International Council on Active Aging
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Whether a large or small organization, or an individual professional, the ICAA has the right membership for you.
A history of ICAA
On October 1, 2001, health and fitness industry veteran Colin Milner founded the International Council on Active Aging® (ICAA), an association that leads, connects and defines the active-aging industry. The goal? “Changing the Way We Age®.”
Milner, an industry leader, visionary and original thinker on older-adult health and well-being, envisioned ICAA as an association that would support professionals who develop wellness and fitness facilities and services for adults over 50. He also viewed the association as a vehicle for unifying sectors that serve older adults “to create an industry dedicated to better health, wellness and quality of life for this age group.”
This industry—the active-aging industry—embraces, rather than fights, the aging process, opting instead to improve this experience by promoting health, preventing disease, and encouraging living life to the fullest. Sectors represented include the retirement, assisted living, recreation, fitness, rehabilitation and wellness fields, as well as government and academia.
A media education program launched in 2002 established ICAA as a valued information source on aging-related issues, with the association and its members frequently interviewed for television, radio and print media today. In addition, three annual programs started in 2003 continue to encourage industry growth, innovation and participation. These include:
- the ICAA Conference, which serves as a forum for active-aging professionals to come together to network and learn from each other and leaders in active aging;
- the ICAA Innovators Awards, which honor creativity and excellence in active-aging programs and products, as well as the organizations that developed them; and
- Active Aging Week, the health promotion event spearheaded by ICAA that gives older adults the opportunity to experience activities and exercise in a safe, friendly and fun atmosphere.
The ICAA Strategy Sessions, a think tank begun in 2004, meets twice a year to identify and address challenges in the active-aging industry. Achievements from these meetings include, among others, the first business benchmarks created by the industry. And the ICAA 2020 initiative, launched in January 2009, is engaging the ICAA community in shaping a vision for the future of active aging.
As an active-aging educator and advocate, ICAA has advised numerous organizations and governmental bodies over the years, including the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the Administration on Aging, the National Institute on Aging (one of the National Institutes of Health), Canada’s Special Senate Committee on Aging, and the British Columbia ministries of Health, and Healthy Living and Sport.
ICAA has also undertaken scores of initiatives with the help of partners. Today, the association has thriving educational partnerships or relationships with, among others, AARP, American Council on Exercise, American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, National Area Agencies on Aging, JCC Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Occupational Therapy Association, and the American Physical Therapy Association.
As of January 2010, the ICAA membership has grown to more than 8,200 organizations that manage, own or operate 40,000-plus locations. And the ICAA Network extends to 37 countries around the globe.
To learn how you can get involved with the ICAA, please e-mail us at info@icaa.cc, or call toll-free 1-866-335-9777.
