Aging listening session    

[NOV. 27, 2004]  SPRINGFIELD -- Do you have opinions about public policy on aging issues? If so, you may express those views and listen to policy planners as they work to develop an agenda for the 2005 White House Conference on Aging.

The listening session, which is being co-sponsored by the Illinois Department on Aging, Illinois Association of Area Agencies on Aging and the Illinois Coalition on Aging, will be Dec. 8 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. in Regency D at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 151 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago. The public listening session is being conducted in conjunction with the 2004 Governor’s Conference on Aging, the largest annual training event for agencies and individuals caring for older people.

The Illinois Department on Aging is one of many sponsors around the country helping to develop an agenda for the fifth White House Conference on Aging, set for Oct. 23-26, 2005, in Washington, D.C. The conference is held every 10 years to send policy recommendations to the president and Congress that will promote well-being and security for current and future generations of older people.

"This listening session is designed to give the community a chance to participate in this forum that traditionally has offered guides for federal and state policy planners," said Charles D. Johnson, director of the Department on Aging. "This is a good example of participant democracy at work. I urge everyone who is, or expects to be, affected by Social Security, Medicare and other public programs to take part in the session."

The listening session is designed to solicit input from older adults and baby boomers, service providers, organizations, and others who are interested in playing a role in the future of aging policy. Comments and recommendations from the listening sessions, which are being conducted throughout the country over the next year, will be considered as the committee continues its preparation for the conference.

Although the event is open to the public, individuals must register if they want to provide testimony. To register, e-mail Matt Wescott at [e-mail]  or phone him at 1 [phone]. Please include your name, organization (if any), mailing address, e-mail address, phone number and the subject to be presented.

Past White House Conferences on Aging have contributed to the establishment of many key aging programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, the Older Americans Act, the Supplemental Security Income Program, Social Security reforms, and establishment of the National Institute on Aging. Past conferences also led to creation of a national nutrition program for older people and establishment of the national aging network.

[Illinois Department on Aging news release]