Elevate Eldercare: Recent Episodes
The Green House Project
Nursing homes rarely garner positive attention, particularly from the media, and especially since the onset of COVID-19. Join Susan Ryan, senior director of The Green House Project, each Wednesday for enlightening, provocative, and sometimes uncomfortable conversations with thought leaders who offer diverse perspectives aimed at elevating eldercare.
Susan and her guests explore the opportunities and challenges to actualizing a vision for dignified eldercare through the lens of the Green House model of long-term care. Whether you are a senior housing provider, an aging services consumer, or someone who is interested in creating a better model of long-term care, we’ve got you covered. Friday’s, “Let Me Say This About That” show is a bite-sized, rapid-fire recap episode with how to take action tips.
In this episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Tamar Krebs, founder of VideriAustralia (formerly Group Homes Australia), to explore her remarkable journey transforming aged care through person-centered, household living. From her early experiences in nursing homes to building 26 small-scale homes across Australia, Tamar shares how her vision redefines what it means to age with dignity.
Tamar and Susan discuss the household model, where six to 10 residents live in real homes supported by trained teams. Tamar explains how thoughtful design—like central kitchens and adaptable spaces—creates meaningful daily life, while technology tools reduce care fatigue without compromising autonomy.
The two also discuss the groundbreaking Rementia program, a dementia retreat designed to empower both individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. Backed by a three-year government grant, the program covers practical and personal aspects of life—food, exercise, sleep, intimacy, and financial planning—helping families reframe what’s possible.
Tamar urges listeners to challenge the status quo and make small, intentional changes that improve the lives of older adults. Her story is a powerful reminder that care is designed around people—not institutions—it creates communities where everyone can be seen, valued, and supported.
In this week’s episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Kristen Parsons, who shares her inspiring journey from pediatrics to eldercare and why she is passionate about helping older adults maintain their independence. Now leading operations at Tiffany Village and Kenny’s Pond in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, Kristen highlights how their approach to care and the use of technology are transforming outcomes for residents and staff alike.
Susan and Kristen discuss the impact of AMBA, a data-driven platform that provides insights on sleep, activity, and medication management, and how its implementation led to higher occupancy, reduced falls, improved compliance, and greater staff satisfaction.
Finally, Kristen underscores the importance of visionary leadership, staff collaboration, and continuous improvement to create better aging experiences.
Visit our website – https://aginginnovation.org
In this week’s episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan welcomes Michael Giuliano, chief operating officer at Planetree International, who shares his inspiring journey from growing up in a family of healthcare professionals to leading a global nonprofit dedicated to advancing person-centered care.
Michael reflects on how his father’s medical practice shaped his belief in the power of relationships in healthcare and explains how Planetree’s work—from its origins to its internationally recognized certification program—has transformed outcomes for patients, families, and staff alike.
Susan and Michale discuss the proven benefits of person-centered care, including lower hospital readmission rates, higher patient satisfaction, and stronger staff engagement.
Their conversation also touches on the importance of cultural transformation in healthcare organizations and practical ways leaders can foster environments where patients and staff truly feel seen, heard, and valued.
The Planetree Global Person-Centered Care Forum will take place in Baltimore, Oct. 12–15, 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with leaders and innovators from around the world. Find out more here: https://www.planetree.org/.
Visit our website at https://aginginnovation.org/
In this episode of Elevate Eldercare, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Anne Tumlinson, founder and CEO of ATI Advisory, and creator of Daughterhood, to explore her remarkable journey from environmental activism to national healthcare leadership.
Anne shares how her early work with U.S. Rep. John Lewis and Sen. Harris Wofford inspired her pivot toward aging and healthcare policy. Her time at the Office of Management and Budget gave her a front-row seat to the complexities of Medicare and Medicaid, particularly in long-term care—a focus that would shape the rest of her career.
Drawing on her experience, Anne reflects on launching ATI Advisory, where she leads efforts to improve care for complex populations through data-driven insights, value-based care models, and innovative solutions like AI.
Their conversation also highlights Anne’s deeply personal initiative, Daughterhood, a grassroots movement to support family caregivers. Through community-building efforts, she is helping reframe caregiving as a collective responsibility rather than a solitary burden.
Together, Anne and Susan discuss a vision for the future of eldercare that is seamlessly integrated into community services, much like education for children. Anne challenges us to rethink how society supports aging, leverage AI to increase efficiency, and—most importantly—preserve the human touch at the heart of care.
Learn more about Daughterhood here: https://daughterhood.org/
Visit our website here: www.aginginnovation.org
In this week’s episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan welcomes back Rob Liebreich, president and CEO of Goodwin Living, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, innovation, and the future of eldercare.
Rob reflects on his 23-year journey in aging services, inspired by his grandmother’s experience, and shares how that personal connection continues to guide his mission. He recounts the challenges of leading Goodwin Living through COVID-19 and highlights the strength of a workforce in which 40 percent are immigrants.
Together, Susan and Rob explore the growth of Goodwin Living, serving 4,000 older adults and supporting 1,500 team members; expansion projects; innovative initiatives, such as the Stronger Memory program; the role of the Goodwin Living Foundation; and the urgent need for immigration reform to address the growing demand for eldercare workers.
Rob lays out his vision: expanding services and housing, strengthening brain health and anti-loneliness initiatives, and growing the foundation to better serve older adults and caregivers alike.
Explore the Goodwin Foundation here: https://goodwinlivingfoundation.org/
In this episode, Charles DeVilmorin, co-founder of Linked Senior and now part of LifeLoop, joins AgingINSM CEO Susan Ryan to share his journey into eldercare and the passion that drives his work in resident engagement.
Charles began his path with a thesis on nursing home environments that revealed the devastating effects of isolation and boredom on residents. That eye-opening experience led him to create LinkedSenior, a technology platform designed to foster connection, purpose, and dignity for older adults.
He discusses the challenges of segregation in eldercare, the critical importance of social connection, and the entrepreneurial journey that led to the merger of LinkedSenior with LifeLoop—bringing together the strengths of two leading platforms to create a comprehensive solution for resident engagement.
Susan and Charles explore the transformative power of person-centered care, the dangers of chemical restraints, and the vital role of activity professionals in bringing meaning and joy to residents’ lives. He also reflects on the impact of the #ActivitiesStrong initiative, which offered free education and support to thousands of activity directors during a time of great need.
Looking ahead, Charles shares his vision for a future where senior living communities are affordable, desirable, and deeply human-centered—places where freedom, connection, and dignity are the standard, not the exception.
Explore the #ActivitiesStrong platform here: https://lifeloop.com/activities-strong
In today’s episode of Elevate Eldercare, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan welcomes Deke Cateau, CEO of A.G. Rhodes, a nonprofit nursing and rehabilitation organization in metro Atlanta.
Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, Deke’s path to long-term care was sparked by his wife’s encouragement and is sustained by his deep belief in the power of family and person-centered care.
Deke offers a behind-the-scenes look at A.G. Rhodes, which serves 1,300 eldersannually. Listeners will learn about A.G. Rhodes’ innovative programs, including its small house model—designed to create intimate, elder-centered living environments—and its intergenerational initiatives that bring older and younger generations together in meaningful ways.
Deke also highlights AG Rhodes’ successful staffing agency, which ensures consistent, quality care, and ongoing research collaborations with Georgia State and Georgia Tech exploring the impact of music and horticultural therapy on resident wellbeing.
The conversation digs into pressing policy and funding issues, including the devastating impact of Medicaid cuts on long-term care providers. Deke urges policymakers to reimagine Medicaid reimbursement structures, tying payments to quality outcomes rather than physical facilities.
Looking ahead, Deke envisions eldercare that is fully integrated into the fabric of communities—much like childcare or schools—where intergenerational programs, dementia-friendly communities, and the longevity economy take center stage.
His message is both practical and inspiring: we must all prepare for our own futures by engaging in advocacy, supporting innovation, and reframing how society values and supports older adults.
Learn more about A.G. Rhodes here: https://www.agrhodes.org
In today’s episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Ben Veghte, director the WA Cares Fund, a state-run entity that provides working Washingtonians a way to earn access to long-term care benefits that will be available to eligible individuals. when they need them.
Ben shares his inspiring journey from studying capitalism and social justice in Germany to directing the Fund. He and Susan explore why integrating housing, healthcare, and community is essential for aging with dignity, and he highlights the influence of the Dutch model—which prioritizes person-centered care, affordable housing, and strong community supports.
As a first-of-its-kind program, the WA Cares Fund will provide $36,500 toward long-term care needs, offering a critical resource for families navigating aging and caregiving.
Veghte emphasizes the need for multi-sector planning and grassroots involvement to meet the challenges of the coming age wave. His message is clear: preparing for the future of long-term care requires policy innovation, community engagement, and collective advocacy.
More information about the Fund here: https://wacaresfund.wa.gov
This podcast’s producer, Center or Innovation, now has a new name: AgingIN. With a mission to be the catalyst for person-directed living and empowered cultures in the community of one’s choice, AgingIN’s rebrand and new strategic direction was ushered in through a partnership with 3rd3rd Marketing, a marketing firm that specializes in senior living.
In today’s episode, Susan Ryan sits down with Cynthia Thurlow, founder of 3rd3rd. Inspired by personal experiences with her grandmother and father, Cynthia’s journey into eldercare is deeply rooted in empathy, innovation, and a passion for improving lives.
Cynthia shares how 3rd3rd blends creative marketing strategies with radical transparency to help senior living organizations stand out and stay true to their mission. She takes us behind the scenes of the agency’s recent collaboration with AgingIN, a rebrand that champions person-directed living, fresh insights, and consulting designed to elevate care.
From the origin of its name to the power of custom photography and explainer videos, Cynthia examines how marketing can drive real change in eldercare. She also paints a hopeful vision for the future—one of intergenerational communities, a focus on healthspan over lifespan, and senior living investments that directly improve the lives of older adults and care teams.
More information about 3rd3rd here: https://3rd3rd.com
Host Susan Ryan sits down with visionary eldercare advocate and Pioneer Network co-founder Barry Barkan for a profound conversation on reimagining aging and the transformative potential of community, spirit, and consciousness.
Barkan shares his journey from founding the Live Oak Institute to helping launch the Pioneer Network, driven by a belief that aging is not a problem to solve but a gift to elevate. He recounts his efforts to create a regenerative, inclusive community at the Jewish Home in Oakland—an idea that initially faced rejection but ultimately gained momentum and global influence, including a successful expansion into 15 homes in Israel.
But this conversation goes beyond history. Barry offers a deeply reflective vision for a paradigm shift—a movement from a worldview rooted in domination and separation to one grounded in interconnection, kindness, and sufficiency. He challenges listeners to see humanity as one living being, where every person and every creature matters.
