Sarasota Aging Initiatives Shared on National Stage

According to AARP, one out of every five Americans will be 65 or over by 2030. As the population ages, there will be a variety of issues affecting older adults, especially in Sarasota where more than half of the population is 50 or over and one-third is 65 or over. Luckily, thanks to local initiatives like Age-Friendly Sarasota, much work is being done to shape the future of our multi-generational community.

Next week, The Patterson Foundation and its partners will put Sarasota’s work around aging issues in the national spotlight as more than 3,000 experts convene in Chicago for the 2017 Aging in America Conference, the largest multidisciplinary conference covering issues of aging and quality of life for older adults, on March 20-24.

“It is an honor to share how our region works across sectors to shape the future,” said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. "The Aging in America Conference provides an opportunity to connect with other thought leaders and bring home ideas for sharing.”

The following initiatives will be highlighted during three conference sessions:

• Age-Friendly Sarasota – An initiative connecting government, businesses, organizations and people to build a community for 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.

• 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 develop and implement earned-income opportunities to support their missions.

For the latest updates from the 2017 Aging in America Conference, follow #AiA17 on Twitter.