22-129 Older Americans Month resolution

27:15Okay. Is anyone here for Older Americans Month in Pasco County? Please step up to the podium.

27:27Okay, I'll go ahead and read the resolution. Resolution number twenty-two dash one two nine, a resolution by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, declaring May as older Americans month in Pasco County. Whereas there are more adults reaching retirement age and remaining strong and active than ever before. And whereas older Americans are a vital part of Pasco County's geographic makeup. And RAS Pasco County includes a growing number of older Americans who contribute their strength, wisdom, and experience to our community. And RAS

27:57communities benefit from people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds are welcomed, included, and supported. And RAS older adults are entitled to dignified, independent lives free from fears, myths, and misconceptions about aging. Pasco County and the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco and Pinellas recognize the need to create a community that provides services to support older Americans' needs to thrive and live independently as long as possible.

28:28NRES, every citizen in Pasco County should strive to recognize, understand, and address the evolving needs of older adults. NRES, our society is dependent upon integration. Cooperation and benefits from our collective efforts to serve older adults and the people who love and care for them. And whereas Pasco County and the Area Agency of Aging of Pasco and Pinellas work together to build an even better community for our older residents by planning programs that encourage independence, ensuring activities

28:58are responsive to individual needs, and increasing access to services. Services that support aging and aging in place, and whereas older adults deserve to be recognized for the contributions they have made and will continue to make to the culture, economy, and character of our community and our nation. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, that said board hereby declares May as older Americans month and urges every resident to recognize the contributions of their older citizens. Help to create an inclusive society and join

29:29efforts to support older Americans' choices about how they age in their communities. Done and resolved in regular session with a quorum president and voting and voting this seventeenth day of May twenty twenty two. Second. All in favor?

29:42Aye.

29:43Aye. Opposed? Okay, passes. Congratulations. If you want to address the board, it's great seeing you.

29:50Nice to see you too, Chair Starkey. I'd like to thank the Board of County Commissioners, in particular, Christina Fitzpatrick, Commissioner Fitzpatrick sits on our board to ensure that the needs of seniors in Pasco County are being met. Last year, together with everybody standing with me, we served 67,500 seniors and made sure they did not. not go into nursing homes, that they were able to enjoy the beauty of Pasco and Pinellas and live lives that are safe, independent, and healthy. And I'd like to thank you very much for naming May Older Americans

30:20Month. Thank you very much.

30:22Wonderful.

30:22All right. Um Commissioner.

30:25Yeah. Well quick word and I'll just come down. We'll do the same thing.

30:29Um I had the opportunity to serve on the uh Fuller Department of Elder Affairs appointed by Speaker Weatherford before I was on this commission. Obviously very spent a lot of time over s helping to oversee the area agency for agencies on aging throughout the state of Florida. And Jim knows this um of my background being in the home health industry. Um and caring for thousands and thousands of Mostly older Americans. We understand the importance of ev obviously everything that each and every one of you do. You

31:00know, times have changed though, right? Well uh what is an older American these days? I mean right? I mean seriously, what it what is? I mean we think about it, you know, p there's people in their eighties and nineties that are just as active as every one of us that are sitting up on this dais now. So I mean I have gray hair, you know, I'm in you know it I I'm getting there myself, right? Yeah, it's the job, right? I didn't have gray hair when I became a commissioner. Just

31:24kidding.

31:25Um But no, we again, you know, it times are different now, right? So I it it's hard for me to have a distinction of really what we think about a as an older American is these days. Again, people are are living longer, people are are willing and wanting to work longer to stay active. So, um, you know, we we appreciate everything you're doing and and keep up the good work and uh You know, congratulations on everything you do. We appreciate it. And I I'm gonna come down and just um we'll do the we'll do what we did last time.

31:55Oh yeah, uh Commissioner Fitzpatrick.

31:57Thank you. As a member of the board, I really do enjoy coming to the meetings and participating. The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas has been partnering with Pasco County for over thirty years, and together we've been able to prevent seniors going into nursing home placements. We provide home delivered meals to seniors, activities to senior centers, transportation to doctors with and also helped with utilities. We're appreciative of the funding the provided by the Area Agency on Aging, Pasco Penellas, and look forward to working together for many

32:28more years. And I appreciate everything you do. Thank you.

32:31Madam Chairman Mariano I guess I say you guys all do a phenomenal job. Um and Gemeth, the way you approach everybody to try to get them to help and and know what the great work that's done for the seniors in this whole area and both sides of the county is just amazing. So appreciate you all.

32:48Thank you. All right, we're gonna take a photo and we'll stand up behind.

32:52Oh young guys.

32:55And who else who wants to, I just I'm standing up. So I don't know if the one with that. Here's the here's the one with the flag.

33:02You got two commissioners coming down.

33:04Oh

33:05great. Good.

33:06I thought we were standing behind because there's so many people.

33:08I said they could do whatever they wanted.

33:12We need a we need a couple over here.

33:14No, wait, there's a space between that.

33:21All right, Ryan first

33:22and then me. Everybody look at Ryan. Right here, please. Thanks. All right, one, two,

33:27three.

33:30Perfect, thank you. Yeah, look at the ending.

33:39Thank you. Thank you all. Thank you all.

33:47Thank you.

33:50This is yours now. Yep.