Together, Susan and Barry explore the concept of “Elder Awesome” and moving beyond traditional notions of “elder care.” They also discuss the “Tao of Blessings”—a personal path to leave grace in every encounter
Barkan offers his vision for communities and care environments rooted in equity, dignity, and accountability.
In this insightful conversation, host Susan Ryan sits down with senior living innovator Andy Carle, consultant and founder of UniversityRetirementCommunities.com.
Andy shares his personal journey into eldercare and the bold moves he’s made to elevate the field, from founding a 70-community company to creating the first university-level curriculum for senior living executives.
Andy also dives into the concept of “nana technology”—his term for tech that supports aging with dignity—and explores the rise of University Retirement Communities (URCs), a model that merges lifelong learning with purposeful aging. He outlines the five essential criteria for certification and shares how URCs foster mutual benefit for both older adults and students through intergenerational connection, shared resources, and collaborative programming.
This episode takes a deep dive into what’s possible when we stop settling for outdated models and start designing for a future that values older adults as engaged, capable, and vital members of society.
More information about URCs here: universityretirementcommunities.com
In this inspiring conversation, architect and eldercare innovator Jane Rohde shares her lifelong passion for community development and the power of person-centered care.
From her early days with Erickson Retirement Communities to founding JSR Associates and the nonprofit Live Together, Jane has remained committed to transforming aging services through relationship-based, sustainable models.
Susan Ryan sits down with Jane to discuss her experience working with The Green House Project and designing care systems in the U.S. and China. She also shares her vision for the future—leveraging AI and grassroots partnerships to create scalable, intergenerational communities that support vulnerable populations, particularly in rural areas.
Visit Live Together to learn more or explore ways to get involved: https://www.livetogethercommunity.org/
In this heartwarming and inspiring episode, Susan Ryan welcomes 99-year-old Peg McLaughlin and her daughter Marguerite for a moving conversation about Peg’s extraordinary life. A lifelong nurse, mother of five, and dedicated community volunteer, Peg shares stories from her upbringing in Providence, R.I., her career in obstetrics and pediatrics, and decades of service to others—whether through scouting, church ministries, or her local food bank.
Now living in assisted living after having given up driving at age 98, Peg reflects on adjusting to a new chapter of life, maintaining her faith and independence, and finding purpose through connection, compassion, and resilience. Margie offers loving insights into her mother’s unwavering generosity and quiet impact on those around her.
Some of Peg’s words of wisdom:
• Service doesn’t end with age—it evolves. • Maintaining social connection and purpose is key to aging well. • Faith, humor, and a giving heart sustain a life of longevity. Together, their reflections offer a beautiful portrait of aging, humor, and heart.
In this episode, Susan Ryan sits down with Rachel Broudy, MD, a passionate physician, innovator, and advocate for transforming eldercare. Her extensive experience includes serving as medical director at two PACE programs and currently as medical director of Pioneer Valley Hospice and Palliative Care and eldercare faculty at Ariadne Labs.
This episode explores Dr. Broudy’s journey into aging services and her groundbreaking work at Ariadne Labs, where she led the creation of a well-being framework and conversation guide for nursing homes. Developed through Ariadne's Innovation Arc process—research, design, test, and spread—this four-year project culminated in a pilot at two Mississippi nursing homes. The result? A practical, scalable toolkit that empowers staff and centers care on purpose, connection, and meaning.
Dr. Broudy also shares her work on the Living Well with Dementia Toolkit, which redefines dementia care as an adaptive, relational journey. The toolkit includes conversation and emotion cards that help families and caregivers explore emotions, relationships, and identity—helping shift how we understand and support those living with dementia.
If you're looking for inspiring ideas and practical tools to shift the culture of aging and long-term care, this episode is a must-listen.
Some links of interest:
Ariadne Labs Innovation Arc: https://www.ariadnelabs.org/about-us/ariadne-labs-arc/
Ariadne Labs Well-being Framework & Conversation Guide: https://www.ariadnelabs.org/resources/downloads/wellbeing-toolkit-conversation-guide/
Ariadne Labs Living Well with Dementia Toolkit: https://www.ariadnelabs.org/dementia-solutions/
There are few people who have the depth and breadth of knowledge about long-term services and supports than Jennie Chin Hansen, who we are honored to have as the 300th guest on today’s episode.
With a rich background in nursing and a penchant for solving problems, Hansen’s career spans decades of leading top healthcare organizations such as the American Geriatrics Society, AARP, and On Lok, which is the flagship/prototype for what is now known as People for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). She currently serves on the boards of the Medicare Advantage SCAN Health Plan and HelpAge USA. In 2019, she helped to craft the California Masterplan for Aging, now in implementation.
For this week’s episode, Hansen sits down with Susan Ryan to discuss how her childhood experience as an Asian girl living in Boston shaped her career choices. She also discusses her desire to see more upstream work that focuses getting “people prepared for their own aging changes.”
Finally, Hansen shares her vision for what she believes will help to not only “hold the line,” but also move it with regard to ensuring economic security for older Americans.
Among Hansen’s many awards are the American Academy of Nursing’s Health Care Leader Award, American Society on Aging’s Hall of Fame Award, and the National Council on Aging’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2024, she received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree from Harvard University at its commencement ceremony in May of 2024. Here is video of highlights from that event: https://youtu.be/lzDYU7sNddA?si=W0hGbEWsS8osCaRq.
Susan Ryan welcomes three trailblazers in the eldercare culture change movement to this week’s episode: Joanne Rader, Charlene Boyd, and Rose Marie Fagan. Each guest has a distinct and storied history within the culture change movement, and each has taken an interesting and unique journey built on their pioneering experiences.
Joanne Rader recounts her shift from rehab nursing to transforming geriatric mental health—moving away from restraints and toward truly personcentered care. Charlene Boyd shares how she led organizational change in longterm care settings, dismantling outdated practices to put residents first. Rose Marie Fagan reflects on her journey from teaching to eldercare advocacy, culminating in the formation of the national Pioneer Network.
Together, they explore past challenges, celebrate hardwon successes, and cast a vision for continued communitydriven reform.
Collectively, they recount the wins they have accomplished along the in transforming eldercare and improving quality, including the following: eliminating restraints and realityorientation protocols transforms quality of life; perspective shifts that views elders as full participants, not passive recipients in their care; the creation of grassroots forums and persistent advocacy that gave birth to the Pioneer Network and a national movement; and change that now demands risktaking, intergenerational partnerships, and amplifying elders’ voices.
In addition, they discuss their work in making “good trouble” that champions bold, disruptive ideas that advance personcentered care.
Their call to action is to join them at the Center for Innovation conference this Aug. 11 to 14 in St. Louis, Mo. Don’t miss the preconference session featuring Boyd, Rader, and Fagan, as well as many other pioneers who continue to mobilize the culturechange movement: https://cfi2025.org/.
In this episode of Elevate Eldercare, Susan Ryan welcomes Mario Rubano, a passionate advocate for older adults. Mario shares his remarkable journey from a childhood steeped in intergenerational connection to a career that spans music therapy, public health, and systems change in aging services.
In his role as Regional Program Manager at OATS (Older Adults Technology Services) from AARP, Mario is focused on transforming how older adults engage with technology. OATS now has more than 500 partner sites in 37 states through its Senior Planet programming, which seeks to empower older adults to achieve meaningful change in areas like financial security, social connection, creative expression, health, and civic engagement.
In addition to diving into the operations and scale of OATs, Mario shares his vision for a future where older adults are not only tech-savvy but leaders in shaping how technology is used to promote connection, health, and purpose.
He closes with a call to action: explore Senior Planet programs, take a free class, and spread the word about OATS's mission to close the digital divide.
For more information:
OATS from AARP: https://oats.org/
Senior Planet Licensing: https://oats.org/licensing/
Tech Resources for Caregivers: https://seniorplanet.org/caregiving/
The 2025 Center for Innovation Conference registration has launched! And in today’s episode, Susan Ryan talks with Joan Divine and Marla DeVries about what’s in store for this auspicious event, scheduled for August 11 to 14 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Hosted by The Green House Project and Pioneer Network, this event marks a significant gathering for those committed to transforming eldercare.
In addition to a discussion about the theme of “Mobilize the Movement,” some episode highlights include the following:
• An exploration of the legacy of the Pioneer Network and its pivotal role in advocating for person-centered care and culture change in eldercare settings. • A look at the opening keynote speaker, Bob Chapman, including insights into his philosophy of “Truly Human Leadership.” • A discussion about the Tech Innovation Summit and Coaching Boot Camps, both designed to equip attendees with cutting-edge tools and leadership skills. • A review of the opportunities for hands-on learning and connecting with professionals dedicated to eldercare innovation. • Site visits that enable attendees to experience, firsthand, the innovative care models at Green House Cottages and Dolan Memory Care Homes, exemplifying non-institutional, person-directed care environments. Link to conference website : CFI2025.org
Link to conference agenda: https://cfi2025.org/program/
Link to conference registration: https://cfi2025.org/sign-up/
In this week’s episode, Susan Ryan sits down with Dr. Carol McKinley, president and CEO of Simpson, a senior living community in Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
Carol shares her journey of more than 35 years in eldercare, and how early interactions with her grandmother and father's ministry work inspired her career in social work and geriatrics.
In addition to emphasizing the importance of listening to older adults and integrating their needs into care plans, Carol discussed future advancements in home-based technology to support aging in place and reducing workforce strain.
Carol urged embracing technology and innovation to enhance caregiving, and Simpson’s use of the innovative Amba program to monitor residents' wellness and improve care efficiency.
Find more details about Simpson here:
Simpson Senior | Senior Living in Pennsylvania | Senior Living Community
Inspiration comes in many forms, but in the field of aging services it appears that it most often comes from one’s own experience with a loved one. Case in point: Jennifer Baker, policy director at the Moving Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition, whose motivation to work in eldercare comes from early exposure to her great aunt and grandmother, both of whom had Alzheimer's disease.
Susan Ryan sits down with Baker for today’s episode to discuss her career journey,which included a pivotal fellowship that enabled her to live in an Alzheimer's home in South Africa. This, she says, shifted her perspective from viewing patients as victims to valuing their personhood.
Baker also highlights her work on the University of Nevada, Reno Sanford Center for Aging, including launching an AmeriCorps VISTA project and a walking program for people living with dementia.
In discussing the challenges of federal funding cuts and the impact on programs and services for older adults and people with disabilities, Baker reflects on the importance of advocating for programs that support community living and the potential consequences of premature nursing home placements.
