media — positive reflections of what it meant to grow old as a member of the LGBT+ community. Growing up in the shadow of a generation of gay men who were lost to the AIDS epidemic, I longed for something that said: You can grow old. Life will be okay.

The challenge of generational isolation is common in today’s queer youth. Young queer people without positive role models are at much higher risk for “psychological distress” in their adolescence and depression in adulthood.

When the Trevor Project, a nonprofit that provides information and crisis support to LGBTQ youth, asked young people what brings them joy, respondents consistently pointed toward examples of the future. They cited things such as, “Happy LGBT Elders,” “Queer role models” and “Learning I’m not alone and that there are more people like me” as sources of hope

Read the Full Article on the Washington Post

July Special Feature

July is Disability Pride Month!

July marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act which was passed July 26, 1990.

In honor of Disability Pride Month we would like to highlight "Everything to Know About the Disability Pride Flag and Disability Pride Month" by Jamie Ballard from woman's day as our July Special Feature.

Read the Full Article Here

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