First, there were a lot of familiar faces in the room - area agency on aging staff, members of the Vital Aging Network, board on aging staff and members, leaders of various non-profits, and state agency staff. Once again, we were talking to ourselves. This is the third session I have attended where interested professionals gave input to some group on ways to improve the Older Americans Act - and many attended the same meetings with me. We need to do a better job of talking outside of our circle if we really want to see a grassroots effort to fully fund opportunities for people 50+ to work, learn, serve and lead.

Secondly, there were plenty of ideas at the 20,000 foot level. Forum presenters included Governor Tim Pawlenty; former U.S. Representative Tim Penny; Jean Wood, Executive Director of the Minnesota Board on Aging; John Pribyl, former Executive Director, MN Senior Companion Program; and Mary Olsen Baker, Governor’s Workforce Development Council. Topics covered at the forum included:

• Expanding older adult service opportunities (Serve)

• Leveraging the talents of 50+ workers (Work)

• Transitioning with lifelong learning (Learn)

• Engaging older adults as leaders in their communities (Lead)

Brainstorming ideas is certainly a good exercise. Taking those laundry lists and whittling them down to top priorities is also a good next step. Where we seem to fall short is taking that level of discussion down to action steps that are reality based. Some of the really good ideas at this event were so far outside of the scope of the OAA that they will soon drop off the radar screen.

Thirdly, there are so many diverse perspectives and opinions that our diversity is both our strength and our weakness. A brief portion of the meeting was spent on terminology alone. I found out those citizens over age 50 don’t want to be referred to in any way but 50+, yet there was no consensus on the age at which it would be okay to refer to someone as a senior or as an older citizen. As someone over age 50 (Yes, I know that is a shock to you all!) I am definitely not a senior, but would never refer to myself as 50+! I also learned there is a core group of active 50+ people who don’t use either the terms “volunteer” or “retired”—they believe in equal value for their volunteer work so they consider themselves workers—just without pay. We certainly know how to make a complicated concept—planning for older adult service delivery—even more complicated because of the specific words we use.

Other than the opportunity to network and exchange reform ideas with some really bright people, the experience left me with more questions than answers.

• How did this group get Governor Pawlenty to speak on planning for older adult services?? (His short speech was short on content and long on cheerleading and old jokes, but at least he showed up!)

• What are the chances that the administration and Congress will look at the reauthorization of the OAA as an opportunity to really look at the Act itself and modernize it before doling out grants under the various titles?

• What will it take for a grassroots, sweeping reform to take hold beyond the “same old” circles—are the needs and wants of the 50+ group so complicated that a comprehensive system of service and supports is too hard??

The focus of the hearing tied the Older Americans Act to those age 50+. Heck, if the average life expectancy in Minnesota is in the upper 70’s, shouldn’t the 50+ population get their own Middle-Age Americans Act and leave the Older Americans Act grants for the older Americans who are 70+??

It is a wonder I sleep at all!