Sharing our region's aging initiatives with the nation

There are a multitude of issues affecting our older adult population, especially in a region as diverse as ours. So much is being done to shape the future of our multi-generational community -- and we have the opportunity to share this on a national level during the 2016 Aging in America Conference March 20-24 in Washington D.C.

With more than 3,000 national aging experts in attendance, The Patterson Foundation and its partners will share lessons learned from three regional initiatives over fives sessions during the conference.

“These initiatives exemplify how individuals, nonprofits, government, businesses and others can come together to shape the future of their multi-generational communities,” said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. "It’s an excellent opportunity to learn and share on a national level about the work going on in our region."

The following initiatives will be highlighted during five conference sessions:

• Age-Friendly Sarasota - An initiative to engage government, businesses, organizations and people to build a community of all ages. Partners include AARP Florida, Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Florida Policy Exchange Center on Aging at the University of South Florida, Sarasota County Government, and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.

• Aging Mastery Program - A nationwide engagement program developed by the National Council on Aging that is being implemented collaboratively by three nonprofits in our region.

• Margin & Mission Ignition - Led by the consultants at No Margin, No Mission, a social enterprise and national consulting firm engaged by The Patterson Foundation, this session will share how nonprofits focused on older adults can uncover earned-income opportunities to support their missions.

For the latest updates from the 2016 Aging in America Conference, follow #AiA16 on Twitter.