Ed. note: This was originally published on The White House Conference on Aging Blog.
Over the past year, I've traveled all over America to hear from older Americans, caregivers, advocates, researchers, and local leaders engaged in broadening options for older Americans. As we prepare for the White House Conference on Aging, the dialogue we've had in cities across the country has involved ensuring that we have diverse voices as part of the conversation.
Over the past 50 years, older populations in our country have seen dramatic change. Giant strides have been made to ensure equal access and treatment for all older adults. However, work remains. Older adults from communities of color and the LGBT community are disproportionately low income and have poorer health throughout their lifetimes. We must ensure that services for older adults in these communities are culturally responsive to their needs.
While in Seattle, on a visit with Asian older adults at the Asian Counseling and Referral Services, elders shared how having the opportunity to connect with others who share their culture and language improves their overall health and sense of purpose. Participants relished the opportunity to take dance and exercise classes and share meals unique to their cultures.
Recently, in Los Angeles, I attended a town hall session hosted by the Diverse Elders Coalition, a national coalition representing LGBT, AAPI, Hispanic, American Indian, and Black elders. I was inspired by their stories and resilience. An older African-American gay man talked about the needs of older adults living with HIV. 2015 marks the first time in the AIDS epidemic’s history that one in two people with HIV in the U.S. will be age 50 and older. Others from the Hispanic, AAPI, and American Indian populations discussed the importance of language access, housing, and transportation services to ensuring healthy aging.
These elders also demonstrated remarkable resilience. Many told us how much they’ve gained by volunteering in their communities, the importance of raising awareness of healthy habits, and the great pride they felt when they attained citizenship status.
This week I ‘m privileged to have the opportunity to participate in a National Forum on Aging, Diversity, and Inclusion. According to the Administration on Aging, by 2030, one in three people 65 and older will be a person of color, making these conversations more important than ever. Participants will develop and share ideas and recommendations on our four topic areas, and we look forward to receiving this input.
This Administration is committed to supporting older adults from diverse backgrounds and reducing disparities among diverse and vulnerable populations. We encourage everyone to join the July 13 White House Conference on Aging online, host a watch party, and send in your ideas and questions via Twitter and Facebook using #WHCOA.
Nora Super is the Executive Director of the White House Conference on Aging.