Sarasota County joined AARP and the World Health Organization’s Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities in early 2015 – the first community in Florida to do so.

The origins of Age-Friendly Sarasota emerged in response to the community’s unique age demographics, as more than half of its population is are age 50 or older. Sarasota County is also home to one of the nation’s highest proportions of people age 65 and older (34%), and age 90 and older as well – the fastest growing demographic of our aging population. These attributes give Age-Friendly Sarasota a robust base from which to learn the key indicators of well-being in older age and share this insight with the community.

Age-Friendly Sarasota is a partnership between AARP Florida, the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, the Florida Policy Exchange Center on Aging at the University of South Florida, Sarasota County Government, The Patterson Foundation and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.

The initiative began with a survey open to Sarasota County residents age 50 and over to learn the community’s assets and aspirations within each Domain of Livability. The survey was an opportunity for residents to add their voice to the community’s conversation while considering the features most important to them as they age. The data collected will provide important feedback about what the community has and how it sees its future.

Visit agefriendlysarasota.org to learn more about the initiative. Follow Age-Friendly Sarasota on Facebook and Twitter.