New Mexico Aging Services May Newsletter
May is Older Americans Month
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MAY IS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH
LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY
The 60-day legislative session wrapped up on March 22nd, and just a few days later, I hit the road to visit the Southwest region as well as the Northeast region. During my visit, I met with staff and toured long-term facilities in Truth or Consequences, Silver City, and Las Cruces. I also co-hosted a forum in Silver City with the Alzheimer's Association and ALTSD staff. I’d like to thank everyone I met in the Southwest region for sharing their insight and ideas on how to better serve adults in their region and across the state. I’m happy to share that the Governor has signed HB197 into law, which expands the Silver Alert program. This will allow alerts to be issued even if an adult does not have a formal diagnosis of Alzheimer's or dementia. Many adults with memory loss are at risk of getting lost, even without a formal diagnosis, and this bill will help address that issue. Additionally, the Governor signed House Bill 252, the Kinship Caregiver Pilot. This program will connect eligible caregivers with essential services, including case management, legal assistance, mental health support and respite care. Too often kinship caregivers—especially grandparents—are left to navigate complex systems alone while providing childcare. This pilot program will help us establish more resources to help keep families together and ensure caregivers have the support they need to provide the best care possible and evaluate the impact for potential future statewide expansion. Lastly, the Supported Decision-Making Act SB535 was also signed which will establish a new program within the Office of Guardianship dedicated towards supported decision-making agreements, an alternative to adult guardianship, where individuals retain their right to make decisions for themselves with the support of trusted friends or family members they choose. ALTSD will collaborate with the Office of Guardianship to connected interested New Mexicans with supported decision-making resources.
I look forward to meeting you in your community as we enter into to a new fiscal year and standing up the Long-Term Care Division which I will share more about next month!
Warm Regards,
OLDER AMERICANS MONTH, FLIP THE SCRIPT ON AGING
Every May, the Administration for Community Living leads the nation’s observance of Older American’s Month. It is a time to celebrate older adults and this year’s theme focuses on transforming how society perceives, talks about, and approaches aging. Join us as we honor older adults’ contributions by visiting a local or other senior center as they explore the many opportunities for staying active and engaged, helping you live your best life!
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