The Center for Excellence in Aging & Longevity (CEAL) spearheads efforts to meet the current and emerging challenges of healthy aging across the lifespan.
Facing the Challenge
Older adults are the fastest growing segment of our population.
For the first time in human history, there will be more people over 65 years old than under 5 years old. This rapidly changing demographic is happening in both developed and developing countries, creating unprecedented local and global challenges to social conditions, cultural norms and our understanding of life expectancy and healthy aging.
In the San Diego Region, the older adult population will double by 2030, the fastest growing age group is over 80 years old. This rapidly growing older adult population will be 30 % more diverse in race/ethnicity, language spoken, sexual orientation and lower SES. By 2060, nearly one in four Americans will be 65 and older, the number of 85-plus will triple, and the country will add a half million centenarians.
How will we ensure healthy aging for diverse older adults with the necessary social, civic, and economic participation necessary to lead productive and meaningful lives?
These unprecedented demographic challenges will require adaptive leadership, inclusiveness and innovation across human services, community, business, and government sectors for older adults, SDSU stakeholders, today’s youth, and community members to prepare for and enjoy the “longevity dividend” of increased life expectancy for 10 to 30 years beyond retirement age.
SDSU is actively addressing these issues by creating the Center for Excellence in Aging and Longevity to catalyze efforts to meet the current and emerging challenges of healthy aging across the lifespan through collaboration and community engagement.
Read the announcement – It’s official! SDSU is now one of 77 global universities committed to educating, innovating, researching, and supporting an inclusive approach to healthy and active aging across the lifespan. SDSU President Adela de la Torre received notice that SDSU was accepted into the Age-Friendly University Global Network (AFU).
The Social Policy Institute has been instrumental in gaining SDSU’s designation as Age-Friendly University and is now the lead entity for this new initiative. Stay connected with us and see how becoming an AFU will impact families and communities for generations to come.
Older adults are the fastest growing segment of our population. How will we develop solutions to meet the changing needs of a rapidly aging and diverse society?
News and Announcements
- Nearly One Millon Older Adults Living In San Diego By 2030
- Vicki L. Shepard Receives NASW Pioneers Award
Who We Are
The Center for Excellence in Aging & Longevity is an initiative from San Diego State University’s Social Policy Institute (SPI) and School of Social Work. Established in 2020, the Center led SDSU in becoming the region’s first official Age-Friendly University. Our strategic partners include:
- Age-Friendly University (AFU) Global Network
- AARP Age-Friendly Communities
- Intergenerational Gerontology Alliance (IGA)
- Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning
- Serving Seniors
- St. Paul’s Senior Services
- Glenner Center
- OASIS
- Wellcare By Healthnet
- Determined Health
- Tivity Health
- Vision Centre 2025
- Local, state, and national government agencie
Why it matters
“Training future professionals and leaders to support older adults is an important part of our work, but it does not end there,” said Steven Hornberger, Co-Director, CEAL and SDSU faculty, “Sometimes, the most meaningful thing you can do for a person is to help them see opportunities to participate and to engage with their community and, through that, feel valued and appreciated–our focus is to assist all San Diego’s older adults to live long and healthy lives of equity, opportunity and wellness.”
What We Do
The Center for Excellence in Aging & Longevity engages, collaborates, and leverages opportunities to develop and disseminate innovative and evidence-based approaches in:
- Longevity: Helping older adults identify and develop approaches to find meaning and purpose for the extended lifespan post-retirement.
- Workforce Partnerships: Develop and implement employment opportunities for AND by older adults, their family caregivers, and the aging sector/industry.
- Age-Friendly University (AFU): Establish transdisciplinary collaboration to facilitate learning for a lifetime, inclusive of diverse students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community stakeholders.
- Research and Policy: Develop and promote individual, family, and community pathways and processes to improve quality of life and equitable opportunities for older adults.
