Spring is in full bloom and as the weather warms up, it will be summer before we know it! While you plan your trips and family get-togethers, we ask that you take time to remember your aging friends and family. Everyone from Eastern Oklahoma Development District Area Agency on Aging and your local Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, hopes all can take time to enjoy the great outdoors, while remembering that not all in our community are able or well to join due to various limitations in their lives.

Every year, May is Older Americans Month, with 2024’s theme being Powered by Connection. This is to highlight how meaningful relationships and social connections can have a great impact on health and wellbeing. Originally designated by President John F. Kennedy as Senior Citizen Month in 1963, it has always been about celebrating our aging populations and their contributions to our country. Now more than ever before the possibilities of ways to connect are endless and become more accessible day by day.

The Long-Term Care Ombudsmen role is to advocate for residents in long-term care facilities to ensure their needs are being met. Although we do in-person visits, we are limited in time, and we encourage community engagement which can create positive impacts on the lives of residents. They deserve to be heard and have a voice throughout their life’s journey. It is important we recognize that residents have wisdom and stories to share that must not go unheard.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding long-term care, or how you can make a difference in someone’s life, please feel free to contact your local ombudsman at Eastern Oklahoma Development District (EODD) Area Agency on Aging: Dominique Bonilla 918-682-7891.