For more information about the Moving Forward Coalition: https://movingforwardcoalition.org/
Bold, visionary leaders are the ones who challenge the status quo, break down barriers, and champion quality of life for older adults. Today’s guest, Karen Schoeneman, is a shining example of that kind of leadership.
This week, Susan Ryan sits down with Karen to discuss her many years of work reforming long term care, beginning with her work in social services, where her passion for resident-centered care took root. That passion fueled a remarkable 22-year career at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where she specialized in regulatory guidance for quality of life, led survey process improvements, and helped train more than 5,000 surveyors nationwide.
As a founding member of the Pioneer Network, Karen helped to grow a national movement dedicated to transforming long-term care. She played a key role in the development of the Artifacts of Culture Change, a tool used by nursing homes and assisted living communities to assess and enhance person-centered care.
Karen’s groundbreaking contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including the Picker Philanthropy Lifetime Achievement Award, the ACHCA Public Service Award, and the Pegasus Award for her work as executive producer of the CMS “Hand in Hand” training toolkit.
Though officially retired, Karen’s legacy lives on through the countless people and communities she has inspired to embrace person-directed practices.
Tune in and be inspired by Karen’s journey, her insights, and her unwavering dedication to culture change in eldercare.
In this episode, Susan Ryan sits down with Marcus Engel—speaker, educator, and expert in compassion science—whose powerful survival story has become a catalyst for inspiring more humane, connected workplaces. Through his work, Marcus helps organizations foster environments rooted in empathy, connection, and purpose.
With a Master’s in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University and a teaching role at the University of Notre Dame, Marcus brings a unique blend of storytelling and science to the conversation. He’s spoken at top healthcare institutions, universities, and even the United Nations in celebration of International Nurses Day.
In addition to exploring how Marcus’ personal journey shaped his commitment to compassion, this episode examines what “narrative medicine” is and why it matters in healthcare and beyond, strategies for cultivating compassion in professional settings, and the power of staying connected to mission in high-stress environments.
Connect with Marcus Engel here: https://marcusengel.com/
In today’s episode, Susan Ryan sits down with Dan Gordon, Craig Major, and Stephanie Smithson of ACH Group, creators of the first international Green House homes in Adelaide, Australia.
Based in South Australia, ACH implemented the Green House model into its newest residential care home, Healthia, in Elizabeth in 2023.
Dan, a nurse, and Craig, a healthcare manager, discuss their journeys into eldercare, and their experiences with the Green House model. Stephanie, who has 36 years of experience in eldercare, highlights the benefits of model. The project includes eight individual houses with 12 rooms each, a partnership with the local health network, and a hospital-in-the-home program.
The group explains how the homes’ care model has had a powerful impact on the residents as well as the staff.
Find more details about ACH’s Green House home, Healthia, here: https://achgroup.org.au/location/healthia-residential-care-home/
The 2025 Center for Innovation Conference registration has launched! And in today’s episode, Susan Ryan talks with Joan Divine and Marla DeVries about what’s in store for this auspicious evet, scheduled for August 11 to 14 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Hosted by The Green House Project and Pioneer Network, this event marks a significant gathering for those committed to transforming eldercare.
In addition to a discussion about the theme of “Mobilize the Movement,” some episode highlights include the following:
• An exploration of the legacy of the Pioneer Network and its pivotal role in advocating for person-centered care and culture change in eldercare settings. • A look at the opening keynote speaker, Bob Chapman, including insights into his philosophy of “Truly Human Leadership.” • A discussion about the Tech Innovation Summit and Coaching Boot Camps, both designed to equip attendees with cutting-edge tools and leadership skills. • A review of the opportunities for hands-on learning and connecting with professionals dedicated to eldercare innovation. • Site visits that enable attendees to experience, firsthand, the innovative care models at Green House Cottages and Dolan Memory Care Homes, exemplifying non-institutional, person-directed care environments.
Opportunity can come in many shapes and in unexpected places. Today’s guest, Jeff Ash, Ed.D, chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at The Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, Md., tells a very compelling story about how he was given an opportunity that set the stage for his now-illustrious career. Having had a somewhat circuitous career path as a young academic, Dr. Ash describes how he was given a break because someone saw him as a whole person.
Today, with more than 25 years of academia in the University of Maryland system under his belt, Dr. Ash walks the walk when it comes to his philosophy on fair, equitable opportunities and why he is often more impressed with a lower GPA than by a 4.0.
His keen insights, wisdom, and guidance in conversation with Susan Ryan in this episode are especially timely and essential.
Prioritizing people, no matter their race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or age, is a core tenet of the Center for Innovation as we create communities of belonging, where individuals are seen as whole people with intrinsic worth, and our shared humanity enables all to live, grow, and thrive.
Learn more about the CFI’s upcoming conference in St. Louis this August: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2025-conference/
Policy experts Joe Angelelli and Anne Montgomery return to the podcast to discuss the recent EINSTEIN Option summit, a gathering of eldercare changemakers dedicated to advancing a comprehensive plan to reimagine the entire care delivery system.
In this episode, you’ll learn how the EINSTEIN Option could create full care continuums in communities around the country, with services and supports that meet elders where they are — instead of forcing them into institutional settings that do not meet their needs.
Learn more about the EINSTEIN Option, including a recording from the summit: https://www.einsteinoption.org/
Learn more about the CFI conference in St. Louis this August: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2025-conference/
Suellen Beatty is a pioneer of person-directed care and small-home living in Canada. During her decades-long career at the Sherbrooke Community Center in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Beatty worked tirelessly to always go above and beyond even the basics of person-directed care practices, building a community where residents actually want to live, and caregivers actually want to work — with the more than 90% retention rate to prove it.
Beatty joins the podcast this week to discuss how she helped turn Sherbrooke into a national standard for eldercare — as well as intergenerational education — north of the border.
Learn more about Sherbrooke: https://www.sherbrookecommunitycentre.ca/
Read the recent Canadian small-home report: https://www.niageing.ca/small-care-homes
Like far too many people across the world, Kyle Henry was forced to spend his mother’s last days communicating from behind screens and PPE as the COVID-19 pandemic raged.
But Henry — a prolific filmmaker and associate professor at Northwestern University — also saw an opportunity to shine a light on dementia, caregiving, and his own relationship with his mother. His film “Time Passages” stands as a tribute not just to one family struggling with the impending loss of a matriarch, but to all the caregivers and people living with dementia who have traveled similar paths.
Learn more about the film, as well as screenings and streaming information:https://www.timepassagesfilm.com/
Learn more about Caring Across Generations: https://caringacross.org/
The pursuit of innovative solutions in nursing home care is ongoing, and there is no shortage of people who are dedicated to this endeavor. Today’s guest, Fred Bentley, managing director of ATI Advisory’s Post-Acute/Long-Term care and Senior Living Practice, is one of these people. In addition to advocating for long-term care providers to shift focus to population health management, he also promotes innovation in clinical capabilities and embracing partnerships.
Bentley sat down with Susan Ryan to discuss his 25-year journey in aging services and the potential of the household model to improve care and staffing. In addition, he addressed the recent administration’s funding and communications freeze, as well as its impact on aging services providers, including potential reforms to Medicaid and Medicare.
Bentley also shared his perspective on the opportunities amid uncertainty, highlighting the increasing demand for long-term care services and supports as the population grows older.
To be a trailblazer is not an easy path. There are detractors, nay sayers, and critics, of course. But to pave the way for others to achieve great things in the field of eldercare takes heart and soul as well. Today’s guest, Steve McAlilly, has accomplished this all. In addition to leading the development of the first-ever Green House Homes, he has served as president and CEO of Mississippi Methodist Senior Services in Tupelo for 31 years.
As McAlilly prepares to retire this week, Susan Ryan had the opportunity to sit down with him to talk about his journey from a lawyer to that moment when he realized he had to build that first non-institutional nursing home in the country. McAlilly describes the transition to operating an innovative eldercare model that has improved wellbeing and quality outcomes for older adults for over 20 years and in more than 400 homes nationwide.
On behalf of the Center for Innovation board and its team, we salute McAlilly for the indelible imprint he’s made in forever changing the landscape of eldercare. He indeed has helped to change the world.
Gerascophobia is the fear of aging or getting older. This fear, according to today’s podcast guest, Kelly Tremblay, PhD, can not only make us sick, but can also be combatted by engaging in wellness activities such as book clubs or walking clubs—or even by listening to an inspiring podcast. What’s more, doing the work to counter the fear can actually help change the trajectory of our health as we get older.
Tremblay, who is an audiologist and neuroscientist, and who co-authored the World Health Organization’s (WHO) new guidelines on integrated care for older people, examines the impact of neuroscience on longevity how it has shaped her life and work.
As Trembly sits down with Susan Ryan to talk about her research in neuroplasticity, hearing loss, and communication disorders, they discuss her work as a professional coach, healthy workplaces, and how her personal life has coincided with her work.
More about Dr. Tremblay’s work on WHO’s guidelines on integrated care for older people: https://canadianaudiologist.ca/world-health-organizations-guidelines-on-integrated-care-for-older-people-icope/
Gerascophobia is the fear of aging or getting older. This fear, according to today’s podcast guest, Kelly Tremblay, PhD, can not only make us sick, but can also be combatted by engaging in wellness activities such as book clubs or walking clubs—or even by listening to an inspiring podcast. What’s more, doing the work to counter the fear can actually help change the trajectory of our health as we get older.
Tremblay, who is an audiologist and neuroscientist, and who co-authored the World Health Organization’s (WHO) new guidelines on integrated care for older people, examines the impact of neuroscience on longevity how it has shaped her life and work.
As Trembly sits down with Susan Ryan to talk about her research in neuroplasticity, hearing loss, and communication disorders, they discuss her work as a professional coach, healthy workplaces, and how her personal life has coincided with her work.
More about Dr. Tremblay’s work on WHO’s guidelines on integrated care for older people: https://canadianaudiologist.ca/world-health-organizations-guidelines-on-integrated-care-for-older-people-icope/
Innovation and disruption have not been typical keywords used to describe the seniors housing and care industry. This perception is rapidly changing thanks in large part to today’s guest, Bob Kramer, a self-described serial social entrepreneur and founder and president of Nexus Insights, an advisory firm that helps clients redefine aging and rethink aging services.
His many decades in the field, coupled with his penchant for thinking outside the box has earned Kramer a reputation as an iconoclast and agitator in the field. His conversation with Susan Ryan in this episode tracks with this moniker and spans his experience as a Maryland state legislator, the establishment of the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care in 1991, as well as his call for a shift from “sick care” to “well care” in the field.
