At the Claude Pepper Center, we honor Claude Pepper’s legacy and commitment to the rights and welfare of older people living in Florida and beyond. Our initiatives at the CPC focus on solutions for older people so they may remain independent, engaged members of their communities as long as possible.
Florida is a well-known retirement destination, and older adults play a valuable and increasingly important role in our state’s leadership, economy, and families. Demographic projections show that by 2030, one in three Floridians will be over age 60. As the second oldest state in the US, Florida faces important challenges that are influencing quality of life and our financial solvency. For instance:
- Over half a million, or about one in ten individuals living with Alzheimer’s Disease in the United States, lives in Florida today.
- One in five Florida residents are age-eligible for Social Security,
- One in four adults in Florida provide care for a loved one
- One in three adults in Florida are disabled
The CPC provides policy-based research and leadership on these and many other issues facing older people and their families. We work with state leaders, agencies, and researchers here in the state capital, across the state, and nationally to promote evidence-based policy-making.
All older adults should have the privilege to reach old age with opportunities and abilities to maintain a meaningful and satisfying life. In support of Claude Pepper’s vision, the Claude Pepper Center at Florida State University highlights the important role that older people play in society, and seeks to make Florida a leader in aging policy.
Sincerely,
Dawn C. Carr