2nd Anniversary of Oak Hammock Health Pavilion - October 12, 2006
I am pleased to join all of you for this celebration because I believe so strongly in the Oak Hammock-University of Florida vision.
We are an aging nation. People 65 years or older today comprise over 12 percent of our population, about one in every eight Americans. But as baby boomers age, this number will swell. In 2030, people 65 or older will make up 20 percent of the population. That’s one in every five Americans.
Florida, the nation’s traditional retirement state, will feel this seismic shift more than most states. With nearly 4 million residents 60 or older, the Sunshine State is 2nd only to California in its older population today. Demographers predict that by 2030, Florida will be home to nearly 10 million residents aged 60-plus. Of course, we will not only have a much larger older population; older people will also live much longer. Consider that today’s 85-plus group is nearly 40 times larger than it was in 1900! Medical progress will only magnify this trend.
Clearly, the aging population poses all sorts of challenges to our country. We must seek creative and compassionate solutions to these challenges – not just health care solutions, but also quality of life solutions. People are living longer, and they rightfully expect their lives to be rich and active.
The Oak Hammock-University of Florida partnership may seem a tiny blip in the enormous range of possible strategies. But we are unusual, if not unique, in how we combine health care and quality of life for Oak Hammock’s 440 residents.
On the health care side of the equation, residents live independently in apartments and homes, but they may also enter assisted and skilled living facilities in the Health Pavilion as the need arises. Here, as John Morris just noted in his remarks, University of Florida physicians, physical therapists and other health professionals offer a broad range of services.
When it comes to quality of life, Oak Hammock’s residents can tap into the richness of the University of Florida in many ways. Indeed, there are 18 affiliation agreements between university entities and Oak Hammock!
The College of Veterinary Medicine provides a pet clinic, in-house visits and pet care services. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences sponsors a lecture series. The UF library welcomes Oak Hammock residents as borrowers. And so on.
Both our medical and our non-medical affiliations have been a good thing for Oak Hammock. They are a big part of what makes living here so special. I believe, however, that as this facility matures, we can strengthen and deepen these relationships.
You may know that UF a year ago created in the College of Medicine a department of aging and geriatric research – the first department in the country to focus primarily on aging-related research. This department serves as the foundation for our Institute on Aging, which has been conducting research on aging and disability for some time. Both are productive: This month, we expect to receive a $2 million Claude Pepper Older Americans Independence Center grant for aging research.
As the department and institute continue to grow, Oak Hammock residents will be among those who reap the benefits. That said, let me emphasize, the rewards will flow both ways. As a group, residents here are highly educated, and they understand the value of science and research. They already participate in UF research studies on aging and geriatrics, and the new department will only encourage more participation.
To me, the symbiotic relationship between Oak Hammock and University of Florida provides a good model for approaching the aging question.
On the one hand, we have an obligation to help aging Americans lead healthy and rich lives. On the other, we can continue to benefit from their wisdom, their experience and their skills. The truth is, we need each other. The UF-Oak Hammock partnership shows how we can make the most of that need.
I look forward to a productive and fruitful relationship between Oak Hammock and the University of Florida for years to come.
Bernie Machen