What’s more, Kramer discusses the strategic importance of influencing people to drive lasting change, drawing from his experience in politics. In addition, he asserts that there is now a profound opportunity for disruptive change in long-term services and supports.
There’s an old quote about how thinking about death is like staring at the sun — you can’t really do it for too long without becoming overwhelmed. The same can be said for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia: The idea of a parent, spouse, or other loved one no longer recognizing you is far too distressing for most people to consider.
But Marilyn Raichle — a longtime leader in the theater world — responded to her parents’ dementia diagnoses not by turning away but dedicating herself to caregiving and advocacy. Today, as the executive director of Maude’s Awards, she helps fund organizations that look at dementia differently, providing support to the people currently walking the same path she did with her parents.
Learn more about Maude's Awards: https://maudesawards.org/
Check out Marilyn’s book, “Don't Walk Away”: https://dontwalkaway.net/
It’s no secret that most people want to age in place, but without a strong support system, getting older in your longtime home can lead to unwanted challenges and isolation.
The Village to Village Network works to create durable webs of support in communities all across the country, organizing volunteers to provide the kind of nuts-and-bolts assistance — transportation, home maintenance, tech support — and social experiences that make thriving in place possible.
Village to Village Network national director Barbara Sullivan joins the podcast to discuss her journey through eldercare, as well as her vision for making these intentional villages the norm in neighborhoods everywhere. Learn more about the Village to Village Network: https://www.vtvnetwork.org/
The COVID-19 pandemic awakened the nation – and the world – to the fact that small-house eldercare homes were substantially safer places to deliver long-term care compared with traditional nursing homes. And while it’s now been almost five years since the onset of the pandemic, Canadian health policy makers such as Samir Sinha, MD, continue to raise awareness of the need for the proliferation of models such as Green House homes.
As it happens, his appearance on this week’s episode coincides with his new report, titled “There's No Place Like Home: Why Canada Must Prioritize Small Care Home Models in its Provision of Long-Term Care,” published by his Toronto Metropolitan University’s National Institute on Ageing, where he is director of health policy research.
Susan Ryan sits down with Dr. Sinha to discuss his work, the new report, and why he wants Canada to prioritize small care home models in the future delivery of long-term care services.
Dr. Sinha, who is also a geriatrician and clinician scientist at Sinai Health System and the University Health Network in Toronto, a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, has lots to say about eldercare, his desire to help and to work with vulnerable populations.
Listen to the episode to find out why he believes importance of adequate staffing and the role of universal direct care and its relationship to better resident-centered care.
Download the Toronto Metropolitan University’s report on small-house models here: https://www.niageing.ca/small-care-homes
For more than a decade now, tech companies have promised robotic assistants that could one day help solve workforce shortages in eldercare settings. Concerns over safety and the loss of the personal touch aside, these worker bots remain science fiction — but what if robots could bridge, and not expand, the isolation that so many older adults face?
Vecna Technologies CEO Deborah Theobald joins the program to talk about VGo, her company’s telepresence product that allows people to experience through the world through the eyes of a controllable robot. Theobold explains why telepresence technology such as VGo could help reduce isolation and provide unique experiences for elders in long-term care settings, while also discussing her long career in technology.
Learn more about VGo: https://vecnahealthcare.com/vgo-long-term-care/
This December, we're taking a look back at some of the top episodes from 2024, with a special focus on the speakers and ideas that took center stage at our annual conference in Grand Rapids, Mich. last month. Please enjoy this encore presentation of our interview with Amber Bardon
Across all industries, it can be difficult to separate promising, useful tech solutions from the hype — especially in senior living and eldercare, which have historically been slow to adopt even basic systems like electronic health records and high-speed wifi.
Parasol Alliance CEO Amber Bardon has spent nearly a decade trying to change that reality, working with providers across the spectrum to adopt and implement comprehensive technology plans. She joins the podcast to explain why leaders must rethink their organizations’ relationships with tech: Instead of “IT” being a person who stops by every once in a while to fix a buggy printer, it must be the cornerstone of any forward-thinking provider.
Learn more about Parasol Alliance: https://parasolalliance.com/
Subscribe to the “Raising Tech” podcast: https://parasolalliance.com/resource_type/podcast/
This December, we're taking a look back at some of the top episodes from 2024, with a special focus on the speakers and ideas that took center stage at our annual conference in Grand Rapids, Mich. last month. Please enjoy this encore presentation of our interview with Martin Rix.
While the Green House model is the most widely implemented small-home nursing care concept in the U.S., it’s not alone — innovators around the world have developed person-directed, human-scale communities where elders of all abilities can thrive.
Belong, a non-profit provider organization, has brought its own household model — the Belong Village — to towns across the United Kingdom. CEO Martin Rix joins the podcast to discuss Belong’s empowering suite of services, its membership in the Household Model International Consortiumalongside The Green House Project and Australia’s HammondCare, and the lessons we can learn from forward-thinking eldercare leaders across borders.
Learn more about Belong: https://www.belong.org.uk/
Save the date for our annual conference, coming November 11-13: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
This December, we're taking a look back at some of the top episodes from 2024, with a special focus on the speakers and ideas that took center stage at our annual conference in Grand Rapids, Mich. last month. Please enjoy this encore presentation of our interview with Joe Velderman.The topic of responsibly integrating technology into eldercare communities is so rich and complex that we needed two episodes with Joe Velderman, vice president of innovation at Cypress Living in Fort Myers, Fla. to capture it all.
Velderman returns to dive into the specific tech solutions that his organization has adopted across its life plan community, Cypress Cove, as well as its commitment to incorporating the resident voice into its technology decisions – and the role he sees technology playing in the lives of elders in the not-so-distant future.
Explore Cypress Living’s services for older adults: https://cypressliving.org/
Read Cypress Living’s philosophy on AI: https://cypressliving.org/responsible-use-of-ai-in-aging-services/
Learn about the Nobi smart lamp: https://www.nobi.life/en
It’s an “Elevate Eldercare” tradition: Each Thanksgiving, we set up a virtual gratitude table for the people who live the values of culture change every day.
This year, we welcome a team from The New Jewish Home’s Sarah Neuman campus in Westchester County, N.Y. — assistant administrator Miriam Levi, nurse Wendy McDonald, and CNA Joycelyn Scott-Adir.
They share the reasons why they’ve each spent at least two decades at Sarah Neuman, which created a unique set of Green House homes despite the organization’s inability to build new infrastructure on its traditional nursing campus. And we hope you join us in honoring the caregivers who support elders day in and day out, even on holidays, as we celebrate Thanksgiving.
Learn more about the New Jewish Home and Sarah Neuman: https://www.prairieeldercare.com/
Go inside the small homes at Sarah Neuman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFnHGKSYmM0
Upholding civil liberties, addressing fear, and creating flexible systems to support individuals who are living with dementia are passionate goals for the three guests on this episode of Elevate Eldercare.
Susan Ryan sits down with Jennifer Carson, PhD, director of the Dementia Engagement, Education, and Research (DEER) program at the Univ. of Nevada, Reno School of Public Health; Al Power, MD, geriatrician and Schlegel Chair in Aging and Dementia Innovation at the Schlegel-U Waterloo Research Institute at the Univ. of Rochester, New York; Jen Wilson, vice president of well-being at Carol Woods Retirement Community, as they help memory care providers open their minds and their doors to living well with cognitive change
As the trio describes their quest to create “dementia-inclusive” communities, Wilson shares her 40-year career in supporting people with dementia, emphasizing the need for social justice and partnership with those affected. Dr. Power reflects on the negative impacts of segregated memory care, and Dr. Carson describes the Quest Upstream project, which focuses on reframing dementia, promoting well-being, and fostering inclusive environments.
You can learn much more about their work at the forefront of dementia care during their preconference session at the 2024 Center for Innovation Conference this November: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
Find out more about the DEER program here: https://www.unr.edu/public-health/centers-and-programs/dementia-engagement-education-and-research-program
Learn about Carol Woods Retirement Community here: https://www.carolwoods.org
For Michala Gibson, creating empowering environments for people living with dementia is both a professional and personal mission.
As the co-founder of Prairie Elder Care in Overland Park, Kan., Gibson has built a unique farmhouse setting for elders living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia — complete with a garden and farm animals.
She also serves as a family caregiver for her husband, Jim, who was diagnosed with young onset Alzheimer’s just last year.
She joins the podcast to discuss her journey through dementia care as both a visionary professional leader and loving family member, providing inspiration for anyone who has walked a similar path.
Learn more about Prairie Elder Care: https://www.prairieeldercare.com/
Watch a recent CFI webinar with Michala: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/projects/community-innovations-when-professional-becomes-personal/
As everyone listening knows, there was an election last night — but while another contentious political season comes to a close, the real work of policymaking in Washington and state legislatures is just beginning.
To discuss the policy work that will have the most impact on the eldercare reform space, we invited two of our favorite experts on the show today — Anne Montgomery and Joe Angelelli.
On this week’s episode, we’ll walk through the top areas where these longtime reform champions see potential for change — no matter what the federal and state governments look like next year. Here’s our conversation.
Attend our conference in Grand Rapids, Mich. next week: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
Learn more about the EINSTEIN Option: https://www.graypanthersnyc.org/the-einstein-option
Even the best communities that serve elders with varying levels of care needs often face a logistical problem: moving residents from one physical area to another as their care demands increase.
The Towers at Tower Lane, an innovative community in New Haven, Conn., eliminated that problem by creating services that come directly to residents’ apartments. No matter what they need, up to and including hospice services, Towers residents can receive it in the same unit they’ve called home for years.
It’s a key part of CEO Gus Keach-Longo’s vision for care that truly centers the person. He joins the podcast this week to discuss his long career as a champion for older adults — including a habit of asking “why not?” whenever someone tells him that something couldn’t be done for elders.
Attend our conference in Grand Rapids, Mich. next week: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
Learn more about the Towers at Tower Lane’s Proactive Partner model: https://towerlane.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/proactive_partner_model_brochure_1-28-21_1.pdf
As a child, Freeman Hrabowski had already made a bigger impact on the world than many people do in their entire lives: Inspired by hearing Martin Luther King Jr. speak at his church, young Freeman was arrested for protesting against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama.
But Hrabowski didn’t stop there, building an impressive career in academia that culminated with a 30-year tenure as president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He joins the podcast this week to discuss his commitment to lifelong learning and growth, and how he has worked to help generations of students make their own marks on the world.
Attend our conference in Grand Rapids, Mich. this November: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
Register for the last webinar in our 2024 Conference Preview Series — go inside a unique dementia care model on Thursday, October 24: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/projects/community-innovations-when-professional-becomes-personal
Far too often, eldercare reform is presented as a binary choice between mortal adversaries: providers who believe that regulators are out to get them, and regulators who assume every provider is up to no good.
