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COUNTY OFFICIAL TESTIFIES BEFORE U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE |
Director of Aging & Independence Service Spotlights
Civic Engagement for Older Adults
Pamela
B. Smith, the director of Aging & Independence Services, a division
of the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), was invited
Wednesday May 3, to testify before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on
Aging about options to improve the Aging Network for the Baby Boomer generation.
She referred to older adults as the "nation's only growing natural resource," and emphasized the successes the County of San Diego has had in challenging older adults to be part of the solution to some of our tough social issues, such as foster care and caregiver needs.
"This is really about a different way of thinking; a paradigm shift on how we view our later years," Smith told the committee. "We often need more resources to solve community problems, but those resources don't always have to be money. They could be the army of older adults we have assembled just waiting for their opportunity."
Smith also talked about the successful outcomes from programs in San Diego County that engage seniors, including San Pasqual Academy, intergenerational programs such as Senior Mentoring for CalWORKS families, and the First Five Intergenerational Program.
Last year, Smith participated in a National Council on Aging Committee on Promising Practices in Civic Engagement. She has been active locally and nationally in promoting meaningful opportunities for older adults, particularly programs featuring intergenerational activities.
For more information about AIS,call 1-800-510-2020. For more information about the hearing
and to watch the webcast, go to the following link:
http://aging.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=169
Mrs. Smith Goes To Washington
Bragging about the successes of our County’s Aging & Independence Services is something Director Pam Smith loves to do, so she was especially thrilled to testify in May before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging in Washington, D.C., about what our County has been doing to improve the lives of older adults, plus the opportunities for communities nationwide to more fully engage their seniors.
“This is really about a different way of thinking, a paradigm shift on how we view our later years,” she said. “We often need more resources to solve community problems, but those resources don’t always have to be money. They could be the army of older adults we have assembled just waiting for their opportunity.”
Last year, Pam participated in a National Council on Aging Committee on Promising Practices in Civic Engagement. She has been active locally and nationally in promoting meaningful opportunities for older adults, particularly programs featuring intergenerational activities.
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