This first Aging in Place workshop was hosted by Hillsborough County, Florida, a county constantly being challenged to provide important services to the growing older adult population. The Tampa Bay Region is home to some of the most comprehensive Aging in Place strategies in the country—a fitting fact for a large region with one of the nation’s highest percentage of residents over the age of 65. Click here to Download Report
Partners for Livable Communities (Partners) and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) began the Aging in Place Initiative with the goal of raising awareness for the coming age boom and equipping communities with resources and ideas they can use to better allow seniors to age in place. Through the generous support of MetLife Foundation, the first-ever regional workshop of the Aging in Place Initiative was held in Tampa, Florida, on June 26, 2007, at the Museum of Science & Industry. This gathering, attended by individuals representing all sectors of the community, was a great success in educating, sharing, collaborating and jumpstarting the community into action.
In addition to the diversity of the participants, the Tampa Bay Region workshop brought together leading experts on aging with both national and local perspectives. This report offers the reader an insight into, and analysis of, the comments and ideas that were shared by the speakers, panelists and participants at the workshop.
Theme
The specific theme of the Tampa Bay Region workshop was “Aging with a Comprehensive Approach.” This theme was selected because often different government agencies, community groups and private service providers are not crossing boundaries or working together to provide efficient and comprehensive services to older adults. The phrase “Aging with a Comprehensive Approach” may hold a different meaning to different parties in a community, all of which are useful.
Partners President, Robert McNulty, explained at least three variations of comprehensive planning:
* Geographic — various municipalities working together and planning across a region
* Issue-based — a community thinking about how to better provide a specific type of service by working with new partners
* Outreach-focused — a community working at the neighborhood level to engage everyone in the Aging in Place agenda
What is clear is that the growing aging population will require models that go beyond what is currently in place, and that a comprehensive approach is a necessary pre-requisite to the proper use of resources and tax dollars. The new ideas and best practices that the panelists, speakers and participants at the Tampa Bay Region workshop came together to discuss represent a giant step forward in thinking aboutAging in Place.
Workshop Recap
This first Aging in Place workshop was hosted by Hillsborough County, Florida, a county constantly being challenged to provide important services to the growing older adult population. The Tampa Bay Region is home to some of the most comprehensive Aging in Place strategies in the country—a fitting fact for a large region with one of the nation’s highest percentage of residents over the age of 65.
Pat Bean, Hillsborough County Administrator, began the workshop with introductory remarks and discussed several current aging initiatives that encourage coalition Developing a Livable Tampa Bay Region for All Ages building and partnerships. She highlighted the Hillsborough County Department of Aging Services’ Master Plan, a comprehensive strategy that was developed in collaboration with the University of South Florida (see p. 21). The groundbreaking plan includes a series of benchmarks to measure progress and define success, and it serves as a model to local governments everywhere.
After welcoming remarks from Barbara Dillon of MetLife Foundation, Helen Eltzeroth of n4a, and Robert McNulty of Partners, a national perspective on comprehensive planning was provided by Mae Carpenter, Commissioner of the Westchester County, NY, Department of Senior Programs and Services. Ms. Carpenter shared her insights as a 25-year veteran of managing services for older adults in a uniquely diverse and densely populated community. An interview with Ms. Carpenter and highlights from her presentation can be found in the section National Perspectives on Comprehensive Planning (see p. 5).
The panel discussion that followed featured four local Aging in Place experts who raised ideas that had regional appeal and national applicability. An audience of over 100 community members engaged the panel on a number of topics including the value of bringing the Aging in Place agenda to the neighborhood level, the underutilization of the faith community as a key player, and Natural Occurring Retirement Communities or NORCs. A complete analysis of the panel discussion can be found in the section Different Perspectives on Aging in Place: Panel Discussion (see p. 9).
One of the workshop panelists, Maureen Kelly, described her strategies and achievements as President and CEO of the West Central Florida Area Agency on Aging. She has become known throughout the region as an innovative leader with a knack for coalition building and is profiled in the section Coalition Building as a Path to Comprehensive Planning (see p. 13).
