I’ll be leading South Carolina’s 15-person delegation to the national White House Conference on Aging in Washington Dec. 11-14. These events occur once every 10 years and historically have been the impetus for major national legislation and policy including the Older Americans Act, Medicare, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
We will represent our state in the conference’s work of making aging policy recommendations to the President and Congress, and in assisting the public and private sectors in promoting dignity, health, independence, and economic security of current and future generations of older Americans.
Resolutions to be considered by the 1,200 delegates to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging in Washington next month have just been released and we have now posted a link to them and other information about the conference on the Lt. Governor’s Office on Aging website. The address is http://www.aging.sc.gov.
We are hoping to involve all South Carolinians by posting White House Conference on Aging information on our website, beginning with the list of resolutions just released on Monday.
I’ll also update you by email of our progress at the conference.
I was selected by Gov. Mark Sanford as one of his three conference appointments. He also named Norma A. Curtis of McCormick, and Harris B. Davis of Orangeburg.
Sen. Lindsey Graham named Bill Dukes of Chapin, and Sen. Jim DeMint named Dr. Gil Bradham of Charleston.
Rep. Gresham Barrett named Eileen Hayward of Salem, and designated Becky McDade of McCormick as an alternate. Rep. John Spratt named Lynn Stockman of Newberry. Rep. Henry E. Brown named Roberta Combs of Charleston, and Rep. Joe Wilson named Tom Brown of Columbia.
Rep. James E. Clyburn named Ollie Johnson of Columbia, and designated Linda Mitchell-Johnson as an alternate. Rep. Bob Inglis named Cornelia Gibbons of Columbia.
Three other delegates were named through an at-large nomination process. They are Randolph Thomas of Blythewood, Nancy J. Muller of Charleston, and Antonio B. Boyd of Columbia.
If you remember, HHS Assistant Secretary for Aging Josefina G. Carbonell delivered the opening address at South Carolina’s White House Conference on Aging last April 25. Our event was also attended by Dr. Scott Nystrom, executive director of the national White House Conference on Aging.
ETV cameras followed approximately 400 delegates and observers in general session and in discussion groups as they explored the policies, pathways and priorities South Carolina should adopt in preparation for its current 660,000 citizens older than 65 doubling to 1.3 million over the next 20 years.
For more information on our state event, please go to: http://www.aging.sc.gov/SCWHCOA/Index.htm
For more information on the national White House Conference on Aging, please go to: http://www.whcoa.gov/
Prostate Cancer: Early Detection Can Save Lives
One of the top four cancer killers in our state is prostate cancer. Prostate cancer claimed 2,630 lives, or 7% of the total cancer deaths recorded in our state over a recent four-year period. As the Department of Health and Environmental Control reports in its “Cancer Prevention and Care in South Carolina: A Plan for Action,” prostate cancers can be detected at an early stage through routine and inexpensive tests. People can live for years after a diagnosis if these diseases are caught early enough. Yearly prostate screening should begin at age 50, and age 45 for African-American men and other men at high risk.
Roland C. Young is regional director for the US TOO! Prostate Cancer Education and Support initiative and he reports we have volunteers all over South Carolina, reaching out to civic clubs, churches, neighborhoods, shopping centers – emphasizing again that the key to the cure is in early detection. While all males are at risk for prostate cancer, there are some factors that increase the risk, including a family history of the disease. As they age, men gain greater risk for prostate cancer. For more information, or to volunteer, please call him at (803) 926-0111.
Guide to Legal Resources
The South Carolina Centers for Equal Justice has recently launched a statewide Website guide to legal resources. It is a referral gateway that provides links to more than 600 agencies, courts, legal services provides, S.C. Bar programs, and guides to other resources. Access the site at www.Law/Help.org/SC.
Among the site highlights are:
Information about legal rights and legal responsiblities.
Copies of legal forms and court information.
Referrals to legal services organizations and pro bono programs that
will provide free and low-cost legal help.
Contact information for local telephone hotlines, social services and
community organizations.
SCCEJ is a statewide nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal representation, legal education and referrals to low income families to ensure safety, stability and security. LawHelp.org/SC is a project of SCCEJ, funded by the Legal Services Corp., powered by ProBono.Net, and supported in part by the law firm Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP.
Save the Date for The Time of Your Life
The Low Country Senior Network will hold its The Time of Your Life Senior Expo in Charleston on Thursday, February 23, 2006. For more information, contact Marsha Clayman at (843) 852-9090, or check the website at www.lowcountrysn.com.
Gerontological-Focused Social Work at Benedict College
As our nation’s population ages rapidly in the next three decades, social work education programs must prepare students with competencies to improve the care and well-being of an increasing number of older adults and their families. The Benedict College School of Social Work is one of 75 outstanding social work education programs selected to participate in a unique training opportunity – regional Curriculum Development Institutes – through the Council on Social Work Education’s National Center for Gerontological Social Work Education (Gero-Ed Center). Funding for regional institutes is provided by the John A. Hartford Foundation in New York City. The Curriculum Development Institutes aim to prepare all social workers with the competencies to improve the care and well-being of older adults and their families. For more information, contact Dr. Glover E. Hopson at (803) 253-5094 or Dr. Dorothy Osgood at (803) 806-3273.
Excellence in Aging Award Goes to Jean Bridges
One of the most prestigious awards given by the Southeastern Association of Area Agencies on Aging (SE4A) is its Jane Kennedy Excellence in Aging Award. Established in 1977, this award recognizes an individual who has made a positive impact on the quality of life of older persons. Previous honorees have come from the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, academia, advocacy organizations, and local service providers. Among them were two prominent advocates for seniors, the late Congressman Claude Pepper of Florida and the late SC State Rep. Patrick B. Harris.
This year’s award was presented on Nov. 14th to Columbia’s Jean R. Bridges. She was cited for her service as a member of the Silver Haired Legislature, as a president of the Greater Columbia AARP, Chapter 753, as a member of the advisory board of the Central Midlands Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging, as a board member of the Shepherd’s Center in Columbia, and as a new member of the South Carolina Advisory Council on Aging.
She describes herself as a senior advocate who is building “bridges of love” while assisting people in finding answers to problems or helping them find resources to help themselves. All who know her certainly believe this to be a most well-deserved honor.
Parting Thought
I’d like to share this observation attributed to Anita Roddick: “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t been in bed with a mosquito.”
Until next time,
André