Today marks the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people from 93 countries. On this day, we remember and mourn those who were lost. We honor the courage of the everyday heroes who helped others to safety and searched for survivors, often at the cost of their own lives. We recognize the work of those who have helped the nation heal.

ACL is pleased to announce awards totaling $2,023,646 to seventeen states to further implement the requirements of the Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006.

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter designated the first Sunday after Labor Day, National Grandparents Day. This observance honors the ways grandparents improve the lives of others by sharing their wisdom and life experiences with younger generations. Even as they deal with advancing age, many grandparents continue to take an active role in providing for their family’s needs. In fact, according to the U.S. Census (PDF), more than 2.7 million adults are helping to raise their grandchildren.

The Administration on Aging, a program division within ACL, is pleased to announce it has awarded a grant to the Meals on Wheels Association of America for $225,000 for the first year of a three year project. This grant will continue to fund the National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. Every year thousands of adults in the U.S. suffer serious health problems, are hospitalized, and even die from diseases that could be prevented by vaccines. For example, in 2012, there were approximately 32,000 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease, resulting in 3,300 deaths.

Today we join communities around the world in observing the International Day of Older Persons. October 1 was designated by the United Nations in 1990 to recognize the vital contributions of older people to the global community and to encourage member nations to thoughtfully address the aging of the population.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are collaborating to host a webinar series to increase knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and resources that professionals in the public health, aging services and research networks can use to inform, educate and empower community members, people with dementia and their family caregivers.