The last chapter of this report describes the many best practices and model programs discussed by the panelists, participants, and others from the Tampa Bay Region and beyond (see p. 15). They are intended to provide specific examples of what counties, cities, neighborhoods, community groups and private service providers are doing to make real change in the quality of life for older adults.
In addition to the diversity of the participants, the Tampa Bay Region workshop brought together leading experts on aging with both national and local perspectives. This report offers the reader an insight into, and analysis of, the comments and ideas that were shared by the speakers, panelists and participants at the workshop.
Theme
The specific theme of the Tampa Bay Region workshop was “Aging with a Comprehensive Approach.” This theme was selected because often different government agencies, community groups and private service providers are not crossing boundaries or working together to provide efficient and comprehensive services to older adults. The phrase “Aging with a Comprehensive Approach” may hold a different meaning to different parties in a community, all of which are useful.
Partners President, Robert McNulty, explained at least three variations of comprehensive planning:
* Geographic — various municipalities working together and planning across a region
* Issue-based — a community thinking about how to better provide a specific type of service by working with new partners
* Outreach-focused — a community working at the neighborhood level to engage everyone in the Aging in Place agenda
What is clear is that the growing aging population will require models that go beyond what is currently in place, and that a comprehensive approach is a necessary pre-requisite to the proper use of resources and tax dollars. The new ideas and best practices that the panelists, speakers and participants at the Tampa Bay Region workshop came together to discuss represent a giant step forward in thinking aboutAging in Place.
Workshop Recap
This first Aging in Place workshop was hosted by Hillsborough County, Florida, a county constantly being challenged to provide important services to the growing older adult population. The Tampa Bay Region is home to some of the most comprehensive Aging in Place strategies in the country—a fitting fact for a large region with one of the nation’s highest percentage of residents over the age of 65.
Pat Bean, Hillsborough County Administrator, began the workshop with introductory remarks and discussed several current aging initiatives that encourage coalition Developing a Livable Tampa Bay Region for All Ages building and partnerships. She highlighted the Hillsborough County Department of Aging Services’ Master Plan, a comprehensive strategy that was developed in collaboration with the University of South Florida (see p. 21). The groundbreaking plan includes a series of benchmarks to measure progress and define success, and it serves as a model to local governments everywhere.
After welcoming remarks from Barbara Dillon of MetLife Foundation, Helen Eltzeroth of n4a, and Robert McNulty of Partners, a national perspective on comprehensive planning was provided by Mae Carpenter, Commissioner of the Westchester County, NY, Department of Senior Programs and Services. Ms. Carpenter shared her insights as a 25-year veteran of managing services for older adults in a uniquely diverse and densely populated community. An interview with Ms. Carpenter and highlights from her presentation can be found in the section National Perspectives on Comprehensive Planning (see p. 5).
The panel discussion that followed featured four local Aging in Place experts who raised ideas that had regional appeal and national applicability. An audience of over 100 community members engaged the panel on a number of topics including the value of bringing the Aging in Place agenda to the neighborhood level, the underutilization of the faith community as a key player, and Natural Occurring Retirement Communities or NORCs. A complete analysis of the panel discussion can be found in the section Different Perspectives on Aging in Place: Panel Discussion (see p. 9).
One of the workshop panelists, Maureen Kelly, described her strategies and achievements as President and CEO of the West Central Florida Area Agency on Aging. She has become known throughout the region as an innovative leader with a knack for coalition building and is profiled in the section Coalition Building as a Path to Comprehensive Planning (see p. 13).
The last chapter of this report describes the many best practices and model programs discussed by the panelists, participants, and others from the Tampa Bay Region and beyond (see p. 15). They are intended to provide specific examples of what counties, cities, neighborhoods, community groups and private service providers are doing to make real change in the quality of life for older adults.