Shady Rest Institute on Positive Aging

The Southwest Florida Healthspan Partnership

Designed to help the region move from parallel activity to a coordinated system focused on shared outcomes. Rather than creating a new initiative that would compete for attention or resources, the Institute has now supports a new partnership focused on organizing what already exists, strengthening alignment, clarifying roles, and establishing the infrastructure required for sustained collaboration. 

What is Healthspan?

Healthspan refers to the number of years a person lives in good health, free from chronic disease, functional limitations, and cognitive decline. The Shady Rest Institute on Positive Aging was established to serve as a regional hub that connects research, education, policy, and community action around a single unifying aim: adding life to years, not just years to life. The SWFL Healthspan Partnership is direct effort to support that aim.

Healthspan vs. Lifespan 

Southwest Florida is aging faster than nearly any other region in the country. While many organizations are already doing meaningful work to support older adults, health, well-being, and quality of life, these efforts have historically operated in silos. Too often, work focused on aging is separated from the systems and conditions that shape people’s lives across the full lifespan—education, workforce, housing, transportation, community connection, and economic stability—all of which directly influence healthspan.

 The Goal: Extend Healthspan in Southwest Florida by Seven Years by 2040

"“This region has a higher percentage of older people than most anywhere in the world, so we can either see that as a challenge or as an opportunity to lead.”" - Ken Dychtwald, PhD | Founder & CEO of Age Wave