Glowing Older

Join host Nancy Griffin as she interviews Janet Engel, VP ofClinical Strategy and Engagement at Dwell Safe, about the latest innovations in aging well. Discover how technology and home modifications are helping older adults live safely and comfortably in their homes.

About Janet

Janet Engel, MOT/L, CAPS, ECHM is the VP of Clinical Strategy and Engagement at DwellSafe, where she leverages AI and clinical expertise to democratize home safety modifications for aging in place. An expert in Aging in Place and Universal Design, Janet leads initiatives to revolutionize home safety assessments and foster strategic partnerships in the industry.

With a deep understanding of the Baby Boomer demographic, Janet helps businesses tailor their strategies to better connect with and serve this important market. Her expertise extends to messaging specialization, improving communication and market share for companies focused on this consumer group.

Janet is the creator and host of the podcast "Home Designs for Life," which ranks in the top 10% globally. Through this platform, she offers valuable insights and discusses current trends related to aging in place, effective consumer communication, and innovative home safety solutions.

Passionate about empowering individuals to live independently as they age, Janet is committed to driving meaningful conversations and innovations in her field. At DwellSafe, she leverages her extensive background as an occupational therapist, specializing in home health care for older adults, to ensure that everyone can age safely and comfortably in their own homes.

Janet's unique blend of clinical knowledge, technologyexpertise, and consumer insight positions her at the forefront of the aging-in-place movement, where she continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in-home health solutions.

Key Takeaways

• Planning early for aging in place is essential to reduce fall risks. Home hazards are responsible for half to two-thirds of all falls in people age 65 and older.
• Dwell Safe is a home safety platform that combinesAI with clinical expertise to assess home safety. Technology scans individual rooms in a home and gives a fall risk score for the person and the environment. An occupational therapist reviews the video footage and makes tailored home safety recommendations.
• From Instacart to smart home technologies like automated window treatments, technology is key to supporting aging in place. Technology makes life more comfortable in the home and reduces fall risk.
• Vision is the first system that deteriorates with the aging process — starting as early as age 35 or 40. Smart solutions include creating color contrast in your environment — between walls, furniture and flooring, or installing motion sensor lighting and smart appliances in your home.
• Age-tech friendly kitchen appliances allow older adults to prepare meals safely. The kitchen presents significant hazards. You can burn yourself, fall, or cutyourself with sharp objects.
• An induction stove is an efficient way of cooking and eliminates the risk for burns and fires. A Smart Refrigerators can tell us if food has gone spoiled, which is important as our taste sense of smell deteriorates. Eating spoiled food is a common reason why older adults end up in the hospital.
• Universal design has broad general appeal. It is for everyone, regardless of height, weight, gender, and strength. Lever handles, motion sensor faucets and lighting are examples of universal design.
• Aging in place means living in the home of your choice. Whether it's the home you've been in for 30 years, a new home, or a 55 plus community. The key is choice.
• Social determinants of health include living ina community where you have easy access to neighbors, parks, restaurants and stores.

Eric Blake is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and the founder of Blake Wealth Management, specializing in helping women navigate retirement with confidence. With 25+ years of experience, Eric provides clear, practical strategies that help women optimize their investments, create reliable income streams, and minimize taxes.

His personal passion for helping women stems from beingraised by a single mother and grandmother being widowed at 62, providing a deep understanding of the financial challenges many women face later in life.

As the host of The Simply Retirement Podcast, Eric educates and empowers women to take control of their financial future.

Key Takeaways

• Optimizing investments for retirement is different than strategizing for an accumulation portfolio. Planning for retirement starts with determining what is most important to you.
• Not prioritizing women a failure of the financial services industry. 70% of women change their financial advisor within 12 months of losing their husband when he passes away.
• If you are married woman, make sure you are part of the financial conversation. Be willing to ask hard questions.
• Women are set to inherit approximately $30 to $34 trillion in the next few years and will potentially control as much as 67 % of the stock market wealth in the U.S.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host NancyGriffin interviews Erin Thompson, founder of Aspire for More and co-founder of The Mentoring Company. They discuss the importance of leadership in senior living, the challenges of navigating change in the industry, and the critical role of supporting caregivers. Aaron shares insights from his extensive experience in senior living, emphasizing the need for strong leadership to enhance resident experiences and the importance of personal growth for caregivers. The conversation also covers practical advice for families seeking the right senior living community and the emotional complexities involved in caregiving.

About Erin

With over 20 years of experience in the Senior Living Industry, Erin Thompson has built a legacy of turning struggling communities into thriving places to live and work. As a former Executive Director, she led teams to record breaking occupancy, near-perfect survey scores, and award winning workplace cultures—earning her communities the Great Place to Work distinction two years in a row.

Now, as the Founder of The Mentoring Company and Aspire for More with Erin, Erin is on a mission to mentor, motivate, and equip the next generation of senior living leaders. Through her executive coaching, leadership courses, cohort programs, and national leadership community, she helps new and emerging leaders own their story, develop their leadership voice, and create environments where both residents and teams thrive.

She is also the host of the Aspire for More with Erin Podcast, where she shares real-life leadership insights, industry expertise, and conversations with top thought leaders in senior living. Her approach is simple: Great leaders create great communities. When leaders grow, communities flourish, retention improves, and resident experiences are elevated.

Key Takeaways 

• Leadership is crucial for creating a positive resident experience in a senior living community. A strong leader doesn't just operate the community, they shape the environment and culture.
• Staff turnover is a detriment to tech adoption and stops the innovative changes inside of a community.
• Finding the right senior living community requires understanding individual needs. What is most important? Survey scores matter, but they are not the “end all be all.”
• Sometimes being home alone is not the best option. The desire to be in control can override every system of rational thinking.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host Nancy Griffin interviews Lauren Dunning, Director of the Milken Institute Future of Aging. They discuss the importance of intergenerational connections, the role of the Milken Institute in promoting healthy aging, and the challenges of financial security and loneliness among older adults. Lauren shares insights from recent studies and reports, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and innovative solutions for aging well.

About Lauren

Lauren Dunning is a Director for the Milken Institute Future of Aging, where she develops initiatives and strategic partnerships that advance healthy longevity and financial security across the life course. In her role, Dunning leads work on integrated care solutions leveraging technology and oversees the Future of Aging Advisory Board, a group of global leaders from across sectors who provide advisement,expertise, and collaboration to maximize collective impact.

Before joining the Milken Institute, Dunning served in key policy leadership roles for over 10 years at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, where she was most recently the director of government affairs, working with officials at all levels to shape public health policy. She has written and presented on a variety of topics across public health, aging, and health care; held an appointment as an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center; and serves in an advisory capacity to several organizations, including LeadingAge California and the Atria Research Institute.

Dunning earned a JD from Georgetown University Law Center, a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University. She works at the Milken Institute’s Santa Monica office. 

Key Takeaways

• The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank with offices in the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East that collaborates across business, philanthropy, government, nonprofit and academia.
• The two domains of social connectedness are social isolation, which is objectively having few relationships and infrequent social interaction and loneliness, which is the state of perceived isolation or inadequate social connections.
• Loneliness is a significant health risk, comparable tosmoking fifteen cigarettes a day and associated with increased risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, anxiety, and depression.
• In a 2023 Gallup study of 142 countries, younger adults reported greater loneliness levels than adults over 65. The rates of loneliness were 10% higher among people 19 to 29 (27 % reporting they were fairly lonely) than for older adults over 65 (17%).
• Children that participate in mentoring programs with older adults improved their physical and mental health and educational status. Civic engagement among college students increases when paired with older volunteers.
• Intergenerational relationships benefit both younger and older generations by reducing ageism and age discrimination, bridging differences, and identifying shared values.
• Eight in 10 older adults would like to connect across generations and 92% of Americans believe intergenerational activities can help reduce loneliness across all ages.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host Nancy Griffin interviews Ashton Applewhite, author of 'This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism.' They discuss Ashton's journey into understanding ageism, the current state of awareness, the importance of policy, and the intersectionality of ageism with other social issues. Ashton introduces her initiative, YODA, aimed at fostering intergenerational connections to combat ageism.

About Ashton

An internationally recognized expert on ageism, Ashton Applewhite is the author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism and a co-founder of the Old School Hub. She speaks widely at venues that have included the United Nations and the TED mainstage, and is at the forefront of the emerging movement to raise awareness of ageism and make age a criterion for diversity. In 2022 the United Nations named Ashton one of the Healthy Aging 50: fifty leaders transforming the world to be a better place to grow older.

Key Takeaways

• OldSchool.info is an anti-ageism clearinghouse—a central repository of tools and resources for the emerging movement against ageism.
• Ageism is a pervasive issue that affects all aspects of life. We are all biased, but we can control our attitudes about aging.
• The first step in any social change is awareness, because most bias is unconscious and we can't challenge something when we don't even know exists.
• Building intergenerational connections is vital for combating ageism. The YODA initiative (Youngers and Olders Dismantling Ageism) aims to connect younger and older generations as a tool to end ageism.
• Older people resent younger people for having more social and cultural visibility, and young people resent older people for having more political access and moreeconomic clout. Both are true.
• Fear divides us and people make money off fear. When people are divided, they tend to not come together to change ways of thinking or the ways institutions work.

Follow This Chair Rocks on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram

Follow OldSchool.info on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram

Check out Ashton’s TED TalkRead This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, review and share!

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host Nancy Griffin interviews Jeff Weiss, President and CEO of Age of Majority. They discuss the importance of understanding the needs and desires of this demographic, the impact of social media, and the positive aspects of aging. Jeff shares insights from his TEDx talk, emphasizing the potential for happiness and fulfillment in later life, and highlights the need for brands to adapt their messaging and approach to resonate with older consumers.

