Every day 10,000 people in the US reach Medicare age.

While the dream may be to retire, spend more time with family or travel the world, the reality is that for many seniors, aging brings with it new challenges they must confront on physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual fronts.

That’s why the Tramuto Foundation is proud to partner with Saint Joseph’s College of Maine to create transformational change for the College and the community it serves by helping to develop and launch the Institute for Integrative Aging and Associated Programming.

The Institute will be a center for research, education and community-centered care for older adults. Its mission will recognize the multi-dimensional aspects of aging, consider the societal factors that impact aging, and empower people to choose an integrated approach to their longevity. 

“The focus of our partnership is to make a positive, widespread, and documented impact on human lives by making people’s senior years more socially connected, intellectually stimulating, emotionally fulfilling, and spiritually transcendent,” according to Joanne Bean, Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer at the college. “Integrative aging is a term coined by Saint Joseph’s College President Jim Dlugos, which seeks to advance the concepts of integrative medicine and healthcare to develop an understanding of an approach to aging. Central to our strategy is the creation of meaningful, concrete partnerships with foundations, corporations, and organizations, which share a common vision with Saint Joseph’s College and are equally committed to our core values of faith, excellence, integrity, community, respect, compassion, and justice. To find these traits in contemporary entities can be a challenge, but the leadership of Saint Joseph’s College believes that as we approach the field of aging, no better example of mission alignment and shared values can be realized than through a strong and committed partnership with The Tramuto Foundation, Tivity Health, and Health e-Villages.”

Donato’s commitment to this project aligns with his professional dedication and personal passion for helping seniors live vibrant and healthy lives. He is particularly concerned with the growing problem of social isolation, a threat to seniors and to the general population on par with the damages associated with smoking 15 cigarettes per day. In his capacity as CEO of Tivity Health, and as the founder of two non-profits, Health eVillages, and the Tramuto Foundation, Donato has become a leading national voice on this subject matter, urging top healthcare leaders, advocates and activists to collaborate on strategies to reduce this deadly cultural condition.

“There are public and private capabilities and programs, such as the Institute for Integrative Aging at Saint Joseph’s College, that can potentially reverse this crisis,” Donato said. “By working together and sharing the best ideas and experiences, we can ensure that older adults have the opportunity to age with dignity, vitality, and purpose, regardless of where they live.”