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Fact Sheet
The fifth White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) – and the first of the 21 st Century - was held in Washington, D.C. from December 11 to 14, 2005. White House Conferences on Aging occur once a decade and have served as catalysts for the development and enhancement of national, state and local aging policies in the United States. The 17-member bi-partisan WHCoA Policy Committee, charged with planning the WHCoA, was appointed by the President and Congress is chaired by the Honorable Dorcas R. Hardy. A 22-member Advisory Committee provides advice and guidance to the Policy Committee.
Theme for the 2005 WHCoA
The theme for the 2005 WHCoA was “The Booming Dynamics of Aging: From Awareness to Action” which reflects the WHCoA’s legislative mandate to focus on the aging of today and tomorrow, including 78 million baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964. This theme urges us to acknowledge the opportunities and the challenges facing our families, communities, country and the world, and to act NOW to responsibly and thoughtfully shape aging policy and programs for the future.
2005 WHCoA Annotated Agenda
On November 3, 2005, the WHCoA Policy Committee adopted a final Annotated Agenda for the WHCoA. The six issue tracks of the Annotated Agenda are:
Planning Along the Lifespan Health and Long Term Living
The Workplace of the Future Social Engagement and Civic Engagement
Our Community Technology and Innovation in an Emerging
Senior/Boomer Marketplace
Public Input Process for the WHCoA
The WHCoA Policy Committee actively sought input from a wide array of stakeholders to develop the overarching agenda and plan for the Conference, which included 73 resolutions that were sent to the delegates in advance of the WHCoA. Issues were identified and refined through public input received from nearly 400 events involving more than 130,000 people across the nation as well as general comments received by the WHCoA. These events which included listening sessions, solutions forums, mini-conferences and independent aging events w ere organized by communities, academic institutions, business and industry, national and local organizations and coalitions, non-profits, faith based organizations, as well as Federal, State and local agencies.
Resolution Development
Resolutions provided to the delegates in advance of the WHCoA reflect the emerging issues, interests and concerns shared through the public input process. Delegates were asked to review the 73 resolutions and come prepared to select up to 50 that they believed were the most important for current and future generations of senior citizens. The resolutions selected can be located on the WHCoA website at www.whcoa.gov
Implementation Strategies
As important as the resolutions are, their implementation strategies are equally essential. The WHCoA Policy Committee shares a strong desire that the 2005 WHCoA produces real, positive results that will make a difference in the lives of future generations. The 50 resolutions selected by the delegates helped to identify what priorities the nation should address; their implementation strategies have suggested how the resolutions might be put into action. The Policy Committee believes it is critical for delegates to consider what actions must be taken over the next ten years and beyond to translate the work of the delegates into meaningful actions across the spectrum of Federal, State and local governments, as well as throughout business and industry, private and non-profit sectors, including responsibilities to be assumed by individuals.
The final report of the 2005 WHCoA to be presented to the President and Congress will be completed by June 2006. A preliminary report will be shared with the Governors by March 2006.
Delegates
On August 31, 2005, the Policy Committee for the WHCoA announced the names of 1200 delegates invited to participate in the WHCoA. Delegates had the responsibility of voting on resolutions and developing implementation strategies that will be presented to the President and Congress to help guide aging policies for the next decade and beyond.
The delegates represented:
Governors of all 50 States, the U.S. Territories, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia;
- Members of the 109 th Congress;
- The National Congress of American Indians, and
- National aging and other allied organizations, academic institutions, business and industry, baby boomers, disability, nonprofit and veterans’ organizations and other individuals with a stake in the aging of America
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The Policy Committee sought to ensure that the delegates represent a broad cross section of the U.S. population and worked to achieve an appropriate demographic balance by selecting delegates to fill gaps that existed after gubernatorial, congressional and Native American delegate selections had been made. A demographic analysis of all delegates can be found on the WHCoA website.
Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000
The 2005 White House Conference on Aging is authorized by the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000 (P.L. 106-501).
For More Information about the 2005 WHCoA
For more information on the 2005 WHCoA, please visit http://www.whcoa.gov or email:
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