Ursel J. McElroy

And more investments earlier, more often, and in the right places and spaces will make it a reality for most of us and not this aspiration that is too difficult to attain.

This is simply about changing the narrative and being willing to invest in a more long-term strategy than simply providing dollars and energy on a short-term fix that has not proven to be beneficial or successful

for a healthy aging approach across this world.

The virus took aim at older people and threatened their health, needed services, living arrangements, interactions with loved ones, and their lives.

Across the world, there had been many accounts of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths impacting the older population, unlike others.

And so the pandemic has laid bare so many things and it has crystallized what many of us knew but had not faced head on.

And without question, this has been traumatic for all of us.

We are left to wrestle with how did we get here?

But we have an opportunity, I believe, to also make some considerable changes.

We know those things that impact healthy aging.

We know those things that we can now go back and correct.

I think that the irony of COVID-19 is that while there were many losses and many deaths, I believe that it will actually be the catalyst that helps us save so many older lives in the future.

It will require us to look at how we view older lives.

It will require us to take an inventory of the services, the investments, the opportunities perhaps that we left on the table to provide a stronger system of long-term care for older individuals.

Well, first, I would want everyone to value what it means to age.

You have to first value a thing before you will invest in a thing.

And I think for far too long, we have accepted a view of aging as one of decline, one of loss, one of decreased value.

And that is simply not true.

As you age, you have opportunities to continue to contribute.

You have opportunities to live longer, thrive longer, to be a valued part of our society.