The Joy of Older Adults!

Cindy Murphy
May 11
6 min read

Episode #21: This week, the "Living Smaller & Loving It!" downsizing blog honors our older adults. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy officially designated May as National Older Americans Month.

Let's take time to show some love to the older adults in our lives!

As always, please see our ANNOUNCEMENTS at the bottom of the page.

History of Older Americans Month.

When Older Americans Month was established in 1963, only 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthday. About a third of older Americans lived in poverty, and there were few programs to meet their needs. Interest in older Americans and their concerns was growing.

A meeting in April 1963 between President John F. Kennedy and members of the National Council of Senior Citizens led to the designation of May as “Senior Citizens Month,” the prelude to “Older Americans Month.”

Historically, Older Americans Month has been a time to acknowledge the contributions of older persons, past and present, particularly those who have served our country. Every President since Kennedy has issued a formal proclamation in May, asking the entire nation to pay tribute in some way to older persons in their communities.

Older Americans Month is celebrated across the country through ceremonies, events, fairs, and other such activities.

Volunteering, no matter your age, is another way to support older adults in the community. Below is a link from AARP that covers do-it-yourself projects.

DIY Volunteer Guides to Help Lead a

Successful Project

Help Older Adults Prevent Social Isolation
Help Someone Access Public Benefit Programs
Help Someone Get the Food They Need
Home Safety Tips and Tools
Lead a Group Visit to a Long-Term Care Facility
Help Individuals Manage Their Medications
Start a Walking Group
Start or Join a Community Garden
Take a Loved One to the Doctor

Source: AARP

Did you know...

Our senior population (65+) in the U.S. is 55 million* and as a group, would solely populate Oregon, Texas, and Florida based on the reported populations of each state (*2020 Census). That's a HUGE number of older Americans.

The State with the highest senior population is Maine.

There are more than 55,000 seniors in the U.S. over age 100, and by 2050, the number of Centenarians is expected to top 600,000. This is roughly the population of Vermont.

More than 10,000 Baby Boomers (1946-1964) turn 65-years-old every day.

Recent studies show that more than half (approx. 27.5 million) of all U.S. seniors are active online.

Older adults aged 85 and up are the fastest-growing age group in the U.S.

There are more than 11,400 senior citizen centers across the U.S. that serve more than 1 million older adults every day. The average age of a senior center participant is 75.

Seniors account for 40% of all drug prescriptions (not a fun fact, but worthy of serious discussion).

More than 15 million older adults are formally recognized as volunteers. Nearly half of all seniors volunteer in some capacity.

Studies show that physical activity can slow the aging process.

Three significant benefits of social connection for seniors include:

A sense of purpose. Increased self-worth. Better physical and mental health.

Take some quality time this month to celebrate the older adults in your life. Here are a few "I'm so glad you are part of my life" appreciation ideas:

A phone call or in-person visit without a time limit. Make the visit all about them and what they've been doing or are planning. (Put your phone away and listen.)
A card (mailed or hand-delivered) with a handwritten message telling them how much they mean to you. A handwritten letter is also a wonderful way to show appreciation.
A fun delivery like beautiful flowers https://www.ftd.com/ or https://www.teleflora.com/. And who wouldn't love an edible fruit bouquet https://www.ediblearrangements.com/? (We believe in sourcing local companies, services, and products within your community, when possible.)
Lunch or dinner out or brought in. Another yummy idea: prepare a hearty meal together, then freeze portions for later meals.
Shopping trip — let them decide where they'd like to go; you provide the companionship and transportation.
Housecleaning. A thorough spring clean, what a wonderful gift.
Car washing/detailing. Oil change or tune-up. How about a tank of gas?
Running general errands together.
Yard work and garden tending.
Getting outdoor areas ready for enjoying warm weather.
Entertainment outing--movie, museum, craft fair, car show, gem show, etc.

If appropriate, don't forget to HOLD HANDS and GIVE HUGS, human touch means so much!

###

"Downsizing is about making life more manageable. It's about assessing what's most important, editing, and eliminating the unimportant. It's living a smaller, more enjoyable life and loving the outcome."

-Cindy Murphy, Downsizing Simplified

"Living Smaller & Loving It!"

###

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Our new RESOURCES page goes live this week!

So many wonderful resources all in one location.