About Jeff

Jeff is the President and CEO (Chief Evagelist Officer) of Age of Majority, a research-driven marketing consultancy thatbreaks the myths and crushes the stereotypes and stigmas associated with aging.  As the last of the Baby Boomers with over 40 years of marketing experience on both the client and agency sides of the business, Jeff has witnessed the dramatic changes of the aging population. In his experience of working for and with major brands including Pepsi, Gillette, Dannon, KitchenAid and Unilever, he understands why corporations are missing the boat on the over 55 crowd and he knows what’s necessary to take advantage of this largest and fastest growing segment in business.

Key Takeaways

• Currently a third of the population in North America is 55 and older. By the year 2100, the percentage of 55+ population will be 42%.
• It is a mistake to view the older adult market as homogeneous. When marketing to older adults, don’t segment by generations. Target by stage not age.
• People have a fear of getting older (FOGO), because of all the pervasive stereotypes in our society that getting older is bad.
• Ninety-five percent of adults 55 and older are on socialmedia platforms. Facebook is the top platform with 85% of users using the platform. Almost three quarters of older adults are on YouTube, 45% are on Instagram, and a third are on Pinterest.
• Brands are enlisting influencers (social media contentcreators) to motivate and engage older adults—63 % of adults 55 and older are following influencers. 60 % on YouTube and over 50 % on Instagram.
• Half of influencers followed by older adults are over 50. Popular topics include food, travel, entertainment, health and wellness.

 Carl Honoré is an award-winning writer, broadcaster and speaker. His bestselling books have been published in 35 languages. His second TED Talk is called Why We Should Embrace Ageing As An Adventure. Whether online or in person, Carl's keynotes and workshops are dynamic, inspiring, informative, and full of humor. His audiences range from business leaders, entrepreneurs and marketers to engineers, lawyers, and medical practitioners.

Carl’s latest book, Bolder, explores how we can age better and feel better about ageing. It’s a spirited takedown of ageism. Bolder was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week and a Reader’s Digest Book of the Month

Carl Honoré Links 

TED TALK: In praise of ageing

TED TALK : In praise of slowness

Key Takeaways

• Outdated myths, assumptions and stereotypes box you in and limit possibilities. Throw off the shackles of the cult of youth and don’t pine for the past or shrink in horror from the future.
• Research suggests that one of the benefits of aging is that we get better at slowing down and being in the moment. We get better at focusing on one thing at a time and are less prone to multitasking.
• Mixing with different generations fosters understanding. When it comes to taking down the ageist industrial complex, mixing with other generations is at the top of the list.
• Language shapes our perceptions of aging. The soundtrack in your head affects how you age and how you feel about aging. Try to avoid terms like “senior moment” that reinforce negative stereotypes.
• It is important to be polite and civil on social media—especially in this incredibly polarized time. As soon as you get angry, you lose the argument and can turn people off.

• Life planning can help you find the future self that you aspire to be. Start living the “right” life for you instead of stumbling along an autopilot, which is what a lot of us are doing at many stages of our lives.
• We are at an inflection point in history with artificial intelligence. AI can be the ultimate wingman and co-pilot in later life with our database of experience and understanding.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host NancyGriffin interviews Aurelie Cornett, the Startup Collaboration Director with AgeTech Collaborative™ from AARP®, the world’s largest B2B age-tech ecosystem. They discuss empowering older adults through innovative technology, current trends in smart living and robotics, and the role of AI in enhancing user experiences. The conversation highlights the importance of collaboration in the age-tech ecosystem and ways to engage with the AgeTech Collaborative.

About Aurelie

Aurelie Cornett joined the AARP’s innovations team inDecember of 2021, where she leads Business Development efforts for the AgeTech Collaborative™ from AARP®. Her primary focus is on identifying trends and supporting innovative AgeTech startups by building the largest community of businesses, investors, and testbeds aimed at accelerating technology and introducing modern solutions to the $45 trillion global longevity market to make aging easier for everyone.

Before joining AARP, Aurelie gathered 15+ years of marketing and sales experience for a diverse set of organizations, primarily in tech and innovation.  Some of the companies include the Consumer Technology Association where she spent nearly 11 years, collaborating with startups and Fortune 500 companies to build industry ecosystems at the annual tech conference CES. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for some of the world’s largest tech companies, including HP and Air France, in her hometown of Paris, France.Key Takeaways

• The AgeTech Collaborative supports AARP’s social mission by focusing on innovation and technology that helps people live longer, happier and healthier lifespans.
• The AgeTech Collaborative’s three-prong approach includes identifying innovative solutions, accelerating vetted startups with an quarterly eight-week virtual program, and fostering collaboration and networking opportunities among startups, investors, and enterprises.
• Age-tech is a holistic term that encompasses varioussolutions for aging, including smart living solutions, robotics and AI to create personalized experiences. The term captures the full spectrum of innovations designed to enhance aging at all diverse stages of life. healthcare, wellness, financial security, and social engagement.
• AARP data shows that between one third and one half of older adults are either using or are interested in using a smart home device and 60% want to live as long as possible, as independently as possible, in the comfortof their home.

In this episode of Glowing Older, host Nancy Griffin interviews Janine Vanderburg, CEO of Encore Roadmap and co-founder of Changing the Narrative. They discuss Janine's journey as an activist against ageism and the importance of addressing workplace age discrimination. Janine shares insights on current trends in ageism, the power of intergenerational connections, and the need for awareness and action against ageism.

About Janine

As CEO of Encore Roadmap, Janine brings over three decades of experience leading social and organizational change initiatives to her current work speaking, writing and consulting with businesses, media and brands on how they can become more age-inclusive, leverage the skills of older workers, and help intergenerational teams succeed.

In 2018, Janine founded Changing the Narrative, a leadingU.S. campaign to end ageism, through which she's trained over 30,000 people across the world in ageism, reframing aging and creating more age-inclusive workplaces, marketing and communications. The former chair of The Encore Network, she now co-chairs its Public Policy Advocacy Committee, and serves on the board of the Center for Workforce Inclusion Labs.

Janine's work has earned numerous awards including Top 25Powerful Women in Business by Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce, Denver Regional Council of Government’s Metro Vision Award and the American Society on Aging’s 2024 Award for Success in Diminishing Ageism.

A lawyer, community organizer and social entrepreneur, whatdrives Janine is the belief that human potential should not be wasted, and that people of all ages, identities and zip codes should have an opportunity to contribute their strengths and talents.

She frequently quotes civil rights leader Grace Lee Boggs:“We are the leaders we’ve been waiting for.”

Key Takeaways

• Encore roadmap educates employers, public and private companies and nonprofits about the strong business case for older workers and intergenerational teams.
• Ageism in the workplace negatively affects the economic security of women. Many women are forced to take Social Security prematurely and lost income that they left the workplace to take care of children and aging parents.
• Intergenerational conversations reduce ageism because they build mutual understanding.
• There is a growing trend of women in their 40s to 70spursuing entrepreneurship.
• Companies are recognizing the value of older workers and intergenerational teams.

In this episode of Glowing Older, host Nancy Griffin interviews Paul Nagle, Executive Director of Stonewall Community Development Corporation. They discuss the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ seniors, including discrimination in housing and the need for innovative community-driven solutions. Paul shares his personal journey as a survivor of AIDS and his activism in creating supportive housing and care systems for LGBTQ older adults. The conversation highlights the importance of resilience, community, and advocacy in addressing the needs of this marginalized population as traditional long-term care systems face collapse.

About Paul

 Paul has over 30 years in both nonprofit administration and LGBTQ+ activism and currently serves as the Founding Executive Director of Stonewall Community Development Corporation (Stonewall CDC) since 2015.  Before joining Stonewall CDC, Paul was the Executive Director of Cultural Strategies Initiative Inc. (CSI), a program of Demos, established with a major grant from the Rockefeller Cultural Innovation Fund.  The mission of this project was to strengthen art’s central role in civic life, to enhance cultural, community, and environmental sustainability. 

 Before that, as Director of Communications & Cultural Policy for NYC Councilmember Alan Gerson (2002-2010), Paul organized the hard-hit cultural community in District 1 and engaged them in crafting strategies to help preserve and revitalize the arts in Lower Manhattan in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. His community-generated plan, Campuses & Corridors, served as the blueprint for a partnership between the Mayor, the Council Speaker and the Councilmember that was very successful in providing targeted capital and programmatic investments to restore the sector and convince the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation to grant $70 million to small to mid-sized arts organizations.  

 Paul earned both of his degrees from the Gallatin School at New York University, graduating summa cum laudefrom the bachelor’s program.  He earned his masters’ degree at age 49 in 2007. An abridged version of his master’s thesis, Room for Creativity – the Role of Artists’ Live/work Space in the New Economy, was published in The International Journal of the Arts in Society.

Key Takeaways

•  Stonewall Community Development Corporation focuses on housing and care for LGBTQ older adults. The organization has successfully placed over 1,400 families in permanent housing.
• Discrimination against LGBTQ individuals in housing isprevalent and often overlooked. Community generated systems of care are essential for LGBTQ seniors.
• The traditional long-term care system is collapsing due to outdated policies and low wages. Building networks of care is crucial for community resilience.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, Nancy Griffin interviews Dr. Pamela Toto, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Occupational Therapy and director of the Pitt Healthy Home Lab. They discuss optimal aging in place, the role of occupational therapy in helping older adults live independently, and the innovative projects and technologies being developed to support this mission. Pam shares insights on the significance of home environments, the balance between safety and independence, and the need for early planning in aging.

