Claude Pepper Center unveils innovative tool to address aging population challenges in Florida

Florida – In a pioneering move aimed at improving the well-being of older adults, Florida State University’s Claude Pepper Center has launched the Translational Data Platform, an innovative digital tool designed to address the aging challenges in Florida. This new platform integrates a wealth of data covering behavior, health, occupation, and economic factors to provide real-time insights into the state’s aging population. With Florida being home to one of the largest concentrations of older adults in the U.S., the platform is a crucial resource for understanding the complex needs of this demographic.

After a year-long soft launch that allowed researchers and stakeholders to refine the tool based on user feedback, the platform is now publicly available. Its primary goal is to provide policymakers, researchers, and families with easy access to data that will help them make informed decisions about the aging population. “The Translational Data Platform is revolutionizing how we understand and address the needs of older adults, providing unprecedented access to real-time data and insights that empower policymakers, researchers, and families to make informed decisions,” said Dawn Carr, the director of the Claude Pepper Center.

The platform’s launch marks a major step in addressing the growing need for accessible data on aging. Users can interact with detailed maps and dashboards that offer a closer look at how aging affects different aspects of life in Florida. This real-time data provides insights into the needs of older adults across the state, and given Florida’s pivotal role in national aging trends, the platform will serve as a model for similar initiatives across the country.

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“We’ve reached out to various stakeholders to find out what we could do to best support those making decisions about older adults and their well-being, but also families of older people in Florida,” Carr noted. The platform is designed to be as user-friendly as possible, ensuring that families, organizations, and policymakers can access important information quickly and efficiently.

One of the standout features of the Translational Data Platform is its ability to track social isolation among adults over 65, a growing concern in the aging population. A map focused on identifying social isolation risk hotspots has already been created and presented to organizations such as the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. This map serves as a tool for policymakers to prioritize areas in need of immediate attention.

Fabio Correa, a research engineer at the Pepper Center, explained the importance of the platform’s continuous updates: “The main focus of our work is age and aging, and how they interact with health and policy. Our maps and dashboards are constantly updated with the latest public data from authoritative sources, including our own peer-reviewed research.” This commitment to accuracy and timeliness ensures that users can rely on the platform for the most up-to-date information available.

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Built using Esri ArcGIS and Microsoft Power BI, the Translational Data Platform simplifies complex datasets, making them accessible to a wide range of users. The collaborative effort between the Claude Pepper Center and various Florida state agencies has made it possible to aggregate data from multiple sources, further enhancing the platform’s value. According to Correa, “There is all this data just waiting for people to explore. We at the Center are heavily invested in finding new ways to combine it, to present it, and to use it to help people understand their needs and understand how to address them.”

While the platform currently focuses on Florida, the Claude Pepper Center has ambitions to expand its reach on a national scale. “We aim to build on our work more broadly, and this platform in particular, to be able to provide resources that inform a variety of national issues. We believe that data science is a critical resource for informing policy and helping identify solutions for healthy aging,” said Carr. This national expansion would allow the platform to provide valuable resources to other states and help shape national conversations around aging and healthcare.

As the platform continues to evolve, it is expected to grow both in the data it provides and in the scope of its reach. The Claude Pepper Center remains committed to refining and enhancing the platform’s features, ensuring it remains an essential tool for those working to address the needs of older adults.

For more information about the Translational Data Platform and the Claude Pepper Center, visit claudepeppercenter.fsu.edu.