This page features both not-for-profit and for-profit business resources for seniors. All listings have direct links available for immediate contact. If you are a for-profit business that works with seniors and would like more information regarding listing costs and links to your business homepage, please get in touch via the CONTACT page of the website.

###

LAUNCHING: JULY 1st, our new "Senior Living in Kansas City" web page!

It's been a road of insight and discovery. Over the past couple of months, we've gathered the key information needed to compile a comprehensive database, formatted into a very special page that will assist visitors in their quest to discover the perfect new community to call home.

The Senior Living in Kansas City web page features all senior living communities currently available in the Greater Kansas City Metro — Independent (IL), Assisted Living (AL), and Memory Care (MC). For ease of use, the page is organized by State, then by Region (North of the River, etc.) and City, with all communities listed alphabetically within the specific area of interest for the page visitor.

The advantage: the page visitor can locate their preferred Metro area and immediately view all communities within it. It's an easy search approach, unlike the algorithm-driven search results encountered in general internet queries.

In addition to the community listings, a section of the page outlines the different types of communities, making it easier for visitors to understand the community's designation — Independent, Assisted, or Memory Care. (Each community has a designation following its name.)

An apartment building. — There are currently 121 senior living communities in the Greater Kansas City Metro.

For Communities...

Our "Front Door" Program.

To better accommodate page visitors, we've designed and implemented our new "Front Door" Program, which will give participating program communities direct links from their community listings on our page to their homepages. We believe this page will be a valuable resource for our site visitors AND participating program communities. *

We'll begin reaching out to communities within the Metro beginning in May with the program specifics. The "Front Door" program is scheduled to launch on July 1st. For communities wanting more information now, please connect with us via the CONTACT page, by phone (816) 358-6338 or email, info@downsizingsimplified.com (all accessible through the Contact page).

*The "Front Door" Program is an affordable opportunity for communities and is based on a yearly subscription fee, and not a per-click or referral fee.

Now the numbers!

These are the numbers representing the available senior living communities across the Greater Kansas City Metro. There are 121 total brick-and-mortar communities (IL, AL, and MC) listed on our new web page, Senior Living in Kansas City.

Here's the breakdown of senior living options within those 121 communities:

72 Independent Living (IL)

87 Assisted Living (AL)

43 Memory Care (MC)

TOTAL: 202

In addition, 61 Senior Apartment Buildings and Subsidized Housing Units/Apartments are also listed.

###

Our Downsizing Information REACH is GROWING!

Vintage Map Design/Downsizing Simplified

Knock-knock, we've got site visitors, and we're excited about that.

Take a look at where our unique visitors are coming from on our

STORIES, SNIPPETS & SHARES web page.

(February Stats)

###

COMING MID-SUMMER: Our new e-book, "Downsizing 101: Step-by-Step How-to Guide," is scheduled to publish mid-summer (actual date TBD). If you would like to reserve a copy, please let us know via the website's contact page.

Downsizing Simplified

Simplifying Lifestyles Since 2007

Episode #21: This week, the "Living Smaller & Loving It!" downsizing blog honors our older adults. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy officially designated May as National Older Americans Month.

Let's take time to show some love to the older adults in our lives!

As always, please see our ANNOUNCEMENTS at the bottom of the page.

History of Older Americans Month.

When Older Americans Month was established in 1963, only 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthday. About a third of older Americans lived in poverty, and there were few programs to meet their needs. Interest in older Americans and their concerns was growing.

A meeting in April 1963 between President John F. Kennedy and members of the National Council of Senior Citizens led to the designation of May as “Senior Citizens Month,” the prelude to “Older Americans Month.”

Older Americans Month is celebrated across the country through ceremonies, events, fairs, and other such activities.

Volunteering, no matter your age, is another way to support older adults in the community. Below is a link from AARP that covers do-it-yourself projects.

DIY Volunteer Guides to Help Lead a

Successful Project

Help Older Adults Prevent Social Isolation

Help Someone Access Public Benefit Programs

Help Someone Get the Food They Need

Home Safety Tips and Tools

Lead a Group Visit to a Long-Term Care Facility

Help Individuals Manage Their Medications

Start a Walking Group

Start or Join a Community Garden

Take a Loved One to the Doctor

Source: AARP

Did you know...