About Pam

Pamela Toto, PhD, OTR/L, BCG, FAOTA. FGSA is an occupational therapist, a Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and the Director of the Healthy Home Laboratory – a community laboratory that brings the best science into home settings to maximize independence, health, and safety. Board Certified in Gerontology and a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and the Gerontological Society of America, Dr. Toto’s interests focus on implementing effective strategies in everyday settings to promote aging in place.

She is currently the Primary Investigator for a Technical Studies grant funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Studies determining how best to integrate smart technologies into existing community-based home modification programs.

Key Takeaways

• The Healthy Home Lab focuses on interprofessional collaboration to support aging adults. Professionals include nurses, social workers, engineers, occupational and physical therapists, physicians, and physician assistants.
• Aging in place is about more than just living in a house; it's about participating in meaningful activities and being part of a community.
• Home retrofitting is best achieved through small, manageable changes rather than major renovations. Intervening early in the aging process can prevent larger issues and is often more cost-effective.
• Lighting improvements are one of the simplest and most effective changes for aging in place.
• Risk management is essential; older adults should have the right to make choices about their living environment.
• Occupational therapists are trained to help people across the lifespan with activities of daily living and help people maximize their bodies and minds.

In this episode of Glowing Older, host Nancy Griffin interviews Danniel Fuchs, founder of Multi-Gen and CEO of Age-Tech Los Angeles. Danniel shares his personal journey into caregiving, the importance of multi-generational living, and the role of technology in supporting aging individuals. He emphasizes the need for proactive solutions in aging, discusses exciting innovations in Agetech, and offers advice for entrepreneurs looking to enter this space.

About Danniel

Danniel Fuchs is the founder of Multi-Gen Homes and a passionate advocate for multi-generational living. With two decades of experience as a construction industry executive, Danniel transitioned into this field after navigating the challenges of caregiving for his father with Alzheimer's. He empowers families to embrace shared living through thoughtful home modifications, financial planning, and coaching. Danniel’s work highlights the profound social and emotional benefits of uniting generations under one roof.

Key Takeaways

• Multi-generational living can alleviate loneliness andfinancial burdens.
• Proactive solutions in aging can prevent costly emergencies.
• Age-tech is essential for improving the quality of life forseniors. Technology can help seniors age in place safely and comfortably.
• Age-tech entrepreneurs should focus on real needs and market fit for their products. Understanding the diverse needs of seniors is crucial for product development.
• The future of aging looks promising with advancements in technology. Age-tech is taking a proactive approach, like earbuds that measure blood pressure and sensors that not only detect falls but predict them.

Charles Piller’s Doctored  reveals a crisis of integrity at the heart of Alzheimer’s research, exposing systemic fraud, institutional negligence, and corporate influence that have derailed progress toward effective treatments. The book, based on years of investigative reporting, traces how falsified data, manipulated research, and conflicts of interest corrupted the field, leaving millions of patients and families struggling for answers.

About Charles

Charles Piller is an investigative journalist for Science magazine and his work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Sacramento Bee, and more. Piller has been honored with many national journalism awards, and is the author of Gene Wars, The Fail-Safe Society, and Doctored. He has reported on public health, biological warfare, infectious disease outbreaks, and other topics from the United States, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Central America. Follow him on X @CPiller / charlespiller.com.

Key Takeaways

• The amyloid hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease is the dominant way of looking at the ailment and its origins. Hundreds of respected Alzheimer’s research papers are based on false data proving this hypothesis, receiving billions in research and development funds.
• Manipulating microscopic brain tissue images and Western blot images significantly impacts data interpretation and scientific acceptance. Such alterations can misrepresent results, erode scientific integrity, lead to flawed conclusions, and create irreproducible findings. These manipulations constitute ethical violations and scientific misconduct.
• Universities face a significant challenge in addressing scientific misconduct among faculty due to inherent conflicts of interest. The need to maintain research integrity often clashes with protecting institutional reputation, securing funding, and retaining prominent researchers. This conflict can lead to inadequate oversight and investigation of potential misconduct. 
• New ideas about the cause of Alzheimer’s are on the horizon, including the possibility of latent infections as a factor in Alzheimer's, such as herpes virus. Clinical trials are in progress to try to treat herpes virus that may be latent in the brain.  Another possible factor is inflammation. GLP-1 inhibitors are being studied to delay cognitive decline.
• Controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and having a healthy lifestyle are beneficial to stave off Alzheimer’s disease.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host Nancy Griffin interviews Cate O'Brien, MPH, PhD, Senior Vice President of Mather Institute and Community Initiatives, discussing the organization's mission to improve the lives of older adults through innovative research and community initiatives. They explore various topics including the challenges faced by Generation X, the importance of planning for solo agers, the role of mindfulness in aging well, and emerging trends in person-centered wellness.

 About Cate

 Cate O’Brien, MPH, PhD, joined Mather as a Senior Research Associate in 2005. She leads the Institute’s research team to identify, develop, and conduct research programs in wellness and engagement across the aging services field. She also conducts and disseminates various research projects and establishes partnerships with universities to expand Mather’s reach and enhance the Institute’s reputation as a thought leader. Cate collaborates with all areas of Mather to evaluate the impact of internal initiatives.

Cate also leads the Community Initiatives team in developing and implementing strategies to grow the number of older adults served through virtual and in-person programs, such as the popular D.I.T. (Do It Together) Creative Art Kits. 

Cate earned a Master of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology from University of California, San Diego; a Master’s in Public Health (epidemiology) from San Diego State University; and a PhD in public health and community health sciences from the University of Illinois, Chicago.

Key Takeaways

Mather Institute focuses on creating ways to age well. Mather’s three areas of aging services include: four senior living communities, community initiatives and the Mather Institute.

Solo agers often lack support and planning for aging. Nearly one third (27%) of people 60 and older qualify as solo agers.

Mather Institute’s research on Generation X spans three years. Year one focused on Gen X’s top three priorities: family, career, and health. Year two took a deep dive into health and wellness, and year three will focus on the workforce.

Mather’s research shows Gen Xers experiencing more stress in their lives than Boomers, which could be a result of the sandwich generation caring for kids and parents and also related to finances.

Non-clinical interventions like social prescriptions and nature prescriptions are proven to improve health and wellness.

Claudia Fabian is a licensed esthetician, digital creator, and social media influencer focusing on pro-aging. Learn how she built 215k followers on Instagram and landed a coveted position on the 2025 Sephora Squad—the “NFL draft for beauty creators.”

About Claudia

Claudia Fabian is a 30-year beauty industry expert. Her career as a makeup artist, esthetician and Instagram beauty content creator has really given her a deeper understanding of industry trends. In 2021 she decided against the advice of her peers to embrace her grey hair, she began sharing her experience on Instagram and has grown to over 200K followers. There she shares makeup, beauty and skin tips for women over 50. Her goal is to encourage women to embrace aging! Her message of age-positivity has inspired many to also embrace their grey. Her philosophy of “glamour never expires” is a message many people can get behind.

After 3 decades in the beauty industry, she found herself in an industry whose main message to women is that aging is bad and should be avoided at all costs. Claudia’s mission as a beauty industry veteran is to begin shifting that narrative around aging as well as encouraging beauty brands to showcase more women over 40 as well as change the message from anti-aging to skin health.

You can follow Claudia at @TheBeauty Debut on Instagram and on LinkedIn @ClaudiaFabian.

Key Takeaways

• More women are embracing gray hair, but the process of going gray is still not the norm. It's more than just hair color. It's a statement.
• The beauty industry is obsessed with youth. The message is when you are old you are no longer  valid. Skincare and makeup brand need to see the market of over-50 women as valuable.
• Success on social media begins by showing up as yourself and not searching for perfection. The trend is towards less curated videos and more authentic connections and speaking from your heart. Buy a tripod and ring-light, write out your script in advance, and get started.
• Going “live” on social platforms is a great way connect with your followers. You can interact with your audience, and they can ask questions.

Bestselling author and CEO of The Purple Vine Debbie Compton shares her trajectory from corporate executive to fulltime caregiver. She shares strategies to empower caregivers, reduce burnout, and learn to laugh again.

About Debbie

Debbie Compton is a compassionate three time primary caregiver for parents with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and vascular dementia. As a speaker, she brings hope and laughter to caregiver and dementia issues, easing the stress of her audience. Since 2017, Debbie has been a Community Educator for the Alzheimer’s Association and is a Certified Caregiving Consultant and Certified Caregiver Advocate. She has authored ten books, including "Caregiving: How to Hold On While Letting Go," where she shares her hard-earned knowledge, perspective, and faith.

Debbie's latest book, The Caregiver's Advocate, A Complete Guide to Support and Resources, is a collaboration between 21 authors in 4 countries. It is an International Bestseller and an Amazon #1 New Release.

Debbie is the founder of The Purple Vine, where she supports caregivers through one-on-one zoom consultations, a blog, and a weekly newsletter.

Key Takeaways

• There are things that you can do to greatly reduce the chances of getting dementia. Twenty minutes of daily exercise cuts the odds of getting dementia in half.
• As a caregiver, you must train your mind to look for good, because you're surrounded by bad. Instead of being sad that mom can't speak, be thankful you can still communicate without words.
• Burnout is a state of mental, physical, emotional exhaustion. To avoid caregiver burnout, write on an index card all the things that people can help you with to ease your load, and share it when people offer to help. Don’t rob people of their blessing to help.

Connect with Debbie at:

www.linkedin.com/in/debbiedcompton

www.facebook.com/Caregiving.Book

www.instagram.com/Debbie_Compton1

http://www.pinterest.com/compton1788

Deb@ThePurpleVine.com

https://thePurpleVine.com

Renowned aging in place expert Louis Tenenbaum shares his thoughts on today’s $150 billion remodeling industry to meet the needs of older adults. The author of the CAPS Certified Aging in Place course and Aging Place 2.0 white paper shares information on his SBIR grant and introduction of a bill to Congress that would provide incentives for making aging place home modifications.

