Florida is an age-friendly state

I wanted to write a post about some good news and I have two good news items, both courtesy of AARP. First, on April 23, 2019, Florida’s Governor and AARP announced that Florida is the nation’s fourth state to be part of AARP’s age-friendly state network. I bet you are asking yourself, what does it mean to be an age-friendly state?  According to the article, Governor Ron DeSantis and AARP Announce Florida’s Designation as an Age-Friendly State,  it means “Florida [has a] commitment to building livable communities that enrich the lives of people of all ages. Member states develop and implement plans that address any or all of the eight Age-Friendly domains: Transportation, Housing, Public Spaces, Respect and Social Inclusion, Civic Participation and Employment, Social Participation, Community and Health Services, and Communication and Information.” So that’s exciting news. 

And second, in a demonstration of age-friendliness, Florida AARP and the City of St. Petersburg, Florida dedicated the first of its kind in the country, #AARPFitPark which is, according to AARP’s CEO, Joann Jenkins who was in town for the dedication, “a nationwide network of outdoor exercise spaces designed for users of all ages and abilities. They’re free and open to the public and there will be 53 across then nation.”

Shout out to AARP Florida State Director Jeff Johnson who tweets as @Name_u_know for inviting me to the ribbon cutting of this very cool park.