Donald Trump declares May ‘Older Americans Month’ to honor the elderly
'My administration will never waiver in its relentless commitment to American seniors,' Trump said.
Donald Trump said he will be declaring May to be ‘Older Americans Month’ to honor the country’s elderly citizens.
Trump made the announcement on Thursday during a briefing where he discussed the safety of seniors amid the coronavirus crisis, which has been particularly deadly to the country’s older generations.
‘This afternoon I will sign a proclamation declaring the month of May to be “Older Americans Month,’ Trump said, kicking of his press conference.
‘I don’t know if I’m in that category. I have a feeling I am, but I feel good,’ the 73-year-old president continued.
‘As we honor the incredible contributions of our nation’s seniors, we are here today to discuss the unprecedented steps we’re taking to protect seniors from the virus.’
According to the CDC, the elderly are at a much higher risk if coronavirus is contracted. Patients aged 64 to 75 have a 12.2% hospitalization rate when they are infected with Covid-19. That rate increases to 15.8% if the patient is between 75 and 85 years old. It is at its highest, 17.2%, if the patient is over 80 years old – compared to just 2.5% if the patient is between 18 and 49 years old.
The virus is also much deadlier when contracted by older Americans. Approximately 13.4% of patients 80 or older die after the contract Covid-19, 8.6% of patients in their 70s die and 4% of patients in their 60s died, compared to 1.25% of patients in their 50s and .4% of patients in their 40s.
Trump announced new measures to ensure the safety of elderly citizens living in nursing homes which have been devastated by the virus. He said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will send ‘supplemental shipments of personal protective equipment to all 15,400 Medicaid and Medicare-certified nursing homes in America. He added that a commission will be created to monitor nursing homes, which will begin reporting coronavirus information directly to the CDC, which will post the data online.
‘My administration will never waiver in its relentless commitment to American seniors,’ Trump said.
‘We owe them a sacred and unbreakable obligation.’