Our senior population (65+) in the U.S. is 55 million* and as a group, would solely populate Oregon, Texas, and Florida based on the reported populations of each state (*2020 Census). That's a HUGE number of older Americans.

The State with the highest senior population is Maine.

There are more than 55,000 seniors in the U.S. over age 100, and by 2050, the number of Centenarians is expected to top 600,000. This is roughly the population of Vermont.

More than 10,000 Baby Boomers (1946-1964) turn 65-years-old every day.

Recent studies show that more than half (approx. 27.5 million) of all U.S. seniors are active online.

Older adults aged 85 and up are the fastest-growing age group in the U.S.

There are more than 11,400 senior citizen centers across the U.S. that serve more than 1 million older adults every day. The average age of a senior center participant is 75.

Seniors account for 40% of all drug prescriptions (not a fun fact, but worthy of serious discussion).

More than 15 million older adults are formally recognized as volunteers. Nearly half of all seniors volunteer in some capacity.

Studies show that physical activity can slow the aging process.

Three significant benefits of social connection for seniors include:

A sense of purpose. Increased self-worth. Better physical and mental health.

Take some quality time this month to celebrate the older adults in your life. Here are a few "I'm so glad you are part of my life" appreciation ideas:

A phone call or in-person visit without a time limit. Make the visit all about them and what they've been doing or are planning. (Put your phone away and listen.)

A card (mailed or hand-delivered) with a handwritten message telling them how much they mean to you. A handwritten letter is also a wonderful way to show appreciation.

A fun delivery like beautiful flowers https://www.ftd.com/ or https://www.teleflora.com/. And who wouldn't love an edible fruit bouquet https://www.ediblearrangements.com/? (We believe in sourcing local companies, services, and products within your community, when possible.)

Lunch or dinner out or brought in. Another yummy idea: prepare a hearty meal together, then freeze portions for later meals.

Shopping trip — let them decide where they'd like to go; you provide the companionship and transportation.

Housecleaning. A thorough spring clean, what a wonderful gift.

Car washing/detailing. Oil change or tune-up. How about a tank of gas?

Running general errands together.

Yard work and garden tending.

Getting outdoor areas ready for enjoying warm weather.

Entertainment outing--movie, museum, craft fair, car show, gem show, etc.

If appropriate, don't forget to HOLD HANDS and GIVE HUGS, human touch means so much!

"Downsizing is about making life more manageable. It's about assessing what's most important, editing, and eliminating the unimportant. It's living a smaller, more enjoyable life and loving the outcome."

"Living Smaller & Loving It!"

###

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Our new RESOURCES page goes live this week!

So many wonderful resources all in one location.

LAUNCHING: JULY 1st, our new "Senior Living in Kansas City" web page!

It's been a road of insight and discovery. Over the past couple of months, we've gathered the key information needed to compile a comprehensive database, formatted into a very special page that will assist visitors in their quest to discover the perfect new community to call home.

The advantage: the page visitor can locate their preferred Metro area and immediately view all communities within it. It's an easy search approach, unlike the algorithm-driven search results encountered in general internet queries.

In addition to the community listings, a section of the page outlines the different types of communities, making it easier for visitors to understand the community's designation — Independent, Assisted, or Memory Care. (Each community has a designation following its name.)

For Communities...

Our "Front Door" Program.

*The "Front Door" Program is an affordable opportunity for communities and is based on a yearly subscription fee, and not a per-click or referral fee.

Now the numbers!

These are the numbers representing the available senior living communities across the Greater Kansas City Metro. There are 121 total brick-and-mortar communities (IL, AL, and MC) listed on our new web page, Senior Living in Kansas City.

Here's the breakdown of senior living options within those 121 communities:

72 Independent Living (IL)

87 Assisted Living (AL)

43 Memory Care (MC)

TOTAL: 202

In addition, 61 Senior Apartment Buildings and Subsidized Housing Units/Apartments are also listed.

Our Downsizing Information REACH is GROWING!

Knock-knock, we've got site visitors, and we're excited about that.

Take a look at where our unique visitors are coming from on our

STORIES, SNIPPETS & SHARES web page.

(February Stats)

COMING MID-SUMMER: Our new e-book, "Downsizing 101: Step-by-Step How-to Guide," is scheduled to publish mid-summer (actual date TBD). If you would like to reserve a copy, please let us know via the website's contact page.

The e-book will be sold through the website.

###

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