Senate Resolution No. 1547
BY: Senator PERSAUD
MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
October 1, 2026, as International Day of Older
Persons in the State of New York
WHEREAS, Senior citizens bring a wealth of experience and knowledge
to the increasingly active roles they play in today's society; their
past contributions and future participation are a vital part of, and
valuable asset to, the fabric of community life and activity; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to memorialize
Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim October 1, 2026, as International Day
of Older Persons in the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, The International Day of Older Persons is celebrated every
year on October 1st; on December 14, 1990, the General Assembly of the
United Nations voted to declare October 1st as the International Day of
Older Persons as stated in Resolution 45/106; the holiday was first
celebrated on October 1, 1991; and
WHEREAS, The world's population is aging fast; the United Nations is
estimating that one in five people will be over 60 by 2050; it is
estimated that the number of people aged over 80 will triple from 143
million in 2019 to 426 million in 2050; and
WHEREAS, New York State is now home to more people aged 65 and older
(3.2 million) than the entire population of 21 states; about one in six
New Yorkers now stand at 65 and older (16 percent), a greater share of
the State's population than ever; and
WHEREAS, 76 in 1,000 older New Yorkers are victims of elder abuse,
and in recent years, the number of reported cases of elder abuse is
growing; and
WHEREAS, In July of 2018, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced $8.4
million in state and federal funding to expand services for vulnerable
adults through the Elder Abuse Interventions and Enhanced
Multidisciplinary Teams Initiative; this helped to expand resources for
older New Yorkers and ultimately put an end to elder abuse; and
WHEREAS, On October 1, 2019, The World Health Organization (WHO)
launched a package of tools to observe the day, including a digital
application (App) to help health and social workers provide better care
for elderly people; and
WHEREAS, Each year on International Day of Older Persons, the State
of New York aims at enshrining and upholding the rights of older people
and supporting and mobilizing activists to protect those rights; the
event features a panel addressing sub-themes including care sector
inequalities, work/life balance in lifelong learning, and social
protection; and
WHEREAS, The Elderly have raised, coached, taught, and shared with
younger generations; many were hard working folks who comprised the
backbone of America's "Greatest" generation; they were the history
makers and today, they are our neighbors who often need help in order to
remain independent and to continue to live in the homes they love; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim October 1, 2026, as
International Day of Older Persons in the State of New York; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.
