AGING IN OUR COMMUNITY A Message from Our President & CEO, Robert Ojeda, PhD
Isolation deepens in summer. When it is too hot to go outside, the world can shrink to the walls of a single room. Loneliness is not a personal failing. It is a circumstance, and circumstances can be changed. Reach out to a neighbor. Call an old friend. Let us connect you to programs where your presence is wanted and your company is valued. The financial pressures are real. Higher utility bills collide with fixed incomes, and that math does not always work. If you are choosing between cooling your home and other necessities, you are not alone, and you do not have to solve it alone. We can help you find the assistance you are entitled to. And please, guard against those who would take advantage. Summer brings a rise in scams: fraudulent calls, fake repair offers, schemes that prey on worry and isolation. Trust your instincts. You are never obligated to decide anything on the spot. When in doubt, hang up and call someone you trust, or call us. Here is the wisdom I most want to offer. Asking for help is not a loss of dignity. It is an act of it. The independence we cherish is not the same as doing everything alone. True independence means having the
Dear Friends, Summer in Southern Arizona asks something of all of us, but it asks more of older adults. The heat that we treat as an inconvenience can become genuinely dangerous, and the months ahead bring challenges that deserve our honest attention. Not because older adults are fragile, but because every person deserves to move through this season safely and with their independence intact. I want to speak plainly about what summer brings, and what we can do about it. The heat is the most immediate concern. Older bodies regulate temperature differently, and many medications make matters worse without warning. Please drink water before you feel thirsty, because thirst is not a reliable signal as we age. Keep your home cool, and if cooling is a struggle financially, know that help exists. Utility assistance and cooling resources are available, and there is no shame in asking. Check the temperature inside your home, not just the forecast outside. And if you live alone, arrange for someone to check on you daily. A simple phone call can save a life.
Robert Ojeda, PhD
support you need to live the life you choose, on your own terms. At PCOA, we exist for exactly this. Not to do things for you, but to stand with you. Look out for one another this summer. Check on the neighbor whose curtains stay drawn. Call the friend you haven’t heard from. We are a community, and a community carries its members through the hard seasons. Stay cool, stay connected, and reach out. We are here. With respect and care,
Robert Ojeda, PhD Chief Executive Officer Pima Council on Aging
July & August 2026, Never Too Late | Page 3
Pima Council on Aging
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