About Louis

Louis Tenenbaum is the Founder and CEO of HomesRenewed Ventures. He is a multifaceted professional who has left an indelible mark on the intersections of building, aging, and policy. With a dynamic career spanning several decades, he is recognized as a leading figure in advocating for aging in place and home accessibility.

Key Takeaways

• The CDC definition of aging in place is the ability to remain in your home throughout your life, regardless of your health or condition. Aging in place is carrying out your years with dignity in the home.
• People have changed and the built environment needs to change to catch up. “Hospital at home is a trend but there is no infrastructure. Family homes are not designed to provide medical care.
• Roughly 5% of homes in the U.S. meet three out of these five accessibility factors, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS). Five accessibility factors: 1. No-step entries, 2. Single-floor living, 3. Wide doorways and hallways, 4. Accessible bathrooms, 5. Lever-style door handles.
• Aging in Place 3.0 is about interconnected ROI—a seamless, systematic model for delivering aging in place services. Stakeholders need to understand that their ROI depends on other stakeholders. The interconnected return comes from the system.
• Fall prevention needs to move upstream. Once you've fallen, you have missed out on the value of prevention. Since most falls happen in the shower, why not have grab bars?

Bruce Frankel’s unique journey includes a career as a journalist for People, USA Today, and Time, followed by earning an MFA in Poetry in his 50s. Now an advocate for aging well, he serves as the President of the Life Planning Network, co-founder of Redstring and Business Authority, and author of What Should I Do with the Rest of My Life?. He shares valuable insights on older entrepreneurship, positive aging, and finding fulfillment in later life.

About Bruce

Bruce Frankel is Vice-President of Redstring, a community-building technology and business, and Co-Founder of Business Authority, a business accelerator and eCampus supporting entrepreneurs 50 and over. He is also President of the Life Planning Network, a national nonprofit association educating professionals shaping the culture of aging and helping people navigate the second half of life. He is the author of What Should I Do with the Rest of My Life? True Stories of Finding Success, Passion, and New Meaning in the Second Half of Life.

Bruce has spoken at the United Nations on behalf of older adults and is a 2021 Fellow of Columbia University’s Age Boom Academy. He is an editor of LIVE SMART AFTER 50! A former writer and editor at People magazine and New York based national reporter for USA Today, he is also a co-author of World War II: History’s Greatest Conflict.

Bruce has an MFA in Poetry from Sarah Lawrence College. He lives in Sharon, MA.

Key Takeaways

• Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to adapt and change throughout an individual's life. By learning to adapt and make intentional choices, older adults can experience greater purpose, joy, personal growth, and improved cognitive function. Challenging your brain with new things is one of the most important components of brain health.

• Life planning is about being intentional. It's about looking at yourself, your values, strengths, motivations, unrealized dreams, and asking, "What do I want to do with this one precious life, or what's left of it?" "What kind of legacy do I want to leave?"
• Planning isn't boxing yourself in, it's about opening to possibilities and protecting yourself. You will inevitably make worse choices in a crisis.
• We internalize ageism and it colors the stories we tell ourselves about aging, about ourselves and others. The best defense against the “army of D’s” (disease dependence, decline, dementia, death) is awareness of internalized ageist narratives.

Social gerontologist Jeanette Leardi shares insights from her new book Aging Sideways, Changing Our Perspectives on Getting Older. An encyclopedia of knowledge on aging well, she busts traditional myths of aging and inspires people of all ages to adopt new paradigms of what it looks like to get older.

About Jeanette

Jeanette Leardi is a social gerontologist, community educator, writer, public speaker, and aging wellness leader who has a passion for empowering older adults and helping them identify and share their wisdom with others. Her decade of experiences as a caregiver to her parents inspired her encore career goals of changing perceptions about the aging process and promoting awareness of elders’ inherent dignity, wisdom, and unique value as mentors and catalysts for social change. Leardi's efforts include giving engaging in-person and virtual presentations, workshops, and classes to people of all ages; writing articles for Next Avenue, 3rd Act Magazine, and other publications; and appearing on national broadcasts. Her editorial experiences include positions at Newsweek, Life, People, Condé Nast Traveler, and Sesame Street magazines, and The Charlotte Observer.

Leardi has an M.A. with honors in English from Rutgers University and a gerontology graduate certificate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. 

Key Takeaways

The general perception of aging is fear-based, and the narrative is that decline is inevitable. Being an “old person in training” means going with the flow, using our experience and skills, and appreciating what we have rather than mourning what we have lost.

Language matters. The term “Silver tsunami” is negative because a tsunami is a huge wave that destroys everything. Older people are “silver reservoirs.”

Aging Myths: Myth One: Aging is a disease. Myth Two: Dementia is inevitable (2/3rds of people over 90 do not have dementia). Myth Three: All older adults are alike. In reality, we get more different as we get older.. Myth Four. Older adults can't learn new things. Truth is, you can teach an old dog new tricks!

Ron Pevny shares insights on the 10th Anniversary Edition of Conscious Living, Conscious Aging: Claiming the Gifts of Elderhood, how to harness the healing power of nature, the importance of leaving a legacy, and why embracing a new life chapter is hard when desperately hanging on to who we used to be.

About Ron

Ron Pevny, M.A., CSL has for forty years been dedicated to assisting people in negotiating life transitions as they create lives of purpose and passion. He is Founding Director of the Center for Conscious Eldering, based in Colorado, which for 20 years has presented workshops and retreats across North America to support people in bringing purpose, growth and commitment to service to their elder years.

He is author of Conscious Living, Conscious Aging: Claiming the Gifts of Elderhood, published by Beyond Words/Atria Books. Ron is also a Certified Sage-ing® Leader and has served as the host/interviewer for three Transforming Aging Summits presented by The Shift Network and co-host for the Turning Points series presented by Sage-ing International.

Key Takeaways

• Wilderness vision quests and rites of passage are key elements of conscious aging. Tapping into the power of nature helps people move through life transitions world and open hearts and minds.
• Conscious eldering goes a step beyond “positive aging,” “active aging” and “successful aging” by focusing on later life as the pinnacle of emotional and spiritual growth. It is about doing “inner work” and creating a full of pleasure and a sense of purpose.
• Elders provide the wisdom the word urgently needs now, but many think they lose their purpose and ability to contribute meaningfully after retirement.
• There's a need deep in all human beings to leave a legacy. Legacy is the mark we have made on the world and how we have touched people’s lives.

A Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and Academy of Gerontology in Higher Education, she has engaged in multiple programs as a mentor and leader in curriculum development and co-founded and directed a lifelong learning program in Los Angeles for over 10 years. Recent work involves creativity in later life (emerging from a national study of Holocaust survivors) and intergenerational/intercultural mutual mentoring. Her website for coaching and podcast archives is https://conniecorleyphd.org/.

• Key Takeaways
  The field of positive aging emerged from positive psychology looking at is ways in which humans can live life more fully.
• Conscious aging means doing an internal audit, examining experiences, and gaining greater awareness. Becoming aware means living in the moment, mindfully.
• “Gerotranscendence” is spending time in reflection and having perspective to step back and look at the larger dimensions of life. It is an act of consciousness to step aside from worrying and ruminating and become aware of those negative thoughts.
• Do more of nothing. It is a gift of growing older to have fewer professional commitments.
• The four different dimensions the 4A Plus Model of positive aging are Wellness, Affiliation, Attitude and Awareness.

Lynn Casteel Harper is an essayist, minister, and chaplain. Her debut book, On Vanishing: Mortality, Dementia, and What It Means to Disappear (Catapult, 2020), was named a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and a Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle selection for 2021. On Vanishing appeared on the Gold Foundation’s 2021 Reading List for Compassionate Clinicians. 

Lynn’s essays and interviews have appeared in Kenyon Review Online, Salon, The Paris Review, North American Review, The Christian Science Monitor, NPR’s Think, The Sun Magazine, and elsewhere. She is a Barbara Deming Memorial Fund grant recipient and the winner of the 2017 Orison Anthology Award in Nonfiction.

A graduate of Wake Forest University Divinity School and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s chaplain residency program, Lynn has served as the Minister of Older Adults at The Riverside Church in the City of New York and as a nursing home chaplain. Lynn lives and writes in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where she is the pastor of Olivet Congregational Church UCC.

Key Takeaways

• On Vanishing: Mortality, Dementia, and What It Means to Disappear explores why those of us who don't have dementia are vanishing from those who do, and why dementia brings up so much fear and dread.
• The larger culture and educational system assume people living with dementia are not only diminished in capacity, but in their essential selves. Their humanity fades away.
• We internalize the idea that to be loved, we need to approach perfection. Releasing that allows for more fun and creativity.

Vida Roozen is the Chief Operating Officer at The Smarter Service, a technology concierge provider for older adults and senior living communities. Learn why this startup was recognized by Wired magazine as one of the best tech services for older adults.

About Vida

Vida Roozen has a 23-year career in consumer technology and the home appliance sector. Before joining The Smarter Service, she held Senior Vice President positions at BDS Solutions, a sales and marketing solutions provider, and at Creative Channel Services, a strategic retail marketing company. Notably, she also led Omnicom’s Women’s Leadership chapter for California. ‘

Vida's decision to join The Smarter Service was deeply personal, fueled by experiences supporting aging parents with technology challenges. In her role, she saw a clear market gap and seized the opportunity not only to assist individuals but also to revolutionize the understanding of older adults within the tech and healthcare industries.

