Honoring Our Elders — and Flipping the Script on Aging

Each May, we celebrate Older Americans Month — a time to reflect on the contributions, resilience, and wisdom of our older community members. The 2025 theme, “Flip the Script on Aging,” invites us to challenge outdated beliefs about what it means to grow older and to recognize aging as a time of continued growth, value, and purpose.

At the Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging, we see this every day. Older Vermonters are caregivers, volunteers, artists, farmers, advocates, and neighbors. They are the backbone of our communities. But especially here in the Northeast Kingdom — where people live in some of the most rural, underserved areas of Vermont — many face aging with fewer resources and more isolation. For them, the right support can mean the difference between surviving and thriving.

The Backbone of Services: The Older Americans Act

Much of the work we do at NEKCOA is funded by the Older Americans Act (OAA), a landmark piece of legislation passed in 1965. The OAA created the foundation for the nationwide aging services network, providing funding for critical programs like:

• Meals on Wheels and Community Dining
• Case Management and Options Counseling
• Caregiver Support and Dementia Respite
• Transportation Assistance
• Wellness and Fall Prevention Classes
• Information & Assistance through our Helpline

These services are not luxuries — they are lifelines. For older adults in remote towns with no public transit, no grocery delivery, and little or no family nearby, they offer a connection to food, medical care, safety, and human contact.

Why It Matters More in Rural Vermont

Living in a rural area adds layers of complexity to aging. For example:

• The nearest grocery store or medical facility might be 30 miles away.
• Winter conditions can trap people in their homes.
• Family members may have moved away, leaving older adults to age alone.
• Many live on fixed incomes and cannot afford private care or transportation.

The programs supported by the OAA step into these gaps. They allow older Vermonters to age with dignity, stay in their homes longer, and remain part of the communities they’ve helped build.

What’s at Risk

Despite growing need, the current federal administration has proposed budgets that do not strengthen support for the Older Americans Act. In some cases, they threaten to reduce funding — even as the aging population continues to grow. Without increased investment, our ability to meet the needs of older adults is in serious jeopardy.

Cuts or stagnant funding would result in:

• Longer waitlists for meals and case management
• Fewer caregiver respite options
• Reduced transportation access
• Increased social isolation and avoidable health crises

We cannot let that happen — not here, and not in any community that values its elders.

Flipping the Script: Aging Is a Strength

To “flip the script on aging” is to see older adults not as a burden but as an incredible resource. They bring a lifetime of experience, compassion, and commitment to our neighborhoods. They volunteer. They vote. They raise grandchildren. They continue to teach us what it means to be resilient.

We owe it to them to make sure their basic needs are met — and that includes fighting for the funding that makes these services possible.

What You Can Do

This Older Americans Month, we ask you to move beyond celebration and into action:

📣 Contact your elected officials and urge them to increase funding for the Older Americans Act.

💻 Share this blog with others who care about our elders.

💡 Educate friends and neighbors on the challenges rural seniors face — and the programs that keep them afloat.

🧡 Volunteer your time or support organizations like NEKCOA that serve older adults directly.

Let’s honor our elders — not just with kind words, but with bold action. Let’s flip the script on aging, and show our neighbors they are valued, protected, and never forgotten.