In Celebration of Older Americans Month

by Matt Greco

“I’m not only the president of Hair Club for Men, I’m a member.”

If you’re a certain age, you know this as one of those endless commercials that you couldn’t help but see on TV. 

PSS Life! University is not the Hair Club for Men, and I’m not its president, but this commercial came to mind as I reflected on May as Older Americans Month. Full disclosure—I’m an older American. I also am the Events Manager for PSS Life! University, where we offer a variety of programs almost-daily on a range of subjects of interest to Older Adults.

These include a mixture of health-related webinars, cultural webinars, yoga classes, practical and legal and financial events. We’ve had programs on how to protect your eyes, how to check your hearing, using marijuana as an older adult, how to prepare for major life events, how to think about driving or not driving as you age, how to ensure your pets survive you, and more.

Sometimes when recommending these programs to friends of mine, I hear back “I’m a young 50-, 60-, or 70–something. I’m not your parents’ older person. I don’t need that stuff yet.” But here’s the thing: Even if that’s true, knowing about a thing doesn’t mean not needing a thing. At least not yet. As the Boy Scouts say: Be prepared. Learning how to navigate aging successfully, including things like ways to protect your eyes as you age—and the importance of it so you minimize later problems—is nothing but a benefit from where I’m sitting.

And the benefit is not just to older adults but to anyone and everyone. I know a couple of 90-plus year olds who still drive. One whose children don’t want her to drive and another who recently leased a car! Wouldn’t you want them both and their children to listen to our recording on when to give up the keys or how to convince your parent to give up the keys?

I feel I’m doubly blessed as an Older Adult who not only gets the benefit of meeting and scheduling our many wonderful presenters, but I am able to take in and process what they are saying. I may or may not have any immediate need of their information or wisdom, but I know there’s a good chance I might at some point in the future.

So, for this Older Americans Month, I rejoice in all of us having reached this point in our lives and wholeheartedly recommend our Life U programming—it’s fun, informative and will help keep you on your toes—both literally and figuratively.