White House Conference on Aging Will Be July 13

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At the White House Conference on Aging regional forum in Boston Thursday, U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell announced that the 2015 national Conference will be held on July 13 at the White House. That’s of particular interest for Connecticut, the state with the nation’s 7th oldest population.   logo-WHCOA2015 The July event is part of a year-long effort to listen, learn, and share with older adults, their families, their caregivers, community leaders, and experts in the aging field on how to best address the changing landscape of aging in the coming decade, officials said. Since the 1960’s the White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA), held about once a decade, has helped to drive national policy.

According to Nora Super, Executive Director of the WHCOA, “The 2015 Conference seeks to embrace the transformative demographic shift occurring in the United States to recognize the possibilities, rather than the limitations of aging.”  65

At a Connecticut State Capitol hearing, dubbed a "listening session" for the WHCOA, earlier this month, (CT-N video) among the statistics highlighted were:

  • Connecticut is undergoing a “permanent and historic transformation” in its demographics
  • Between 2010 and 2040, Connecticut’s population of people age 65 and older is projected to grow by 57%, with less than 2% growth for people age 20 to 64 during the same period
  • Residents born in Connecticut today can expect to live to be 80.8 years old—the third highest life expectancy in the nation.
  • In Connecticut’s 65 to 69 year-old age group, 39% are in the labor force, as are 21% of Connecticut residents aged 70–74, and 7% of those 75 years and over. These rates are among the highest in the country

Testimony at the State Capitol hearing, co-sponsored by the state Department of Aging and the Legislative Committee on Aging, will be shared with officials planning the White House Conference.

Common themes that have emerged as the five regional hearings proceeded, according to officials, include: how to ensure we prepare for financial needs in retireph-kissing-couple-320ment; how to remain healthy as we age; what types of services and supports can help older Americans remain independent in the community as we age; and how to support this care and the caregivers who provided it; and how to protect older Americans from financial exploitation, abuse and neglect.

Federal officials are urging Americans of all ages to get involved in the July 13 White House Conference on Aging, by:

  • Watching the event, which will be live streamed
  • Hosting watch party (PDF)
  • Participating in Q&A using Twitter (Tweet questions using #WHCOA , and they will be shared with panels at the conference.)
  • Interviewing someone of a different generation using the StoryCorps appquestion
  • Completing the sentence: “Getting older is getting better because....” and sending us your answer via Twitter using #WHCOA (People are asked to download a form, fill in their answer, take a photo, and send it back via Twitter using #WHCOA.)

Policy briefs on Retirement Security, Healthy Aging, Elder Justice, and Long-Term Services and Supports, have been released for public review and comment. Americans are living longer than ever before. In 2012, officials noted, life expectancy at birth in the United States reached a record high of 78.8 years. A 65 year-old man can expect to live another 17 years and a 65 year-old woman another 20 years.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Older Americans Act, as well as the 80th anniversary of Social Security.  Leading up to the July 13 conference, regional sessions were held in Tampa, Phoenix, Seattle, Cleveland and Boston.

https://youtu.be/gdAWa6wNYXs