The truth is obviously more complicated, and leaders like Jennifer Belden prove that there are ways to protect residents’ rights while also working with providers to improve the lives of elders. With a long background in health care, Belden brings both on-the-ground experience and a healthy dose of compassion to her work as director of Michigan’s Bureau of Survey and Certification.
She joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss her role and her ideas for a future where regulators and forward-thinking providers can achieve the shared goal of quality care and quality of life.
Attend our conference in Grand Rapids, Mich. this November: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
Register for the last webinar in our 2024 Conference Preview Series — go inside a unique dementia care model on Thursday, October 24: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/projects/community-innovations-when-professional-becomes-personal
As someone in her 40s living with multiple rare autoimmune diseases, Nancy Stevens doesn’t necessarily seem like a typical nursing home resident. But her journey through the long-term care system came with the same frustrations, challenges, and disappointments experienced far too often by people twice her age.
Stevens uses her experiences as fuel to help hundreds of fellow nursing home residents around the country, providing support and advocacy through the National Virtual Residents' Council and other organizations fighting for the rights of residents.
In honor of Residents’ Rights Month, Stevens joins the podcast to discuss her vital work and vision for the future of residential care.
Learn more about Three Wishes for Ruby’s Residents: https://3wishesproject.org/
Attend our conference in November: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
In today’s episode, Beth Furlong, RN, Community Relations Manager, and Hilary Camino, a certified neurologic music therapist at Sage Living in Jackson, Wyo., sit down with Susan Ryan.
Furlong offers a history of the Living Center and its evolution into Sage Living, emphasizing the need for a larger, more home-like space. She describes the collaboration with architects to design a dedicated music and art center.
The two talk about the significant impact music therapy has had in their community for the past eight years, including how it has fostered resident engagement and outcomes such as reduced isolation and decreased use of psychotropic meds.
Camino’s work was showcased in the short film documentary, "Something Changed in the Room," a winner at the Toronto Documentary Feature & Short Film Festival in 2024.She shares her journey and the introduction of music therapy at Sage Living Center, explains the initial skepticism from the hospital staff and the successful pilot program they implemented.
Whatever your notion might be of what a ‘music therapist’ does and the value it can bring to each of us, this conversation will inspire you to think and do differently.
More about Sage Living: https://www.sageliving.health/
More about Nordoff Robins Music Therapy here: https://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/20.500.12289/4429/4429.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Equity in aging is a topic that must be discussed more often in the field of eldercare. Today, Susan Ryan sits down with guest Marvell Adams Jr. to address this topic head on.
Together, they unpack the many ways in which he is working to dismantle inequities in aging and create communities of inclusion.
Leveraging his two decades of work in the aging services field, Adams has created the Longevity + Inclusion Alliance Fellows program through his consulting company, W Lawson. He has held leadership positions at eldercare communities and organizations; holds a seat on the Center for Innovation board; and is also CEO of the Caregiver Action Network.
This episode examines Adams’ mission to foster true diversity in the eldercare space – including diversity of age, gender expression, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and so much more. In an age where simple concepts like acceptance and equity have become political footballs, Adams keeps working toward the inclusive, welcoming future we all deserve.
More about Caregiver Action Network HERE.
More About the Longevity + Inclusion Alliance Fellows Program HERE.
To be the developer of The Green House Project’s BEST LIFE Approach for supporting persons living with dementia, it takes a very special commitment to person-directed living, the dignity of risk taking, and maintaining mobility.
This is certainly the case for today’s guest, Anne Ellett. As a certified nurse practitioner and gerontological nurse, a dementia specialist, educator, author and speaker who continues to learn from persons living with dementia, Ellett brings a perspective that few others in the field can.
She sits down with Susan Ryan to talk about her unique journey in dementia care and the moments that have shaped her career, culminating in her recent book, “Getting Dementia Care Right”—written for memory care professionals, individuals living with dementia, and family caregivers.
Ellett offers key highlights from her book, sharing principles that focus on improving quality of life, normalcy, and individualized care. She also talks about the tools and strategies for embracing innovative approaches to support people living with dementia, addressing and overcoming the challenges to produce positive changes in the lives of resident and care staff alike.
Find her book HERE.
Learn more about Memory Care Support, the company she founded, here: https://memorycaresupport.com
Upholding civil liberties, addressing fear, and creating flexible systems to support individuals who are living with dementia are passionate goals for the three guests on this episode of Elevate Eldercare.
Susan Ryan sits down with Jennifer Carson, PhD, director of the Dementia Engagement, Education, and Research (DEER) program at the Univ. of Nevada, Reno School of Public Health; Al Power, MD, geriatrician and Schlegel Chair in Aging and Dementia Innovation at the Schlegel-U Waterloo Research Institute at the Univ. of Rochester, New York; Jen Wilson, vice president of well-being at Carol Woods Retirement Community, as they help memory care providers open their minds and their doors to living well with cognitive change
As the trio describes their quest to create “dementia-inclusive” communities, Wilson shares her 40-year career in supporting people with dementia, emphasizing the need for social justice and partnership with those affected. Dr. Power reflects on the negative impacts of segregated memory care, and Dr. Carson describes the Quest Upstream project, which focuses on reframing dementia, promoting well-being, and fostering inclusive environments.
You can learn much more about their work at the forefront of dementia care during their pre conference session at the 2024 Center for Innovation Conference this November: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
Find out more about the DEER program here: https://www.unr.edu/public-health/centers-and-programs/dementia-engagement-education-and-research-program
Learn about Carol Woods Retirement Community here: https://www.carolwoods.org
If you’ve never heard Homeboy Industries, you’re just a brief Google search away from discovering an incredible nonprofit that is considered to be the most the most successful gang intervention, rehabilitation, and reentry program in the country.
In this episode, Susan Ryan talks with Homeboy CEO Tom Vozzo, who will also give the opening keynote talk at our upcoming Center for Innovation 2024 conference this November. His book, “The Homeboy Way,” examines the many lessons he’s learned as CEO and how to bring the Homeboy philosophy to life as the perfect antidote to the massive tidal currents of social injustice and inequities in the workplace.
Vozzo shares his journey from running billion-dollar businesses to leading Homeboy Industries. He talks about the organization’s programs, services, and businesses that help to change lives and celebrate each individual’s worth.
More information about Vozzo and his book here: https://homeboyindustries.org/thehomeboyway/
A short video of Vozzo talking about Homeboy and his work: https://youtu.be/dOm0LbxHhk4?si=udO6FiWHV4UrJFxI
Sign up for the CFI 2024 conference to see Vozzo speak in person: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference-agenda/
Biophilia, the desire or tendency to commune with nature, is top of mind for author Julia Hotz, who joins the podcast to talk about her new book “The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging.”
Hotz explains how the phenomenon of social prescribing, a non-medical approach to improving health by connecting with nature and community resources, is catching on in the United States after taking root in the United Kingdom.
In addition to examining the research behind her book, she offers anecdotes to illustrate the power of nature, the arts, and having purpose, including stories from her global tour to more than 30 countries.
Despite some barriers to adopting social prescribing in the United States, she points to examples of communities where the concept has been successfully implemented.
Finally, Hotz talks about what each of us can do to impact our own environments—where we live and where we work—to create solutions that foster better health and wellbeing.
Find her book on Amazon, here: https://www.amazon.com/Connection-Cure-Prescriptive-Movement-Belonging/dp/1668030330
Explore social prescribing resources at www.socialprescribing.co.
Follow Hotz on Instagram, X, and TikTok using the handle @hotzthoughts.
It’s a presidential election year in the United States, with politics dominating the headlines from now until November. For many older people living in communal care settings, the ability to vote isn’t always guaranteed, even though it’s a baseline right that citizens do not lose as they age.
Kate Poppenhagen, formerly the long-term care ombudsman for Larimer County, Colo. and currently a Ph.D student in social gerontology, joins the podcast to discuss a new effort to ensure all elders can vote this November, regardless of where they call home — and regardless of the candidates they support.
Explore elder voting resources: https://theconsumervoice.org/issues/other-issues-and-resources/voting-rights
https://www.eac.gov/voters/register-and-vote-in-your-state
Use the following hashtags to share voting resources specific to your state: #LTCvotes, #LTCRightToVote, #RightsRestored
Attend our conference in November: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
The ability to navigate crises is a vital trait for any leader — and so is the ability to emerge from a crisis stronger, bolder, and better than before.
Dr. George Everly, a renowned psychologist who helped to pioneer the field of disaster mental health, joins the podcast to discuss the keys to strong, steady leadership both during and after crises — such as the COVID-19 pandemic in eldercare.
Everly will lead a two-part masterclass session on the five pillars of transformative, resilient leadership at the Center for Innovation Conference, bringing together the Green House Project and Pioneer Network communities, this November in Grand Rapids, Mich. — click below to learn more!
Learn more about George Everly: https://hopkinshumanitarianhealth.org/people/george-s-everly-jr/
Attend our conference in November: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
So many of the systems in place to support older Americans were created at a time when people didn’t expect to live much longer than 65, and the concept of retirement was a handful of years at most.
Part of true system reform is acknowledging that elders today and tomorrow aren’t the same as they were decades ago, and that we must create new structures and systems to better match our changing demographics.
This week, Maryland Department of Aging secretary Carmel Roques joins the podcast to discuss the Longevity-Ready Maryland Initiative – a comprehensive plan aimed at not just improving existing systems, but laying the groundwork for a future where every elder in the state can thrive regardless of their income, savings, or home ZIP code.
Learn more about Longevity-Ready Maryland: https://aging.maryland.gov/Pages/LRM.aspx
Attend our conference in November: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
Deke Cateau is the kind of leader that the eldercare community desperately needs more of: committed to creating better environments for elders regardless of the challenges, willing to have nuanced conversations about the need for smarter regulations, and always inspiring others to do more than the status quo.
The A.G. Rhodes CEO joins the podcast to discuss his Atlanta-based organization’s new household-model community for elders living with dementia, his vision for better alignment between regulations and what stakeholders actually want, and other perspectives from an already illustrious career as a forward-thinking eldercare champion.
Learn more about A.G. Rhodes’s new memory care community: https://cobbreporter.com/stories/660739317-a-g-rhodes-opens-37-5-million-senior-memory-care-facility-in-marietta
Attend our conference in November: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
We go down under this week to speak with Angela Raguz, the chief operating and risk officer for HammondCare — a pioneering operator of small-home eldercare cottages in Australia, and one of CFI’s partners in the Household Model International Consortium.