Key Takeaways

• People use technology on their own terms. It is highly personalized. The Smarter Service helps clients build confidence using their devices, fixes things when they're not working and suggests tools that will help them realize their goals.
• Older adults often use smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and wearables to stay connected to their families in other locations. Shared calendars help generations communicate real time.
• Not keeping up with software updates and using outdated devices can be challenging for older adults. Smartphones are often gifted by family members and platforms may no longer be supported.
• Technologies that hold the most promise to improve the lives of older adults include advancements in telemedicine and diagnostic tools like wearables and smart home devices so people can monitor their health and recognize problems before they become bigger problems.
• Start discussions with older adults about their vision for the future. Encourage them to think about where and how they want to live as they age, what kind of support they might need, and what hobbies or activities they hope to pursue. This process is helpful for identifying the role technology can play in helping older adults realize their goals.

Abby Levy is Managing Partner and Founder at Primetime Partners, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage businesses that improve quality of life for older adults. Abby gets real about the challenges of heading up a venture-backed business and the exciting technologies that will reduce the cost of healthcare and raise the bar in preventive medicine, wellness, and financial longevity.

About Abby

Abby Miller Levy has spent her career helping businesses and consumer brands grow as an operator, entrepreneur, and advisor, most notably in the wellness sector. Prior to Primetime Partners, she was Senior Vice President of Strategy & Growth at SoulCycle, where she oversaw business development and revenue growth outside the consumer studio business, with an emphasis on building new digital products.

Abby teamed with Arianna Huffington to launch Thrive Global, a behavior change technology company focused on employee productivity and wellness. Abby served as President of Thrive Global and remains on the Thrive Board. Abby began her career at McKinsey & Company then led product development at OXO International. She is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Business School. 

Key Takeaways

• Aging is a global megatrend. By 2030 in the US, there will be more Americans over the age of 65 than under 18, which has major repercussions on every industry including health care, financial services, housing, workplace, and travel.

• Technologies and services that reduce the cost of healthcare are essential. Medicare is a “runaway train” growing at 8% a year, with spend approaching a trillion dollars a year. It is predicted that 50% of Americans will run out of money as they age.

• Preventative care is driven by “quantified selves” in terms of the healthcare data and diagnostics we collect on ourselves. With an Oura ring or Apple watch, it is easy to track key health indicators like blood biomarkers and gut health.
• Persistent internalized ageism prevents us from wanting to think about getting older. Not wanting to plan for getting older and engage in content around aging has been a very big inhibitor for businesses, especially if the business model is direct to consumer.

• It is not culturally normal to have conversations around aging. We have been trained to think that aging is bad and don’t  talk about the wisdom, experience, gravitas, and expertise that comes with age.
• AI will help people make better decisions—data will be easier to access and more manageable and actionable. AI-driven personalized nudges will help people make better decisions and healthier choices.

Maddie Dychtwald, co-founder of Age Wave, is a pioneer in the longevity revolution and author of four books, including her newest Ageless Aging, A Woman's Guide to Increasing Health Span, Brainspan, and Lifespan. Maggie shares her key ingredients to living better longer and her “holistic recipe” for aging well based on interviews with 100 different physicians, researchers and academicians and insights from the Age Wave think tank.

About Maddy

Recognized by Forbes as one of the top fifty female futurists globally, for nearly 40 years, Maddy Dychtwald has been deeply involved in exploring all aspects of the age wave and how it’s fundamentally transforming our lives and the world at-large. This has led her to become a national bestselling author, acclaimed public speaker, and thought leader on longevity and aging, health, wellness, and the new retirement.

Maddy co-founded Age Wave, the world’s leader in understanding and addressing the far-reaching impacts of longevity and our aging population. The Age Wave team has worked with more than half of the Fortune 500 in industries ranging from healthcare and medical technology to financial services and consumer products.

Key Takeaways

• Most research and clinical health trials are done on men. In 2016, the FDA requested pharmaceutical companies include women in clinical trials.
• Women live, on average, six years longer than men, but often not in good health. On average, women spend the last 12 to 14 years in a cascade of poor health.
• Genetics are not destiny—90% of our health and well-being is within our control, having to do with our lifestyle and environment.
• Women are twice as likely as men to get Alzheimer's disease. Exercise positively impacts your brain health—it can increase the size of your hippocampus, which is where we store memories,
• Not having your financial house in order increases cortisol levels. High levels of cortisol levels negatively impact your heart and increase the chances of getting a stroke.
• Your attitude towards aging has an impact on how long you live and how well you live. If you think more positively about your own aging, you generally have significantly more gray matter in your brain compared to those who don't. Long term studies show positive perceptions of aging add 7 ½ years to your life.

Darin Buxbaum, MBA, is the co-founder and CEO of Wider Circle, a technology-enabled health services company that empowers members of the same community to live happier, healthier lives. He shares the outcomes of Wider Circle's peer support groups and provides insights for aging individuals and their families. About Darin

Darin Buxbaum's extensive healthcare experience includes proven success both as an entrepreneur and as a leader in the enterprise space.  He's co-founded digital health, insurance tech, healthcare services and medical device companies and led large initiatives at a Fortune 500 company. 

Currently, he's the co-founder and CEO of Wider Circle, a technology-enabled health services company. Previously he was co-founder and VP of Product at Oration, an insurance tech company enabling self insured employers and their employees to dramatically reduce their prescription drug spend.  In the medtech space, he founded HourGlass Technologies, a healthcare technology start-up, and served as president and CEO for five-plus years. There, he drove the development of new medical-device technology from concept to clinical trial, earning recognition as a top 40 Innovators Under 40 in the medtech industry from Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry. Darin’s enterprise experience includes leading the largest digital health initiative at Medtronic where he was awarded the Star of Excellence, the company’s highest honor.

Darin graduated Summa Cum Laude from Duke University and earned an MBA from Stanford University, graduating as an Arjay Miller Scholar.  Darin remains active with Stanford as a contributor and mentor to the BioDesign course and textbook.

Key Takeaways

• Personal connections are key to health and happiness. An African proverb says: if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
• Wider Circle’s peer support groups for vulnerable populations are subsidized by health plans and physician networks because the individuals who would benefit most from neighborhood-based health initiatives are often the least able to afford them.
• The outcomes from Wider Circle’s peer support groups include reducing loneliness by over 65% against the match control population and increasing the number of healthy days by 43%. Health plans see a cost reduction of $100 per month and reduced hospitalizations by 15%.

Through her groundbreaking media platform, The Ageless Traveler, Adriane empowers 60+ travelers to embark on transformative journeys filled with connection, discovery, and purpose. Adriane, age 75, has visited 121 countries and has been named a New York Times Age-Boom Fellow.

Adriane is also the host/creator of the Mature Market award-winning podcast Generation Bold: The Fountain of Truth About Aging and the United Nations podcast On the Ground. Her recent publications include The Caregiver's Travel Guide and Luxury Travel for Less; both are offered free to all.

Adriane’s advocacy includes being a representative to the United Nations from the International Federation on Ageing, a Board Member of the UN's Global NGO Executive Committee, and a Member of the NGO Committee on Ageing, at the forefront of advocating for a treaty on the human rights of older people, a crucial endeavor in today's aging population.

Key Takeaways

• As you age, travel supports your health, gives you initiative, and opens the door to new friendships, all of which are critical to wholistic wellness and longevity.
• Travel encourages you to stay current with technology, which can curb isolation through new modes of communication, such as WhatsApp and FaceTime.
• Almost all fear of solo travel comes from someone else. People will project their own fears onto you if you embark on a solo journey. Don’t internalize other people’s fears.
• Solo travel” is never truly “solo. The travel community is vast, and the minute you’re out there – you’re going to make a friend.

Additional Links

World Tourism Network

• Project Liberation is a personal development platform fostering personal growth and emotional literacy and social responsibility. The program has helped 600 women in the last eight years “become heroines of their own story,” with a zero-recidivism rate.
• A Liberated Life provides a safe space to learn life skills like meditation, breath work, and journaling to help the women understand what they value and what is most important.
• Women often take care of everyone else at their own expense. They forget how to ask for help.

Fee Stubblefield shares insights from his new book A Culture of Promise and his journey growing The Springs Living from a promise to his grandmother to 20 communities offering independent living, assisted living, and memory care in three states.

About Fee

Fee Stubblefield, founder and CEO of The Springs Living, owns, develops, and manages communities and services for older adults. Based in McMinnville, Oregon, it owns and operates twenty communities in the Pacific Northwest, offering independent living, assisted living, and memory care services.

Stubblefield serves on the Board of Directors of the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care (NIC) as a member of the executive committee and inaugural vice chair of strategy. He served as the chair of the Oregon Health Care Association (OHCA) and has served as the chair of the Providence Milwaukie Foundation.

Inspired by a promise to his grandmother, Stubblefield founded The Springs Living in 1996 to deliver quality experiences and services to older adults to support them in living life to its fullest.

Key Takeaways

• A good leader asks for help and protects the culture of the organization.
• The Springs Living hires for values. You can't train values.
• When you take care of your organization’s culture, you take care of your customers. If you focus on quality—customers will find you.
• Senior living is a people-oriented business. Real estate is a component, but taking care of people is the core operation.

Following her successful PBS documentary "Lives Well Lived," her book "Lives Well Lived — GENERATIONS" distills wisdom from the film, celebrating life's essence across generations. Connect with her at: skybergmanproductions.com.

Key Takeaways

• We all need a sense of purpose, no matter what age. Everyone needs a reason to get up every day and “a reason for being.”
• Often you can’t control the things that are happening around you, but you can control your attitude and how you react.
• Resilience is a pillar of Lives Well Lived. We can learn how to get through hardship.
• Find ways to build intergenerational connections. Having conversations and shared experiences can broaden your understanding in a segregated world.

