Blog

With more than 150 attendees at the April 3 Livability for Longevity Symposium, the Bass Lecture Hall at the LBJ School of Public Affairs was close to capacity. Between opening remarks from Council Member Alison Alter (District 10) about Austin’s efforts to create an age-friendly community and a thoughtful symposium wrap-up from Jesús Garza, former...

We’re happy to report that the aging / age-tech speakers and panels at SXSW 2019 did not disappoint, and the ideas presented gave us much to think about. One key takeaway that will guide AustinUP as we expand our efforts to make Austin age-progressive: Innovation without implementation is nothing. Let’s do this, Austin! Here are a few...

Decibel, KLRU's news and public affairs initiative led by esteemed TV journalist Judy Maggio, covers a wide variety of stories that matter to Austinites. In February, Judy and the Decibel team focused on aging. They hosted a roundtable discussion, which included AustinUP Executive Director Teresa Sansone Ferguson. They also produced a series of aging-related stories and...

We're excited to introduce our three newest AustinUP Board members: John Brown began his career in the pharmacy retail drugstore business. He spent 36 years with one company, and had the opportunity to learn and grow as the Austin area continued to expand. Today, John is owner and CEO of Oasis Senior Advisors Austin. John adds, "As...

AustinUP extends huge thanks to St. David's Foundation for their generous grant to support our work on behalf of the elders of tomorrow.  In its goal to help Central Texans be the healthiest people they can be, St. David’s Foundation is putting a spotlight on healthy aging and aging in place with dignity. AustinUP’s efforts to make...

More than 130 people attended AustinUP’s 2018 ATX Aging & Innovation Summit, an information-packed program held November 28th at the Sonesta Bee Cave Austin Hotel.  The goal this year was to provide a creative space so that people with different talents and perspectives on aging could come together to help put Austin on the map in...

Many older Americans think that giving up the car keys means giving up independence. In the Austin metropolitan area, that does not have to be the case. The newly published Ride Guide will help you find the transportation option that best suits your needs or the needs of someone you know. The booklet includes common situations and suggestions for how older...

The Austin City Council received a certificate of approval on Thursday, May 10, marking the official start to the implementation of the Austin Age-Friendly Action Plan. At the beginning of Thursday’s City Council meeting, community leaders recognized this achievement and presented City Council with a certificate from AARP and the World Health Organization. This plan, designed...

The Bass Lecture Hall at the LBJ School of Public Affairs was a hub of ideas and activity on Tuesday, April 10, 2018 – all focused on improving the lives of older adults in our community. The event provided 1) context for a team of LBJ School students’ Policy Research Project, “Young, Hip Austin is Getting Old”; 2) information about the goals and strategies outlined in the Age-friendly Austin Action Plan, specifically in the areas of housing, healthcare and employment; and 3) an opportunity to discuss ways to change how we think about “aging.”

Many people are surprised to learn that aging and longevity issues are widely covered at SXSW. We're happy to report that the aging-related panels and speakers we saw this year were truly relevant and knowledgeable. As always, we learned a lot. Here are some random notes from just a few of the panels we saw...