What We Do

Vision: AustinUP’s vision is to create a region that responds to aging as a dynamic rather than a stagnant force. We are all aging, all the time – and we want to make Central Texas a place that supports each of us, at every age.

Mission: We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community alliance committed to making Central Texas a place where older adults live full, engaged lives. We work to prioritize the unmet needs of the Central Texas aging population, tap the assets of older adults to improve our community, and embrace innovation and creativity in the pursuit of an age-friendly culture.

Strategy: AustinUP is working with local and regional business and civic leaders, entrepreneurs, non-profit service organizations, older adults and caregivers to raise the profile of our senior population and prepare our community for the future of aging. Our focus areas are outlined below.

Enhance Livability for Older Adults in Our Community

AustinUP, along with the City of Austin Commission on Seniors, AARP and several aging-related nonprofits worked with Austin leaders to create the Age-friendly Austin Action Plan to address eight areas that influence the health and quality of life of Austin’s older adults: 

  • Outdoor Spaces and Buildings
  • Transportation, Housing
  • Social Participation
  • Respect and Social Inclusion
  • Civic Participation and Employment
  • Communication and Information
  • Community Support and Health Services

The Austin City Council, on November 3, 2016, voted to adopt the Age-friendly Austin Action Plan as an addendum to the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan and actively work toward Austin becoming more age-friendly in support of our city’s current and future older adults. As a result, Austin joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, which works to improve livability across the country.

AustinUP currently participates on the workgroups charged with implementing the Age-friendly Austin Action Plan.

Austin Accolades:

“In the Rosewood area in East Austin, a person can expect to live to about 72. About five miles away near Enfield Road in West Austin — on the other side of I-35 — life expectancy is 83, or 11 years longer.”

Source: Map Shows Disparity in Life Expectancy Along East, West Line in Austin
Austin American-Statesman (October 2019)

Expand Austin’s Role in the Longevity Marketplace

Austin has one of the nation’s fastest-growing populations of older adults. Learning how to serve this population and make them feel welcome as customers could have a direct benefit to a business’s bottom line.

AustinUP is proud to have worked alongside many dedicated individuals and nonprofits when creating the Age-friendly Austin Action Plan. Now, with the plan in implementation, we are expanding our outreach to businesses to connect them to this community effort.

For example, local business leaders may not be familiar with the term “age-friendly,” but still want to do their best to serve their older clients. Entrepreneurs who are creating apps, services and devices for older adults need introductions, research and resources to help bring new ideas to market faster.

AustinUP provides tools for businesses to ensure their success, including data, insight, focus group opportunities, community connections, membership options and event sponsorships. Join AustinUP today!

“Americans over 50 account for $7.6 trillion in direct spending and related economic activity.”

Source: Silver to Gold: The Business of Aging
Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging

Connect Age-smart Employers with Older Job Seekers

Austin is number one in a lot of things, but not when it comes to employment for older workers. AustinUP is working to enlighten employers about the value of a multigenerational workplace. We also host quarterly “50+ in ATX” job fairs across our community. These events connect older job seekers to employers and include presentations to help older adults:

  • repurpose a long career to pursue new interests,
  • navigate the new technology involved in résumé submittal, and
  • maintain self-confidence during the job search.

Additional Resources:

“The unemployment rate for people over age 55 is 7.9 percent in Central Texas compared to 2.8 percent for the overall population.”

Source: Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the Second Half of Life,
Third Edition by Marc Miller, Founder, Career Pivot

Change Perceptions About Aging

AustinUP is working to combat ageism and change misconceptions about older adults. Our goal is to raise the profile of our senior population and train a new generation of thought leaders to explore and “normalize” innovative ideas about aging.

We host community events to:

  • share information about livability issues for older adults;
  • spotlight some of the most significant innovations in the aging/tech space, and
  • discuss current and future trends in this growing and underserved market.

We advocate on behalf of older adults and promote aging-related nonprofits, businesses and service providers. We also serve as a community partner to local universities to help facilitate academic research that studies aging processes and outcomes.

Explore:

2019 Livability for Longevity Symposium Recap
2019 ATX Aging & Innovation Summit Recap

“Programs that foster intergenerational contact, combined with education about the aging process and its misconceptions, worked best at reducing ageist attitudes.”

Source: Cornell Chronicle (June 2019)

Contact Us

Phone: (737) 285-2355
E-mail: [email protected]
Mail: 3571 Far West Blvd #51
Austin, TX 78731