“The New 65” is a project by Humana and Growing Bolder recognizing and celebrating folks 65 and older who are continuing to lean into life and contribute in meaningful ways. It’s about those who are living lives of passion and purpose and making the most of their third acts and redefining what being 65 and older looks like, feels like by how they are living.
Growing Bolder, a Florida based national media company, will be interviewing the subjects for a new mini documentary on The New 65 that will premiere at the exhibits opening in November. The exhibit will feature portraits of local men and women aged 65 and older taken by Florida portrait photographer Mike Dunn on Wednesday, Oct. 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Humana Neighborhood Center (3189 W. Vine Street in Kissimmee).
The exhibit will highlight the opportunities, achievements, and aspirations of the area’s older adults and encourage all community members to embrace the process of aging. As Florida’s senior population continues to increase, the health and wellbeing of our older adults is important to the economy and culture of every community in the state.
The New 65 challenges the increasingly popular statement that “65 is the new 45” or “70 is the new 50”. While the intent is positive, it implies that the only way to explain someone who is happy, healthy, socially engaged, and involved in their community at age 65 is to say that they look or act like they are 45. Sixty-five is not the new 45. Sixty-five is the new 65 and that’s good news for all.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Florida is the fastest growing state in the nation for the first time since 1957 and has the largest percentage of adults 65 and older in the nation (21%). Humana and Growing Bolder are partnering on a unique initiative that showcases the diversity of this population, challenges the misconceptions of what it’s like to age in America, and pushes against the norms by celebrating men and women who, no matter their age, abilities, opportunities, or challenges, have found their own way to pursue their passions and live with joy.
