National Senior Citizens Day Date in the current year: August 21, 2024

The term “senior citizens” typically refers to people over the age of 65. According to the 2020 census, the United States older population reached 55.8 million (almost 17% of the country’s total population). Older adults are projected to outnumber children under 18 for the first time in American history by 2035.

People live longer than they used to thanks to improved living conditions and healthcare, but senior citizens still face a lot of challenges even in developed countries. These challenges include ageism, financial insecurity, a lost sense of purpose, and isolation. While many people are able to live a full life in the early old age, their health begins to deteriorate as they get older. Advanced age makes completing everyday tasks more and more difficult, and many elderly people require additional care.

Older people are sometimes viewed as a burden on society and second-class citizens, which is appalling because most of them have worked hard all their lives and contributed to their communities and society. Senior citizens deserve our gratitude for everything they have achieved throughout their lives and for everything they continue to do.

National Senior Citizens Day was established by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. Its main goals are to highlight the contributions and accomplishments of senior citizens, as well as to raise awareness of the challenges they face and encourage Americans to make their communities better places for older adults.

There are many ways to celebrate National Senior Citizens Day. The most obvious and easiest one is reach out to the senior citizens in your life and let them know they are loved and appreciated. You can spend some time with them, talk to them to learn more about their lives, bake them a pie, help them with groceries if they need it, take them to a doctor’s appointment – in other words, do something nice and helpful for the older persons you know.

Other ways to get involved include donating to or volunteering at a retirement home or nursing community, giving a helping hand to older persons living in your neighborhood, and spreading the word on social media with the hashtags #NationalSeniorCitizensDay and #SeniorCitizensDay. If you’re a senior citizen, dedicate the day to pampering yourself and look for promotions and discounts that local businesses may offer on the occasion.

National Senior Citizens Day is sometimes erroneously referred to as World Senior Citizens Day, even thought it is observed only in the United States. However, there indeed is an international observance dedicated to older adults. International Day of Older Persons is observed annually on October 1; it was established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1990.