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The Florida Department of Health in Seminole County (DOH-Seminole) is pleased to announce its participation in the Florida Age-Friendly Public Health Collaborative and Action Network, facilitated by Trust for America's Health (TFAH) with generous funding from The John A. Hartford Foundation. The department and TFAH aim to identify and enhance the role of public health in improving the health and well-being of the older adults in our community.

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"Our health department is committed to the health of the entire community in Seminole County. Having an opportunity to focus further on our older population to identify priority health issues and assist in the process of gathering resources to serve the unique needs of our aging population is an exciting endeavor which continues to bring the partners and community together," said Donna Walsh, health officer for the Florida Department of Health in Seminole County.

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In Seminole County, the City of Longwood is participating in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities. DOH-Seminole will be joining the Seminole County Committee on Aging to learn more about on-going activities related to the older population and looks forward to working with various organizations to improve the quality of life for older adults by creating an Age-Friendly Action Plan. The Florida Legislature, Office of Economic and Demographic Research data states that in 2017 there was a total of 40,760 adults ages 65-74 years and 28,712 adults over 74 years old in Seminole County.

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In October 2017, TFAH brought together 30 experts in public health, aging, research and policy in Florida to explore how public health could contribute to the health and well-being of older adults. Convening participants developed a Framework for Creating an Age-Friendly Public Health System to advance public health's role in addressing the challenges and opportunities of an aging society at the local, state and national levels.

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Through the Florida Age-Friendly Public Health Network, the department will be working with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and community partners to identify priority health issues among our older adults. DOH-Seminole will receive tools, training resources, and technical assistance based on our unique needs. TFAH will be sharing the results of this initiative with public health stakeholders and policymakers across the country. This collaborative effort will help Florida meet the unique public health needs of older adults.