Angela dives into her 30-year career at the forefront of dignified and radically non-institutional eldercare services and supports, whether it happens in HammondCare’s small homes or in communities across the country through Dementia Support Australia, the organization’s direct outreach arm for individuals, families, and caregivers.
Learn more about HammondCare and Dementia Support Australia: https://www.hammond.com.au/, https://www.dementia.com.au/
Learn more about the consortium: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/press-releases/green-house-project-enters-global-small-home-eldercare-alliance/
Attend our conference in November: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
Tireless advocate Carrie Leljedal returns to the podcast to discuss her work to bridge the worlds of advocacy for elders and people living with disabilities, which began after her adult son experienced a prolonged lockdown away from family and friends during the pandemic. She turned her anger and frustration into a new career as a champion for essential caregiver legislation, ensuring that families are never again locked away from loved ones — no matter what kind of care community they call home.
Learn more about Caregivers for Compromise: https://caregivers4compromise.com/
Read the bill: https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/s4280/BILLS-118s4280is.pdf
Learn more about the DCW Strategies Center: https://acl.gov/DCWcenter
Attend our conference in November: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
It’ll soon be that time again: We’re gathering the Green House Project and Pioneer Network communities together at the Center for Innovation conference, coming to Grand Rapids, Mich. from November 11-13.
This week, join CFI team members Susan Ryan, Marla DeVries, and Stacey Bergmann for a preview of the conference, a discussion of why in-person connections are so important at this point in the history of eldercare, and what sets our event apart from others on the conference circuit.
Take advantage of low early bird rates on our conference: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
View the full agenda: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference-agenda/
Across all industries, it can be difficult to separate promising, useful tech solutions from the hype — especially in senior living and eldercare, which have historically been slow to adopt even basic systems like electronic health records and high-speed wifi.
Parasol Alliance CEO Amber Bardon has spent nearly a decade trying to change that reality, working with providers across the spectrum to adopt and implement comprehensive technology plans. She joins the podcast to explain why leaders must rethink their organizations’ relationships with tech: Instead of “IT” being a person who stops by every once in a while to fix a buggy printer, it must be the cornerstone of any forward-thinking provider.
Learn more about Parasol Alliance: https://parasolalliance.com/
Subscribe to the “Raising Tech” podcast: https://parasolalliance.com/resource_type/podcast/
Save the date for our annual conference, coming November 11-13: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
While the Green House model is the most widely implemented small-home nursing care concept in the U.S., it’s not alone — innovators around the world have developed person-directed, human-scale communities where elders of all abilities can thrive.
Belong, a non-profit provider organization, has brought its own household model — the Belong Village — to towns across the United Kingdom. CEO Martin Rix joins the podcast to discuss Belong’s empowering suite of services, its membership in the Household Model International Consortiumalongside The Green House Project and Australia’s HammondCare, and the lessons we can learn from forward-thinking eldercare leaders across borders.
Learn more about Belong: https://www.belong.org.uk/
Save the date for our annual conference, coming November 11-13: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
With each year that passes, Pride celebrations become more and more mainstream — but in our current political and social climate, LGBTQ+ people of all ages continue to face demonization and stigmatization, a reality that is sometimes magnified for elders.
Today in the United States, about half of older LGBTQ+ adults live in states where they can legally face housing discrimination simply for being who they are.
Sydney Kopp-Richardson, director of SAGE’s National LGBTQ+ Housing Initiative, joins the podcast to discuss her work to build affirming, dignified communities where LGBTQ+ elders can live together in safety, support, and joy. Kopp-Richardson reminds us that while we have a long road ahead toward achieving true equality, we all can continue leading with love — and fighting for what we know is right for people of all ages.
Learn more about the SAGE National LGBTQ+ Housing Initiative: https://www.sageusa.org/what-we-do/national-lgbt-housing-initiative-2/
Save the date for our annual conference, coming November 11-13: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
Just about everyone who works in the eldercare space has heard about the negative effects of ageism in our society, but we can’t truly fight age-based discrimination until we look inward — even within our own sector.
Jordan Evans, co-founder of Art Against Ageism, joins the podcast to discuss his experiences as a younger person in the eldercare landscape, and his strategies for encouraging everyone to embrace their age — and make the sector welcoming to young, old, and everyone in between.
Learn more about Art Against Ageism: https://artagainstageism.org/
Save the date for our annual conference, coming November 11-13: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
Steve Nygren, visionary founder of the Serenbe community outside of Atlanta, returns to the podcast to discuss his vision for intentional communities where elders can age well — but not because they’re designed exclusively for older adults, but for people of all ages to stay active, stay connected, and stay engaged with day-to-day life.
If you missed Steve’s first appearance on the podcast, check out episode 87, “The Serenbe Story of Biophilic Living,” to learn more about his background as a visionary developer and the tenets of biophilia.
Learn more about Serenbe: https://www.serenbe.com/
Save the date for our annual conference, coming November 11-13: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
nequities in eldercare affect not just the quality of services but the physical spaces themselves: Far too many operators, policymakers, and investors believe that people receiving Medicaid-funded services simply deserve lower-quality, older, more institutional buildings to call home.
Kia Weatherspoon, the founder and president of Determined by Design, is determined to change those perceptions. Her firm provides high-quality, inclusive, and thoughtful interior design services to developers of affordable senior living projects and other new infrastructure.
Inspired by her esxperiences visiting a brother in prison and serving in the armed forces, Weatherspoon has dedicated her career to building welcoming, meaningful, and dignified spaces for everyone to call home.
Learn more about Determined by Design: https://www.determinedbydesign.com/
Save the date for our annual conference, coming November 11-13: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
As the proportion of older Americans grows, so too will the ranks of “solo agers” – people navigating the aging process without children or other relatives. And for elders who need extra assistance in making major decisions around housing and finances, solo aging may lead to legal guardianship and outcomes that don’t align with their values, preferences, or best interests.
Kimberly George, CEO of the New York-based Project Guardianship, joins the podcast to discuss her organization’s mission: building more dignified, person-directed alternatives to guardianship that ensure elders’ true wishes are honored at every step of the aging journey.
Learn more about Project Guardianship: https://projectguardianship.org/
Learn more about supported decision-making: https://acl.gov/programs/consumer-control/supported-decision-making-program
Save the date for our annual conference, coming November 11-13: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
In honor of National Nurses’ Week, we’re sitting down with Dr. Donna Fick – director of the Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence at Penn State University – and three of her Ph.D. student-researchers, Thakshila Dasanayake, Olivia Rubio, and Nahida Akter.
While their backgrounds and upbringing couldn’t be more different, these nursing leaders are bound by a desire to improve the lives of elders through groundbreaking research. By building on a growing evidence base for person-directed care and other more dignified and empowering interventions, Fick and her students are blazing a trail for the next generation of caregivers and elders.
Learn more about the Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence: https://www.nursing.psu.edu/cgne/
Save the date for our annual conference, coming November 11-13: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
Workforce development remains the number-one issue for eldercare providers of all types, and this week, we’re taking you inside a comprehensive, nationwide effort to build the care force of tomorrow.
Laura Thorn, director of the Direct Care Workforce Strategies Center, joins the podcast to discuss this vital project from the Administration for Community Living and the National Council on Aging. Along with CFI resource development specialist Ella Lawson, Thorn describes the goals of this grant-funded effort – including bringing together leaders from states to share real solutions that work – and ways that people from across the sector can get involved.
Learn more about the DCW Strategies Center: https://acl.gov/DCWcenter
Sign up for e-mail updates about the Center’s work: https://www.ncoa.org/page/direct-care-workforce-strategies-center
Save the date for our annual conference, coming November 11-13: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
From a very young age, Paddy Moore learned the value of speaking her mind and advocating for those facing discrimination and exclusion, and she turned those lessons into a lifetime of fighting for others – whether it was creating anti-poverty programs under the federal Office of Economic Opportunity, working to de-institutionalize care for people living with disabilities, or working to build small-home alternatives to traditional nursing homes on Martha’s Vineyard, where she has lived since the 1970s.
Moore joins the podcast to talk about her formative years in progressive movements, her work with Navigator Homes of Martha’s Vineyard to develop a Green House-inspired community, and her vision for the future of intergenerational advocacy.
Read the CoGenerate report on what young people think about intergenerational connections:https://cogenerate.org/young-leaders/
Learn more about Navigator Homes of Martha’s Vineyard: https://www.navigatorhomesmv.org/
Save the date for our annual conference, coming November 11-13: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
You can’t fix what you can’t measure, and for too many years, advocates and officials have attempted to reform the nursing home system without an accurate accounting of multiple metrics – including the flow of money and the track records of owners.
CFI strategic advisor Anne Montgomery joins the podcast to discuss her efforts to bring greater transparency to the long-term care landscape, as well as her advocacy for the EINSTEIN Option – a comprehensive federal pilot program that would support a variety of transformation efforts, including workforce development and the construction of small-home nursing communities.
Read more about the EINSTEIN option: https://www.mcknights.com/news/advocates-call-for-aca-backed-demonstration-projects-in-nursing-home-sector/
Save the date for our annual conference, coming November 11-13: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2024-conference/
When Jennilie Brewster first started inquiring about volunteering at the Coler nursing campus on New York City’s Roosevelt Island, she never imagined that her work with the residents would have a national impact.
Brewster – a writer, painter, and film producer – joins the podcast to discuss her work with OPEN DOORS NYC and the Reality Poets, a group of younger men of color, each affected by gun violence, who all found themselves living at Coler. What started as a powerful creative pursuit soon turned into a nationwide movement in the wake of COVID-19, as the Reality Poets filmed their experiences under lockdown in real time.
The resulting film, “Fire Through Dry Grass,” shed a harsh light on the treatment of long-term care residents during the catastrophe, and inspired the Nursing Home Lives Matter movement for change; regular listeners will remember previous episodes with Andres “Jay” Molina and Vincent Pierce, two members of the Reality Poets and vocal activists for nursing home residents of all ages and backgrounds.
Learn more about Brewster’s work: https://www.jenniliebrewster.com/
Watch “Fire Through Dry Grass” for free on PBS: https://www.pbs.org/pov/films/firethroughdrygrass/
Explore the Reality Poets’ work: https://www.opendoorsnyc.org/realitypoets
The topic of responsibly integrating technology into eldercare communities is so rich and complex that we needed two episodes with Joe Velderman, vice president of innovation at Cypress Living in Fort Myers, Fla. to capture it all.
Velderman returns to dive into the specific tech solutions that his organization has adopted across its life plan community, Cypress Cove, as well as its commitment to incorporating the resident voice into its technology decisions – and the role he sees technology playing in the lives of elders in the not-so-distant future.
