Tampa Bay Towns Make AARP’s ‘Age-Friendly’ List

CLEARWATER, FL — Some communities across the country go above and beyond to be great places for people of all ages to live. That’s according to AARP, which released a list of towns and counties across the country that have made the commitment to be “age-friendly.” Not surprisingly, Florida and the Tampa Bay area are well represented.

AARP’s “Network of Age-Friendly Communities” are those in which “elected leadership has made the commitment to actively work toward making their town, city or county a great place for people to all ages,” according to the organization.

Gaining recognition in the network isn’t a simple process. Communities that seek membership must undergo an improvement process that includes creating and implementing an “age-friendly action plan.” The process requires communities to complete a membership process and submit a letter of commitment. A planning phase then begins during which communities are asked to assess their needs before starting to put their age-friendly improvement plans into action.

The network of age-friendly communities was launched by AARP in 2012. It operates under the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Cities and Communities Program.

The following communities in the Tampa Bay area are official members of the network:

• Pinellas County
• Sarasota County
• St. Petersburg
• Lakeland

Florida has long been considered one of the country’s “grayest states,” according to the Pew Research Center. In a 2014 analysis, Pew researchers found that 19.1 percent of Florida’s population was age 65 or older. That number represented the highest in the country. Sarasota County also ranked among the “grayest” in the state with 33.9 percent of its population being age 65 or older.

To find out more about age-friendly communities across the country, visit AARP online. AARP is a national nonprofit organization with nearly 38 million members across the country. The organization strives to “make life better for today’s 50-plus population,” according to its website.

Photo of Sunset Cinema courtesy of the City of Clearwater Facebook page