Additional Links

Lives Well Lived - GENERATIONS

Sky Bergman Productions

Discussion Guide from Lives Well Lived

In 2021, John founded of the The Min Jie School of traditional Chinese medicine, studymedicaltraditions.org, an online platform to keep indigenous medical traditions alive.

Key Takeaways

• Medicine was practiced by early human beings. The wisdom of ancient cultures, known as paleomedicine, is worth keeping alive.
• Western medicine is highly developed indigenous medicine amalgamated with science and technology. Western medicine’s institutional approach has lost touch with the patients.
• Chinese medicine is complementary to Western medicine. It fills gaps where Western medicine fails.
• The simplest and safest solution is the best solution. Look for the bigger picture in terms of not only the effectiveness of a medical treatment, but the risks and side effects.
• People can get the best healing in the world but must maintain the healing they receive.
• Min Jie Chinese Medicine School has two branches: The first for Chinese medicine practitioners and the second for self-healing. The school is the first in the world to combine medical qi gong and stone needle therapy, an ancient form of acupuncture using rare obsidian that stimulates the meridian points without breaking the skin.

• John Mini’s Eight steps for aging well:

1. Find a Purpose: Having a strong reason to be alive is crucial. This purpose should be deeply personal and independent of others, even your spouse.
2. Stay Physically Active: As you age, it's vital to stay fit. Treat it as seriously as an athlete would.
3. Limit Media Consumption: Reduce distractions from television, phones, and the internet.
4. Create and Act on a Bucket List: Make a list of everything you want to do in life and prioritize completing those activities.
5. 5. Eat Well: Avoid processed foods, buy organic, reduce sugar, and be moderate with alcohol.
6. 6. Minimize Western Medicine: Use pharmacological medications sparingly, opting for alternative medicines when safe and effective.
7. Develop a Spiritual Practice: Engage in a practice that is deeply meaningful and resonates with you.
8. Remove Negativity: Eliminate sources of negativity from your life as much as possible.

Anna talks about founding The Purpose Equation®, an evidence-informed framework that guides people at all ages and stages of life to activate their unique, innate purpose in life and at work.  Learn how having a purpose improves health, motivation, engagement, and collaboration.

About Anna

Anna Hall is founder and Chief Purpose Office at The Purpose Equation®. She has 25 years of experience in employee and team engagement, training, program development and launches, and technology management in senior living. As a certified life coach and speaker, Anna offers activation services, programs and training through The Purpose Equation that spark growth mindset, joy, and meaning-making in every moment of every day at work and across the lifespan.

Key Takeaways

• Purpose is innate is an innate tool within every human that is waiting to be ignited and shared with the world. Research show people with purpose live longer, healthier lives—reducing the risk of developing dementia and strokes, maintaining mobility, and leading to higher job satisfaction.
• The environment for frontline employees in senior living is too transactional. Transactional jobs don’t work for people “called” to make a difference. Research shows employees who feel meaningful connection to each other and to their workplace stay longer, perform better and have higher job satisfaction.
• Most people live with a lot of living with a lot of “shoulds,” moving through life with limiting beliefs of not being enough, which results in burnout. Purpose helps shed the “shoulds” and move into a space of owning our innate gifts and perspectives.

Carrie Aalberts, aka “Dementia Darling,” shares valuable insights on the science of dementia, how care partners can utilize resources and support, and how individuals and their loved ones can celebrate “silver linings” amid this challenging disease. 

About Carrie Aalbets

Carrie Aalberts, the Dementia Darling, holds a Master is Science focused in Gerontology and over a decade of experience in dementia care.  As Dementia Darling, Carrie has built a nurturing online community of over 50,000 followers, providing education, support, and a safe space for caregivers.

Carrie’s goal is to enhance quality of life, encourage joy, and challenge the tragedy narrative around dementia and aging. She offers a plethora of services as a full-time educator and advocate. 

Connect with Carrie on social media @dementiadarling and listen to her new podcast Gather Darlings with co-host Nicole Will.

Key Takeaways

• Dementia is an umbrella term, encompassing 120 different types of cognitive decline. Symptoms are severe enough to impede someone’s daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia.
• There is a misconception that dementia takes away peoples’ ability to experience joy. Joy may look different than pre-diagnosis, but it is absolutely possible for both the individual and their care partners.
• Finding a community of support is essential for both individuals with dementia and their care partners.
• For care partners, make a list of the help you need. When a friend or family member offers to help, have a list of tasks ready to offer to take something off your plate.

Serene Meshel-Dillman talks about the global success of her film documenting first-hand accounts of the terminally ill who have used medical aid in dying (MAID). Airing on Amazon Prime, Take Me Out Feet First has been in the top five TV documentaries for the past three months, with more than 24 million minutes of viewing.

About Serene

A New York native and dancer with a passion for the visual arts, Serene attended The School of American Ballet, Tenafly High School then The University of Vermont.

Post graduation, she opted out of law school and worked at an advertising agency in New York, founded a company that imported baskets from Haiti, then moved to Los Angeles to work in production on television commercials. Commercial production stuck and she worked her way up until she became a producer.

In 2014 Serene conceived and directed the documentary film, “Getting to The Nutcracker”, a behind the scenes look at what it takes to produce the classic ballet from auditions to final performance. The movie garnered 7 major festival awards, including a Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award, Best Direction, and Best Feature Documentary.

Her second documentary, “The 5th Dementia” is about a Los Angeles-based band whose members live with Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson’s. They are able to sing and play music despite their neurodegenerative diseases.

"Take Me Out Feet First" is her first documentary series. The first 6 episodes of season 1 are currently airing on Amazon Prime. Look for season 2 later this year.

Key Takeaways

• Medical aid in dying (MAID) is the practice where a physician provides a terminally ill patient with the means to voluntarily and intentionally end their own life. This usually involves prescribing a lethal dose of medication that the patient can self-administer.
• "Medical aid in dying" is distinct from "assisted suicide." Medical aid in dying involves the self-administration of prescribed medication by terminally ill patients, and there are strict safeguards in place to prevent abuse. Oregon's Death with Dignity Act, enacted in 1997, has not reported a single instance of abuse since its initiation 27 years ago. The term "suicide" implies a desire to die, whereas medical aid in dying is a choice made by individuals facing an unavoidable terminal illness.

• Compassion & Choices is a nonprofit organization in every US state that advocates for end-of-life care options, including medical aid in dying. The organization works to expand and improve end-of life care and ensure that patients can make their own decisions about their treatment and how they wish to spend their final days.

Rob Liebreich, CEO and President of Goodwin Living, discusses why the 60-year-old faith-based not-for-profit organization is a provider of choice, employer of choice, and champion of social good. Learn how Goodwin Livings complimentary Stronger Memory program has positively impacted tens of thousands of lives by improving brain health in three simple steps.

About Rob

Robert “Rob” Liebreich started his service as President and CEO of Goodwin Living in July 2019. He brings energy, compassion and a creative drive, as well as proven leadership in senior living for over 20 years. 

Prior to joining Goodwin Living, Rob was the executive director of the Asbury Methodist Village (AMV), a 1400 person not-for-profit continuing care retirement community in Maryland. He has also held senior positions in marketing and operations for senior living organizations in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area and the Pacific Northwest.

Rob studied Business Administration and International Business and Marketing at Georgetown University and graduated 1997. He earned a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Senior Care and Housing from Johns Hopkins University in 2005. Rob is a Certified Dementia Practitioner, and his other passions include his family, travel, mentoring and brain health.

Key Takeaways

• Goodwin Living offers complimentary educational and career path opportunities for team members—80 to 100 team members every year work on future educational goals, with Goodwin Living taking on hundreds of thousands of school debt.
• Goodwin Living's diverse team of 1,200 members represents over 65 different countries of origin, with a quarter of the team not holding U.S. citizenship. The Goodwin Living Foundation has supported more than 160 team members to become citizens, pairing them with resident mentors to study for the exam.
• A study from Japan shows that reading aloud, writing by hand, and doing simple math problems quickly on a consistent basis levels cognitive decline and, in many cases, improves brain function. Early interventions hold off the need for care.
• Stronger Memory clears the brain pathways by engaging the brain’s prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, which improves the “working memory” and improves the processing of information, based on research from George Mason University.

Jean Hartnett, MHSA, NHA, CDP, YTT, C.N.A., talks about her move from CEO of the largest nursing home in Nebraska to founding Radical Sabbatical, supporting individuals and senior living communities on their paths to healing.

About Jean

Jean Hartnett is a visionary health care leader with more than 30 years of executive experience serving the older adult population. She holds a master’s in health services administration, is a Certified Dementia Practitioner, a Certified Yoga Instructor, and a Certified Nursing Assistant.

Ms. Hartnett is an expert in trauma-informed care and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and founded Radical Sabbatical to help others turn past adversity into self-advocacy. With a deep understanding of the profound effects trauma can have on development and well-being, Jean brings a compassionate, evidence-based approach to support individuals and communities on their healing journey.

Key Takeaways

• Trauma informed is an approach that can be applied to resident’s and staff in senior living. Practitioners must view the individual through the lens of why they act a certain way, not simply their behaviors. All behavior has meaning.

• Adverse childhood experiences impact an individual’s entire life, including their older adult years.

• Moving into senior living can lead to trauma resurfacing because the coping mechanisms that have provided emotional support throughout an older adult’s life may be cut off.

• Medicare-eligible older adults spend fifty calendar days in clinical environments that are not hospitals. That includes physician, physical therapy and occupational therapy, and other specialists.

