Speech and Testimony
County Executive Leggett’s Remarks at the Senior Appreciation Gala (Angels Living Assistance Services)
Holiday Inn: 2 Montgomery Village Ave., Gaithersburg
As prepared
Thank you for allowing me to join in celebrating your Senior Appreciation Gala!
I am pleased to be here to be with you for this momentous occasion. I like your theme of “A Night to Remember,” and I am grateful for the efforts of the staff from Visiting Angels.
For 14 years here in Montgomery County, the Visiting Angels’ model of providing in-home care for seniors so they and their loved ones can have peace of mind, has endured.
Visiting Angels has been providing elder care services to families across the country, and that fits in perfectly with the environment we try to foster here in the County.
In an effort to make sure we nurture that environment, last December, I held our Summit on Aging to discuss issues related to our senior citizens. We received a lot of good feedback and ideas.
In 2013, there were 194-thousand people age 60 and over in Montgomery County. That the largest number in the state and it represents about 20 percent of our population.
In just 15 years, the percentage of our population age 60 and over will be just over 25 percent – over 315-thousand people – one third of the 60+ crowd for the entire state.
That’s a remarkable evolution in our population.
It’s one we have to work with on several levels as one generation is caught in the middle by raising children while caring for elderly parents.
While aging can be difficult enough, care for the elderly is even more difficult when dementia or Alzheimer’s disease is present.
With some illnesses, at least the person being cared for retains their personality and memories.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s wipe out all of that, and make the situation that much more tragic.
We devote a lot of time and energy to making sure our seniors have the quality of life they should have.
We want to make sure that programs specifically aimed at seniors are serving their needs.
We have to make certain that other programs and services that serve everyone are sufficiently adaptable so that they will be useful to our growing population of seniors.
We will have to make certain our health programs have sufficient services and resources for our growing senior population.
But there is more to healthy aging than taking care of the physical, although that is important. You have to nourish the spirit and the mind.
Spending your time helping others is one of the best ways I know to accomplish that.
When you pay a visit to someone, or offer to drive someone when they can’t, or help someone care for a relative, those people are being helped.
So are you.
When you reach out to people who are isolated – young or old – you help them while nourishing yourself.
The wonderful people at Visiting Angels get it; and I thank you all for those services you render to our aging community.
Now, let us truly make this a Night to Remember!
Release ID: 16-027July 8, 2016; 7 p.m.