Explore Cypress Living’s services for older adults: https://cypressliving.org/
Read Cypress Living’s philosophy on AI: https://cypressliving.org/responsible-use-of-ai-in-aging-services/
Learn about the Nobi smart lamp: https://www.nobi.life/en
Marvell Adams, Jr. not only talks the talk when it comes to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in eldercare – he walks the walk, holding multiple roles across the eldercare spectrum where he brings people of all ages, races, socioeconomic backgrounds, and points of view together to move the sector forward.
Adams, who serves on the Center for Innovation board as treasurer, joins the podcast to discuss his work with his own consulting firm, W Lawson, and its Longevity + Inclusion Alliance Fellows Program; his new role as CEO of the Caregiver Action Network, which supports caregivers of all types; and his overall vision for an eldercare landscape where everyone feels like they truly belong.
Explore the Fellows Program, including the new Beta cohort launching in April: https://wlawsoncompany.com/fellows/
Pre-order “Triumph in the Trenches,” a new book with chapters from a variety of Black leaders, including Adams: https://wlawsoncompany.com/book/
Open the Caregiver Action Network toolbox for family caregivers: https://www.caregiveraction.org/family-caregiver-toolbox
Reminiscent of the ageist discourse around the “silver tsunami,” the concept of people aging without the support of children or a spouse – once referred to as “elder orphans” – is far too often discussed as a problem, and not a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a new phase of life with friends, neighbors, and other people who bring us joy.
Sara Geber helped to popularize the term “solo agers” to describe this cohort of older people, and she joins the podcast today to discuss the ways that people without extended support networks can still thrive as they get older. The author of several books about preparing for retirement and life as a solo ager, Geber empowers people with all kinds of family and social ties to plan for a strong next phase of life.
Explore Gaber’s books: https://sarazeffgeber.com/books/
Learn more about co-housing: https://www.cohousing.org/
The idea that structural racism has a direct impact on all facets of American life – including the experiences of elders in care settings – shouldn’t be a controversial statement in 2024, but far too often, the question of equity and race-conscious policymaking gets wrapped up into a broader political discourse.
Shekinah Fashaw-Walters, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, joins the podcast to discuss her framework for directly and bluntly addressing the racial disparities and inequities that plague our eldercare system – and her prescriptions for creating new policies, both at the legal and building level, to ensure that everyone receives high-quality, dignified, and respectful care.
We cannot fix centuries of racist wrongs by pretending that discrimination isn’t baked into the structures that govern American life, and Fashaw-Walters challenges listeners to address these topics head-on.
Read Fashaw-Walters and coauthor Cydney McGuire on racism-conscious policies: https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00482
Explore Fashaw-Walters’s other research: https://directory.sph.umn.edu/bio/sph-a-z/shekinah-fashaw-walters
Naomi Feil, who originally developed the Validation method of supporting and communicating with people living with dementia, died this past December 24 at the age of 91.
This week, we’re celebrating Naomi’s life with her daughter – and fellow champion for the dignity of people living with dementia – Vicki de Klerk-Rubin, executive director of the Validation Training Institute.
Join us for a fascinating conversation about Naomi’s life, including her early-life escape from Nazi Germany, her formative experiences with elders, and the spread of the Validation method around the world.
Seeing the human behind the diagnosis of dementia was a far more radical idea when Naomi first planted the seeds of Validation, and the entire eldercare community owes her a great debt. We hope you’ll tune in to learn more about her life and then spread the timeless message of Validation.
Learn more about the Validation Training Institute: https://vfvalidation.org/
Read the Wall Street Journal obituary for Naomi: https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/naomi-feil-dementia-care-dies-at-91-350aa411
Tetyana Shippee first became fascinated with the power of structural forces to shape individual lives as a grad student from Ukraine studying the sociology of addiction in the United States. That academic interest soon expanded into gerontology and elder issues – including a two-year stint living in a continuing care retirement community as part of her studies.
Shippee, now a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and the associate director for research at the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation, joins the podcast to talk about her work to improve the systems that so often make life harder for elders seeking empowering care and supports. She also challenges leaders to tackle issues like racial and socioeconomic inequities head-on –and embrace the power of intergenerational connections.
Learn more about the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation: https://www.sph.umn.edu/research/centers/chai/
Explore AARP’s LTSS scorecards: https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/2023
Catch up with the Moving Forward Coalition: https://movingforwardcoalition.org/news-and-updates/
Artificial intelligence is the tech buzzword of the moment, but as eldercare providers know, implementing any technology in the aging space comes with its own unique set of concerns – even solutions that don’t go as far as generating complex written narratives or autonomously analyzing resident data.
At Cypress Living, a senior living and home health provider in Fort Myers, Fla., VP of innovation Joe Velderman works to strike the right balance between embracing new technology and maintaining thehuman touch that people of all ages need when receiving care and support services.
Velderman joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss Cypress Living’s philosophy around the use of AI, the factors that he looks for when evaluating a new aging tech solution, and how AI or other innovations can work to support – but never replace – the people who serve elders.
Explore Cypress Living’s services for older adults: https://cypressliving.org/
Read Cypress Living’s philosophy on AI: https://cypressliving.org/responsible-use-of-ai-in-aging-services/
As non-profit nursing home operators continue to shutter their doors and cede ground to for-profits, one organization in New England is helping mission-driven organizations honor their unique legacies while providing vital, centralized logistical support.
Legacy Lifecare chief philanthropy officer/founding executive Barry Berman and chief operating officer Betsy Mullen join the podcast to talk about their growing network of non-profit providers, as well as their incredible work at the Leonard Florence Center for Living – the first urban Green House community that for years has changed the lives of elders and people living with conditions such as multiple sclerosis and ALS.
Berman and Mullen represent the very best of the Green House mission, focusing on improving the lives of their residents no matter the challenges or the costs – whether it’s helping people with disabilities attend weddings and sporting events after years spent in bed, or building out an infrastructure that allows high-quality non-profit care to thrive in a difficult environment.
Learn more about the Outward Bound program at the Leonard Florence Center:https://chelseajewish.org/news/leonard-florence-center-for-living-wins-leadingage-program-innovation-award/
Explore Legacy Lifecare: https://legacylifecare.org/
Individuals and companies frequently develop new solutions to make life easier for elders and caregivers, but not all of them have what it takes to actually make the jump from theory to widespread practice.
In Australia, that’s where ARIIA – Aged Care Research & Industry Innovation Australia – comes in. Since 2021, ARIIA has funded a host of projects to test a range of technological innovations, workforce processes, and service delivery models, all with the goal of helping the best solutions scale across the country. The group also translates cutting-edge research into new best practices into easy-to-understand summaries that caregivers can digest and put to use.
This week, ARIIA CEO Reuben Jacob and research director Sue Gordon – also a professor and chair of restorative care at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia – join the podcast to discuss the factors that make new ideas stick and spread throughout eldercare, as well as ARIIA’s overall vision for a more empowering care and support system for elders.
Explore ARIIA’s Knowledge and Innovation Hub: https://www.ariia.org.au/knowledge-implementation-hub
Contact Reuben and Sue: reuben.jacob@ariia.org.au, sue.gordon@flinders.edu.au
In an eldercare field that’s populated with unseen and unsung heroes, family members of people living with dementia can often feel the most isolated and underrepresented.
In the Greater Manchester area of the United Kingdom, Empowered Conversations creates safe, brave spaces for small cohorts of people on the caregiving journey to take a step away from their day-to-day stresses and struggles. By providing new skills and a non-judgmental forum for caregivers to openly sharetheir emotions, the program brings real benefits for both caregivers and people living with dementia alike.
Empowered Conversations project manager Emma Smith joins the podcast to discuss the program, share some best practices, and encourage family caregivers to care for themselves as much as they do for their loved ones.
Learn more about Empowered Conversations: https://empowered-conversations.co.uk/
Explore an entire library of free resources for family caregivers on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/theempoweredconversationsapproach
Far too often, people – even well-meaning folks who work in the field – fail to see nursing home residents as humans capable of the same growth, creativity, and fulfillment as people living in private homes. In fact, this ageism and ableism is a major reason why our imagination around reforming communal care settings is so narrowly focused on individual health metrics, and not overall wellbeing.
Andres “Jay” Molina is living proof that one’s life as a productive, curious human doesn’t end upon moving into a nursing home. Since coming to New York City’s Coler nursing community at age 35 after a significant health emergency, Jay has become an advocate for people living with disabilities; a self-taught animator; a poet and storyteller; and the co-director of “Fire Through Dry Grass,” a gripping documentary about the experience of Coler residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tune in to hear Jay’s perspectives on how nursing homes must change to meet the spiritual, emotional, and creative needs of residents – and how they can better support residents’ innate desire to contribute to the community.
Watch “Fire Through Dry Grass”: https://www.pbs.org/pov/films/firethroughdrygrass/
Learn about OPEN DOORS, the Reality Poets, and the Nursing Home Lives Matter movement:https://www.opendoorsnyc.org/
Hear Jay tell his personal story: https://www.opendoorsnyc.org/blogs/realitypoets-jay
As eldercare CEOs and women of color, Anita Holt and Frances Salinas are relative rarities in a sector that’s supposed to serve people of all races and backgrounds equally.
They join the podcast this week to discuss their work at their respective communities – Holt at The Forest at Duke in Durham, N.C. and Salinas at Wesley Willows in Rockford, Ill. – and the various ways that emphasizing diversity has improved both care and the workforce.
Holt and Salinas remind us that diversity is about ensuring that people of all genders, races, sexual orientations, and ethnic backgrounds feel welcome and respected at all levels of an eldercare organization, from the boardroom to resident rooms. It’s also about welcoming a diversity of perspectives, breaking free from the traditional sources of power and influence in both non-profit and for-profit organizations to build the types of settings that truly reflect the communities they serve.
Learn more about The Forest at Duke: https://forestduke.org/
Learn about Wesley Willows: https://www.wesleywillows.org/
Revisiting the Teaching Nursing Home was designed to pair Pennsylvania nursing homes with area schools of nursing, introducing up-and-coming nurses to careers in eldercare while also infusing age-friendly care practices into the communities’ operations.
But according to Nancy Zionts, the primary investigator on the project – as well as the chief operating officer and chief program officer at the Pittsburgh-based Jewish Healthcare Foundation – the program went beyond the clinical, bringing an energy and enthusiasm to the participating nursing homes that had been sorely lacking during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zionts joins the podcast to discuss the program’s successes, its future expansion plans, and the ongoing benefits of collaborations between students and professionals in geriatrics.