Susan Filice, Life Enrichment Director at Stoneridge Creek Retirement, and Shirley Kaminsky, a resident at Stoneridge Creek, discuss opportunities for enrichment and connection at the progressive senior living community. They also share their work volunteering for Connected Horse—a leading nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with dementia and their care partners through equine-assisted programs.

About Susan

As an accomplished event designer, producer, and healthcare administrator, Susan Filice bring a diverse range of skills and experiences to her professional journey. With a passion for creating unforgettable experiences and enriching the lives of others, she has dedicated her career to fostering joy, wellness, and community engagement.

During Susan’s tenure as the Director of Medical Staff at a community hospital, she not only effectively managed the department but also spearheaded transformative initiatives. Recognizing the importance of ongoing medical education, she revitalized the Continuing Medical Education (CME) program, introducing innovative approaches and regional symposiums that garnered acclaim from the California Medical Association (CMA).

Transitioning to the role of Director of Life Enrichment at a prestigious senior living community, Susan embraced the opportunity to further impact lives on a broader scale. With close to 800 residents under her care, she orchestrates a dynamic array of activities and events tailored to enhance their quality of life. From cultural outings and educational seminars to engaging social gatherings, she strives to create meaningful experiences that inspire connection and fulfillment.

About Shirley

Shirley Kaminsky, a registered nurse has had a rich and varied nursing career over more than 4 decades made significant contributions to nursing and to people across the nation. She worked in nursing leadership roles in California. She had a clinical biofeedback practice for 12 years, before starting a Holistic Health Center in the East Bay area.

Shirley was appointed to the AFSP National Leadership Council in 2008. She was elected to the National Board in 2014, and chaired the National Loss & Healing Council.  She received the 2013 AFSP National Leadership Award for "her tireless efforts to serve survivors of suicide loss and support of AFSP's mission of suicide prevention."

Since her recent move to the Stoneridge Creek Senior Living Community, Shirley has become involved in many activities in the community as well as joining committees that are integral to the success of the community.  Being a part of Connected Horse as a volunteer and now Co Chair of the annual fundraising event, has brought her back to her love of horses, nature and being of service to the population she is now a part of as an elder. 

Shirley is also a musician, loves the outdoors, is a former water skier, scuba diver, cyclist and of course an equestrian. 

Key Takeaways

• Stoneridge Creek has a resident advisory committee that provides feedback and ideas on creating opportunities personalized and meaningful experiences for residents.
• Stoneridge Creek’s 2023 “Healthier Me” program included fitness classes, like Steady, focused on balance and stability, and encouraged residents to engage in creative pursuits like watercolor painting. This year, the theme is "Explore in 2024," encouraging residents to explore new things and learn more about each other.
• Connected Horse gives volunteers the chance to reconnect with horses, put skills to work, stay physically and mentally active, feel valued and have a sense of purpose.
• Susan and Shirley are co-chairs of Connected Horse 2nd annual "Love Lassos with Love", to be held at Five Star Equestrian Center in Pleasanton on September 7th, 2024. Kansas Carradine, an expert equestrian, will be performing and there will be dinner and a silent and live auction and silent auction.

Danny Kaplan is a General Partner at Equitage Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on the intersection of senior care, technology, and healthy aging. Danny was formerly a healthcare investor at Generator Ventures, where he worked on and continues to support investments including IntelyCare, Vesta Healthcare, VyncaCare, and Wellthy.

Prior to Generator, Danny was part of the early team at ClearCare, a leading web-based platform for home care agencies. Danny holds a BA in International Business from Dickinson College and an MBA and MS in Gerontology from the University of Southern California.

Key Takeaways

• The US Medicare Budget, being the primary payer of long-term care in the country, is an indicator of the growth of the senior care industry. In 2023, the budget was more than $1 Trillion, and by 2032, it will double to $2 Trillion.
• A major trend is the shift from care facilities to “aging at home,” though there are challenges with scalability due to efficiency and the staffing crisis.
• In combination with aging at home, “Adult Day,” where older adults can receive group care and connection, will become an alternative model to senior living.
• Right now, age tech is targeted more toward business-to-business opportunities but will shift to business-to-consumer in the next two generations as seniors become more comfortable with utilizing technology.

Scott Eckstein shares his unique and diverse background creating solutions for an aging planet. Learn about his current roles as Managing Director of Active Living International and Chief Strategy Officer for CiminoCare Care, challenges curating quality care for his aging loved ones, and passion for educating the next generation of senior living providers.

 About Scott

Scott Eckstein has over 30 years of diverse research, analysis, development, operations, and education experience in the senior living space. He has been directly involved in senior living projects throughout the United States, South and Central America, Europe, Africa, and Asia and specializes in providing strategic analysis, acquisitions, development, education, and operations advisory solutions for an aging planet. He is currently the Managing Director for Active Living International, an internationally focused senior living advisory firm, as well as Strategic Advisor for CiminoCare, a California-based middle market senior living operator.

 Eckstein’s senior living experience began in the nascent days of senior housing. He has helped promote the creation of purpose built environments for senior wellness, lifestyles and care as well as having specialized in the creation and operation of a unique range of residential alternatives for the aging population worldwide, from active adult housing through the spectrum to memory care. 

Eckstein has held management positions at numerous senior living operators: Brookdale, Emeritus (now Brookdale), Aegis Living, Sunrise Senior Living and ARV Assisted Living (now Atria).  In addition, he was also the Director of Business Development at WellAWARE Systems (now part of Best Buy), a pioneer in the senior tech space. Eckstein was also, the Director of the Senior Living Program at Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration and was a Clinical Assistant Professor and Senior Living Executive in Residence at the Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living in the Carson College of Business at Washington State University (in which whose formation he was actively involved.)

Key Takeaways

• A career in senior living and aging services is impactful because of the ability to make a difference in people’s lives for a few years rather than a few days in a hotel or resort. There are incredible opportunities, but the industries don’t market themselves well.
• Active adult (55+) communities serve a younger age bracket needing minimal care. The category overlaps with wellness real estate and intergenerational housing. Independent living adds care services and attracts people in their late 70s and 80s.
• One of the biggest problems in the active adult housing market is residents don’t want to leave as they age and need higher levels of care. In the United States, you can't push people out legally.
• The biggest challenges in senior living are related to management, leadership, training, and culture. They are intricately related.
• The silent generation and baby boomers are focused on wellness and technology, so senior living communities are incorporating Centers for Healthy Living with massage rooms, fitness equipment and aging-related retail. Most communities offer telehealth post covid, and some offer a tech concierge.
• The most important questions to ask an assisted living community before signing on the dotted line include the turnover of team members and the training they receive, the flexible (or lack of) of the dining options. Dining is the major issue beyond care.

Shelley MacDougall is co-founder and principal of The Coaching Department, and serves as the Director of Leadership and Development for GGA Partners, an international consulting firm for private clubs, resorts, and residential communities.  As a Certified Executive Coach with more than three decades of experience, including senior leadership positions with Marriott International and The Glencoe Club (Calgary, Albert), she is highly skilled at supporting individuals navigate challenges, shifts, and aspirations throughout their lives and careers.  

Shelley's professional experience includes thousands of hours of executive and leadership coaching, as well as workshops and trainings for all levels of managers and employees. Over the years, she has designed and delivered numerous training and coaching programs as well as presentations.

You can find more about Shelley's work at www.thecoachingdept.com

Website: azperfectcompanion.com

Key Takeaways          

• Aligning caregiver skill sets and personality with the individual needs and personality of the person who needs care is hugely important and impactful, yet often overlooked by service providers. 
• To bring true hospitality to caregiving, incorporating a holistic view of the individual and the family system is paramount. Caregivers should consider the psychosocial dynamics within families and individuals.  
• The key word in caregiving is trust. Trust is the most important thing between a caregiver and a care recipient.
• Having a professional caregiver allows family members to be that: family – and focus on have “meaningful moments.” 

Heather Brooks is the National Aging in Place Council (NAIPC) Housing Committee Chair and Founding Chapter Chair for NAIPC in SE Florida. She has spent nearly three decades in real estate, specializing in helping seniors "Modify or Move." She is Certified Aging In-Place Specialist (CAPS)Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist (CAPS) and Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) and SFR® certifications National Association of Home Builders National Association of Home Builders.

Heather is the founder of "How 2 Age Your Way" and "Step Up Housing", connecting communities and promoting affordable housing for seniors. She is actively involved in NAIPC and SE Florida's founding chapter chair. She has been featured on top podcasts like the NKBA Webinar Series, spoken at the International Builders Show and advocate for aging in place through education and neighborhood initiatives.

Key Takeaways

• The nation’s housing infrastructure is insufficient to support the aging population. The average home is 44 years old and less than 5% of our nation's housing units can accommodate individuals with mobility issues.
• Sixty percent of falls happen at home, and one in four adults report taking a fall.
• Key aging in place features include step free entries and access to a bedroom and full bathroom on the 1st floor. Important home modifications include installing grab bars, non-slip flooring surfaces, improved lighting, multi-level countertops and replacing doorknobs with lever handles.
• Universal design goes beyond ADA requirements to design environments that are accessible and usable by all ages and all abilities, whether you have a wheelchair or a stroller.
• Age-friendly communities are huge drivers of aging well. They encompass more than the home you live in. Social determinants of health like access to transportation, medical care and connections to family and friends are crucial for healthy longevity.

There are 4,130 licensed adult day centers in the US servicing 237,000 people daily. The industry is experiencing huge growth as families recognize the importance of taking breaks from caregiving. Adult daycare combats caregiver burnout and is significantly less expensive than homecare.

Barbara Waxman, the founder of The Odyssey Group, is a highly sought-after longevity and leadership advisor, coach, speaker and author. Barbara translates cutting edge research and collective wisdom in ways that enable others to understand how the dynamics of our aging world impact individuals, communities, companies, and the planet.

