50+ Lifestyles

May is Older Americans Month

By the CASI staff

In May each year, we are reminded of the opportunity to recognize and honor older adults in our community during Older Americans Month. At CASI, many factors motivate and drive our mission of service to our Quad Cities’ seniors day in and day out. Here are just a few: one in four adults in the Quad Cities will be over the age of 60 by 2025; per the U.S. Census Bureau, the fastest growing segment in our population is senior adults and there has been a 38% increase in the older population in Scott County over the last ten years; there are more than 30,000 Quad Citizens over the age of 65; every seven seconds another adult is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease; and roughly 40% of the older adults in our community live alone.

For fifty years, CASI has diligently planned our work to make a difference in seniors’ lives. Through our three pillars of service, Senior Advocacy, Jane’s Place Adult Day Service, and our Kimberly Road Activity Center, we address key concerns of older adults throughout the year. A few factors which make our work of value include: individuals living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias who have access to Adult Day Services remain independent in their homes for up to 18 to 24 months longer than their peers without access to these services; allegations and incidents of abuse/neglect are significantly reduced when caregivers have access to the respite services offered through Adult Day Service programs; each year, safe and secure care is provided for over 70 individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease/dementia through the Jane’s Place Adult Day Services program, and their caregivers have time for their needs; more than 90% of CASI’s Senior Advocacy clients remained independent in their homes at the end of the last fiscal year and this independent status significantly decreases the long-term care costs for our community; socialization is known to be the #1 predictor of not only successful aging but success in living longer; we are able to serve close to 2,500 seniors through our Senior Advocacy program each year at no cost to them and volunteers find purpose at CASI, keep their minds sharp and feel needed, plus they provide over 30,000 hours of service each year to support our mission.  The list could go on, but you no doubt can see that each of our service areas are critical to our community.

Honoring older adults should be a priority for each of us.  They are the elders of our time who carry with them experience and wisdom from the past. How we treat our senior population says a lot about who we are as a culture. When we are dismissive of or treat our older generations as irrelevant, we are losing out on everything that they have to offer. During Older Americans Month, we hope that you will join us in recognizing that older adults have lived six or more decades and have gone through a wide spectrum of difficulties and life situations through which they have learned important lessons. When problems arise, and they will, consulting an older adult will open different thoughts and often great ideas!

Older adults have gone through so much change in their lifetime. Many have witnessed or experienced wars, recessions, and their aftermath. They’ve been there for the growth and rise of modern innovations and ideas. They’ve lived through deaths, breakups, divorce, and so much more. Despite it all, they’re still around.  There are certainly important lessons to be learned from them if we listen.

Our communities’ seniors play important roles in our lives and society. We are not all promised to grow old, but at CASI we are honored to focus on our mission to assist seniors to age well, with dignity, and help them to practice healthy habits and lifestyles.  With age comes experience, confidence, wisdom, and the ability to pass our knowledge forward. Old age isn’t a disease that should be feared or avoided. It’s the natural order of things and should be celebrated.

We invite you to stop by CASI at 1035 W. Kimberly Road, Davenport, during May- Older Americans Month, and discover ways that you could reimagine your own aging.  See you soon!

CASI is located at 1035 W. Kimberly Road, Davenport, IA  52806. For information call (563) 386.7477 or email info@CASIseniors.org.