The Sep/Oct Issue of the Elder Update is available

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs publishes a bimonthly newsletter, the "Elder Update", for Florida Seniors. The current issue includes articles about:

• The positives of aging
• What recipients need to know about choosing a Medicaid Long-term plan
• Employ Florida Marketplace - silver edition (this site assists older adult job seekers)
• Who can you call to get help with home repairs
• Purple Ribbon Task Force (investigating how to help people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia)

You can download the current issue here. Alternatively, you can sign up for a print subscription here.

Lifestyles After 50 Fun Fest in Largo

The Lifestyles After 50 Fun Fest will be held on Wednesday, November 13th at the Largo Cultural Center from 10:00am - 3:00pm. Admission and parking are free. The event will feature:

• Free Health Screenings
• Live Music
• Sports Center
• Free coffee and goodies
• Free bingo and giveaways

             Largo Cultural Center            
             105 Central Park Dr. 
             Largo, FL 33771
             813-653-1988 or 1-888-670-0040

For more information, you can click here for the event flier.

The State of Aging and Health in America 2013

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have published the "The State of Aging and Health in America 2013" report. This report gives a "snapshot of our nation’s progress in promoting prevention, improving the health and well-being of older adults, and reducing behaviors that contribute to premature death and disability." Some of the highlights of the report include:

• By 2030, older adults will make up 20% of the U.S. population.
• Two out of three older adults have multiple chronic conditions.
• The United States has met six of the health targets from the Healthy People 2020 targets for older adults.
• The flu vaccination goal is 90%, but the actual vaccination rate for older adults this past year was 66.9%

You can read more by clicking here to access this report.

In addition, report describes 15 key indicators of older adult health for people and 65 and above and provides data on these indicators for each state. You can get data about your state, or about selected cities within each state, by clicking here for the Healthy Aging Data Portfolio. Here are some of the statistics for the Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater area (including Pasco County):

• 21.4% of age 65 or older are obese.
• 32.2% of age 65 or older had a fall with injury in the past year.
• 11.3% of age 65 or older currently smoke.
•  39% of age 65 and older had a disability.

2013 Tampa Bay Senior Games

The first Florida Senior Games championships were held in 1992.  These games are for people age 50 and above.  Currently, the Florida Sports Foundation sanctions local games, which serve as qualifiers for the state championships.  The Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department will be hosting the Tampa Bay local qualifier games this year from October 7th-18th.  The locations for the events  can be found here.  The sports offered include: 

• 3-on-3 Basketball
• Basketball Free Throw
• Billiards
• Bowling
• Golf
• Horseshoes
• Pickleball
• Powerlifting
• Race Walk
• Softball
• Swimming
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• Track and Field 
• baking contest
• hobby show
• talent showcase

The State Championships will be held Dec. 7th -15th in various locations in Lee County. These state championships are the qualifiers for the 2014 National Senior Games. For more information on the National Senior Games Association, please click here.