Barbara's leadership as a gerontologist in the coaching field has culminated in the transformative coaching model Entrepreneurship Turned Inward™️ (ETI), the evidence based Seven Lifestyle Levers Assessment™️ and the Longevity Roadmap™️. Barbara is an Advisor to the Stanford Center on Longevity, Stanford Lifestyle Medicine and is a faculty member at Chip Conley's Modern Elder Academy. 

Key Takeaways

• Longevity is aging’s aspiration partner. Rather than “aging,” which refers to the biological maturation of our cells, “longevity” encapsulates the spirit of living healthy, joyful, and robust lives. Even if we aren’t fans of aging, we can be fans of longevity.
• Our expectations of aging are changing in real time. What used to be considered “old” is not anymore. Consider how your own trajectory and experiences has shifted your belief on what is “old.”
• Consider the term “preferment” versus “retirement”. We can reach a stage where we do not want to be anchored by a paycheck or other responsibilities, so we get to create a constellation of activities in the ways we prefer to do them.  

• Don’t confuse an easy life with a happy life. Full lives are not devoid of challenge, exhaustion, or pain. You can create happiness amid struggles through a positive mindset.

In our final episode of Season 17, Dr. Kerry Burnight offers listeners a chance to examine ageism through their own attitudes toward aging and her perspective on how the field of gerontology has shifted in the last few decades. Gerontologist, professor, researcher, podcaster, and writer, Dr. Burnight is “America’s Gerontologist,” and provides relatable, digestible, and humor-filled insights on aging through articulating six core principles that support individuals to age well.

About Kerry

Dr. Kerry Burnight is a gerontologist on a mission to make older better. She served as a Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at the University of California, Irvine for 17 years. She is the co-founder of the nation’s first Elder Abuse Forensic Center, where her team of law enforcement officers, physicians, attorneys, and social workers have served over 2000 older adults.

Her research focuses on the two ends of the spectrum of the aging experience: wellness and purpose at the one end and loneliness and elder abuse at the other end. As a society, and as individuals, there is so much we can do to improve older lives. Burnight founded the national non-profit Ageless Alliance and serves on executive advisory boards for companies innovating in the aging space. She is currently writing a book and was recognized for her work by the U.S. Department of Justice and has appeared on the Dr. Phil Show, The Doctors, Money Matters, and Headline News.

Key Takeaways

• Our health spans are a key component of aging, and there’s lots of variability among the adult population.
• “Othering” older people is harmful. We are, as a society, starting to acknowledge that intergenerational connection is both necessary to our health and is an antidote to ageism.
• Getting older is inevitable, growing older is not. It takes effort to continually grow and you have to think about what kind of older person you want to be and what will it require to get there.
• We are all – at least – somewhat ageist. Internalized ageism is really dangerous. We must start looking at our own ageist thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Six Principles of Aging:

1. A: Acceptance (Accept Yourself)
2. B: Be that Friend (the one who brings over soup, gives the best hug.)
3. C: Challenge Yourself
4. D: Decide to Give (Recognize what you have to give, and give it.)
5. E: Educate to Navigate (Learn about resources to help you navigate your aging journey)
6. F: Focus on Interdependence (Humans are naturally interdependent; don’t silo yourself, especially as you age!)

Harry “Rick” Moody, Ph.D., shares his opinions on positive aging, climate change, and the importance of finding meaning and purpose in later life. Gerontologist, professor, executive, speaker, writer, and activist, he is Distinguished Visiting Professor at Fielding Graduate University’s Creativity and Wisdom Program and author of the hallmark textbook Aging: Concepts & Controversies, in its 10th edition.

About Dr. Moody

Harry R. Moody is a graduate of Yale University and received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Columbia University. He has taught philosophy at Columbia University, Hunter College, New York University, and the University of California at Santa Cruz.  He recently retired as Vice President and Director of Academic Affairs for AARP in Washington, DC.  He is currently Visiting Professor at Tohoku University in Japan, and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Fielding Graduate University’s Creativity and Wisdom Program.

Dr. Moody previously served as Executive Director of the Brookdale Center on Aging at Hunter College and Chairman of the Board of Elderhostel (now Road Scholar). Moody is the author of over 100 scholarly articles, as well as a number of books including: Abundance of Life: Human Development Policies for an Aging Society (Columbia University Press, 1988) and Ethics in an Aging Society (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992).

His most recent book, The Five Stages of the Soul, was published by Doubleday Anchor Books and has been translated into seven languages worldwide.  He is the editor of the Climate Change in an Aging Society and Human Values in Aging newsletters. In 2011 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society on Aging and in 2008 he was named by Utne Reader Magazine as one of “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World.”

Key Takeaways

• Internalized ageism contributes to self-limiting beliefs, like: “I'm too old to play tennis anymore.” “I'm too old to learn to play an instrument,” You are never too old to learn.
• There are small things we can do for climate change that add up when you connect with other people doing small things. Begin where you are.
• Think globally, act locally. It is a false narrative to think you either act as an individual or act politically. You can and should do both because one reinforces the other.
• Positive aging begins by changing the way you think. Begin by believing there is always something you can do to make a difference in your own life and the lives of others.
• Aging is diminished reserve capacity. But that means reserve capacity. Decrement with compensation means recognizing there will be limitations and then finding an alternative (Ex: you can’t run anymore, so you walk.) Look for opportunities, find them and act on them.
• Dreaming is a natural organic function of humans and all mammals. Dreams show us what we already know, but do not yet see.
• The young and old are the most vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation. Successful intergenerational connections require reciprocity and mentoring in both directions.

To subscribe to Human Values in Aging and Climate Change in an Aging Society, email hrmoody@yahoo.com.

Kirsten Jacobs, MSW, Senior Director of Shared Learning at LeadingAge, shares insights on ageism, diversity, and leadership from her 20+ years in senior living. She talks about the importance of supporting peer-to-peer learning, promoting diversity at the top, and calling out the web of ageism, ableism, and other “isms”, standing in the way of aging well.

About Kirsten

With over 20 years of experience in older adult housing, services, and long-term care management, Kirsten credits her four late grandparents for her commitment to the field. Her undergraduate thesis project, dedicated to sharing art with older adults, set the stage for an ongoing interest in dementia and holistic wellbeing. Kirsten has held various positions—including administrator and executive director. Currently, she serves on the knowledge team at LeadingAge, a national association of elder-serving organizations.

As Senior Director, Shared Learning Initiatives, Kirsten leads and manages the organization’s wellness and dementia education strategy and other shared learning activities. Kirsten also guides a diverse set of education initiatives to advance LeadingAge’s ageism work and strategic focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

 Kirsten earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) and gerontology certificate from Portland State University (Portland, OR) and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in arts administration and a minor in studio art from Scripps College (Claremont, CA).

Kirsten lives in her hometown of Portland, OR with her spouse, two kiddos, and goofy dog.

Key Takeaways

• LeadingAge’s shared learning approach creates opportunities for senior living providers to learn from each other. There is always wisdom in the room, whether virtual or physical.
• LeadingAge’s LTSS Center at UMass Leaders of Color Network provides career path support and mentorship for persons of color in senior living and aging services.
• Ageism starts with a youth-obsessed culture that reinforces the message that young is good and old is bad, starting with children's books and movies. By the time we are older, we have these really internalized negative feelings of what it means to grow old.
• Discrimination is layered. It' difficult to look at one “ism” without acknowledging other layers of oppression compounded with the experience of aging. The web of ageism and ableism is so intertwined it's impossible to separate.
• Leading Age Leadership Summit April 15th - 17th in Washington, DC. will address the implications of changing demographics and how to better support people in the experience of growing older.

The CEO of The Chopra Foundation shares global mental health and wellness initiatives, the importance of intentional intergenerational living and the seven principles of healthy living.

About Poonacha

Poonacha Machaiah is the CEO of The Chopra Foundation, dedicated to improving health, social, and planetary wellbeing—co-founder and CEO of Seva.Love the metaverse platform for wellbeing and ChopraX, a venture studio backing transformative entrepreneurs reimagining the future of health and wellbeing, along with world-renowned mind-body medicine pioneer and New York Times best-selling author Deepak Chopra, MD.

He has co-founded initiatives such as NeverAlone® to address mental well-being and suicide prevention. Co-founded CIRCA®, an anxiety management platform, along with Srini Pillay, MD - Harvard-trained psychiatrist and brain researcher. He is also the founder of Cyberhuman.AI, the personal AI digital wellbeing twin. 

He is on the board of transformative companies such as The Healing Company, Beacon Media, Limitless Minds, and Reulay. He has also held senior management positions at Nortel, Iridium, Motorola, and Sasken. He holds an MBA from the College of William and Mary and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering.

Key Takeaways

The three core focus areas of The Chopra Foundation are Mental Health, Longevity (healthspan versus lifespan) and Conscious Leadership.

Mental health is a silent pandemic. The second leading cause of death among young adults is death by suicide. It is a “bookend” problem—effecting the very young and very old.

The science behind equine therapy is solid. The goal of the Healing Power of Horses initiative, in partnership with Stella McCartney, is to create a global network of equine therapy and therapists.

Intergenerational living needs to be integrated into the design of cities and communities. Combining the wisdom of age and the biology of youth is peak living.

Seva.Love is the global metaverse for wellbeing platform offering a next generation meditation experience.

The Chopra Center’s Seven Principles for Healthy Living: 1. Nourish your body, 2. Integrate movement, 3. Manage negative emotions, 4. Develop a mind-body practice, 5. Prioritize sleep, 6. Connect with community, and 7. Connect with nature.