Read an overview of the project from the John A. Hartford Foundation, one of its primary funders: https://www.johnahartford.org/grants-strategy/revisiting-the-teaching-nursing-home
Learn about the four M’s of age-friendly eldercare: https://www.agefriendlycare.psu.edu/the-4ms-explained
Visit the Pennsylvania Teaching Nursing Homes Collaborative website, available in late January: http://ptnhc.org/
Robert Kramer – the founder of think tank Nexus Insights, as well as the co-founder and former CEO of the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) – returns to “Elevate Eldercare” for another stimulating discussion on the big-picture future of eldercare.
As providers and advocates focus on the individual issues facing the sector, such as persistent staffing shortages and new regulations, Kramer challenges everyone to think bigger about the types of services and supports that they’d want for themselves one day – and that, more pressingly, the Baby Boom generation will come to expect from an industry that too often remains stuck in a subpar past.
Read about Nexus Insights and its work, including its alliance with the Milken Institute under the Aging Innovation Collaborative banner: https://www.nexusinsights.net/
Learn more about Carehaus, a new intergenerational co-housing project coming to Baltimore:https://www.carehaus.net/
Every December, we use the last “Elevate Eldercare” episode of the year to take stock of the previous 12 months and make some predictions for the year ahead.
CFI logged substantial milestones in 2023: celebrating 20 years of Green House homes, taking the modelinternational with the opening of new homes in Australia, further integrating the GHP and Pioneer Network communities, and gathering the entire eldercare reform movement together in Pittsburgh for amemorable annual conference.
But our work is far from done. Join CFI CEO Susan Ryan, chief learning officer Marla DeVries, director of network and community relations Stacey Bergmann, and director of communications Alex Spanko for a roundtable discussion of the highlights and hardships that defined the eldercare sector in 2023 – as well as our hopes for a prosperous and more empowering 2024 for elders and people with disabilities everywhere.
Contact Stacey Bergmann to get involved with the Green House and Pioneer Network communities:sbergmann@thegreenhouseproject.org
Explore EmpowerED, our new eLearning and consulting platform: https://empoweredcfi.getlearnworlds.com/
Travel through 20 years of Green House history: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/20for20/
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shook the eldercare world in April 2022 with a scathing report on the nation’s broken nursing home system.
Less than two years later, the Moving Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition – formed in the wake of the NASEM report to operationalize its conclusions – has made substantial progress in addressing various quality improvement goals.
This week, we check back in with coalition chair Alice Bonner and director Isaac Longobardi to see what progress has been made so far, where they have the most optimism about reform for the future, and how people from across the eldercare spectrum can still get involved.
Read about the Moving Forward Coalition and its work: https://movingforwardcoalition.org/
Learn more about HRSA’s latest workforce grant: https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/find-funding/HRSA-24-018
As we navigate a holiday season set against the backdrop of global and domestic conflict, this 2021 interview with Dr. Edith Eger feels even more vital than ever.
A psychologist and a Holocaust survivor, Dr. Eger has 96 years of direct experience with navigating troubled times – both for herself and in service of others – and her ability to find light in the darkness remains deeply inspiring. After enduring unimaginable cruelty as a Jewish teenager in Europe during World War II, she dedicated her life to helping people process and overcome their own traumas.
This holiday, we could all use a dose of Dr. Eger’s wisdom – including her calls for us to focus on ourselves when the world seems out of control, because we all only have this life to live. By being the best versions of ourselves that we can be, Dr. Eger asserts, we can find stability and happiness in a world that’s always changing, and not always for the better.
Learn more about Dr. Eger’s life, books, and philosophy: https://dreditheger.com/
Learn more about the Center for Innovation: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
It’s easy to forget that not all nursing home residents are elders – and Vincent Pierce is dedicated to making sure leaders, advocates, and the general public remember.
Pierce, a resident of the Coler nursing community on Roosevelt Island in New York City, wears many hats. He’s the founder of Nursing Home Lives Matter, an advocacy group formed during the yearlong COVID lockdown that robbed him and his fellow Coler residents of connection and convivium. He’s a poet, musician, and music producer. He’s the director of OPEN DOORS, an organization that uses art to connect and empower Black and brown people living with disabilities – especially those who, like him, fell victim to gun violence – and inspire young people to pursue their dreams.
And most recently, he’s one of the subjects of “Fire Through Dry Grass,” a powerful documentary that takes viewers inside Coler during the worst of the pandemic – and challenges viewers to fight for the rights of nursing home residents, no matter their age or condition.
Learn more about Nursing Home Lives Matter: https://www.opendoorsnyc.org/nhlm
Explore the work of OPEN DOORS: https://www.opendoorsnyc.org/
Stream “Fire Through Dry Grass” via PBS: https://www.pbs.org/pov/films/firethroughdrygrass/
“Unpretentious” isn’t a word you see often in marketing materials for senior living communities, but it shows up several times in the description of Northaven Senior Living in Seattle.
Darlene Storti, Northaven’s executive director, joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss this down-to-earth assisted and independent living community for lower- and moderate-income elders – as well as the organization’s plans to open the Nook, which will feature workforce housing with on-site early childhood care and education services for up to 100 kids.
It’s all part of Storti’s vision to desegregate and destigmatize growing older for people of all ages, a mission grounded in her experience working with both elders and teenagers alike.
Learn more about Northaven and the Nook: http://northavenseniorliving.org/news/2023/the-nook-is-coming
Register for a December 7 webinar that will explore how a small Medicaid rate boost can spur development of person-centered alternatives to traditional nursing homes:
https://thegreenhouseproject.org/projects/change-the-incentives-change-the-system-a-green-house-medicaid-case-study/
Each Thanksgiving, “Elevate Eldercare” centers gratitude by handing the mic over to the people who make Green House homes such great places to live. This year, we’re headed out west to Wyoming to meet three team members from Green House Living for Sheridan: licensed practical nurse Kiara Charlson, HR manager and education coordinator Jon Lanning, and Shahbaz Necia Reynolds.
Through their stories, you’ll learn why caregiving isn’t “unskilled labor” or an entry-level job – it’s a dynamic, rewarding, and noble career path that attracts the best people our communities have to offer. As lawmakers, providers, and advocates continue to debate the best ways to strengthen the caregiving workforce amid an historic shortage, we sincerely hope that everyone takes the time to listen to the voices of people like Kiara, Jon, and Necia.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the Center for Innovation!
Learn more about Green House Living for Sheridan: https://www.nextavenue.org/new-homes-range-better-care-elders/
Register for a December 7 webinar that will explore how a small Medicaid rate boost can spur development of person-centered alternatives to traditional nursing homes:
https://thegreenhouseproject.org/projects/change-the-incentives-change-the-system-a-green-house-medicaid-case-study/
Stacey Bergmann joined the Center for Innovation this month as the new director of network and community relations – tasked with serving as the main liaison between the national organization and our local-level Green House Project and Pioneer Network partners – and today she joins the podcast to discuss her career, passions, and vision for the future of eldercare.
Bergmann, an advanced practice certified therapeutic recreation specialist and dementia care consultant, has spent more than 20 years working to improve the lives of elders, most recently serving as the president of VOICE PA – a non-profit seeking to infuse person-directed care practices into eldercare services across the state of Pennsylvania.
For Bergmann, the strength of an organization like CFI is the opportunity for cross-pollination, the sharing of best practices and new ideas among eldercare changemakers across the country. Tune in to learn more about how she plans to keep the information flowing in the service of permanently changing eldercare for the better.
Learn more about VOICE PA: https://voicepa.org/
Register for a December 7 webinar that will explore how a small Medicaid rate boost can spur development of person-centered alternatives to traditional nursing homes:
https://thegreenhouseproject.org/projects/change-the-incentives-change-the-system-a-green-house-medicaid-case-study/
Brian McGarry’s research at the University of Rochester has focused on the ways that financial and economic factors affect care in nursing homes — a particularly vital topic as the sector continues to debate a contentious proposed staffing mandate, which could have a significant impact on providers in the years to come.
McGarry joins CFI’s Alex Spanko for a discussion on the ways that incentives — sometimes intentionally, and sometimes unintentionally — affect quality and satisfaction in nursing homes, as well as the ways that policymakers can better link financial success with the services, supports, and outcomes that truly matter to elders and caregivers.
Explore McGarry’s research, including a recent paper on the impact of workforce turnover: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/people/26750101-brian-e-mcgarry/publications
Register for a December 7 webinar that will explore how a small Medicaid rate boost can spur development of person-centered alternatives to traditional nursing homes:
https://thegreenhouseproject.org/projects/change-the-incentives-change-the-system-a-green-house-medicaid-case-study/
For the last three years, many eldercare organizations haven’t had the ability to truly thrive, with leaders focused squarely on surviving the many challenges facing providers up and down the care continuum.
But as we head toward the end of another year, it’s a good time to take stock and make plans for the year ahead — with an eye toward moving beyond merely surviving and reaching a place where both organizations and individual workers can truly thrive.
Join CFI’s education experts Marla DeVries and Mary Hopfner-Thomas for an analysis of the ways that organizations can use training programs to go beyond short-term thinking and create strong, lasting visions for success.
Read more about the difference between thriving and surviving: https://hbr.org/2021/08/is-your-organization-surviving-change-or-thriving-in-it
Learn more CFI’s EmpowerED eLearning platform: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/elearning/
Explore a demo of the Leading for Transformation Badge, part of the Person-Directed Living course on EmpowerED:
https://rise.articulate.com/share/B-_3OupDKSTUUm4aEpmfcIJpypnhB1Sb#/
In both the public and policymaker imagination, nursing home reform is strictly a health care issue, the domain of state health departments and the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). But the prevalence of subpar nursing homes — and lack of empowering, person-directed alternatives to an aging long-term care infrastructure — is just as much the result of housing policy as health care regulations.
Well-known LTC researcher David Grabowski of Harvard University returns to “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss his increasing focus on the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a key lever for eldercare transformation. By tweaking a few of the incentives that HUD currently offers nursing home operators, and implementing strict oversight to ensure the proper use of any additional funding, Green House homes and other alternatives could rapidly enter the marketplace.
Grabowski also walks through some of the progress made by the Moving Forward Coalition, a broad-based group seeking to implement the recommendations made in a sweeping 2022 report on the state of U.S. nursing home care from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).
Learn more about the Moving Forward Coalition, including the new action plans: https://movingforwardcoalition.org/taking-action/#ActionPlans
Register for Change the Incentives, Change the System, a December 7 webinar on how small Medicaid policy changes can ignite innovation, here: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/projects/change-the-incentives-change-the-system-a-green-house-medicaid-case-study
David Simpson is an accomplished musician who’s been singing since the age of 12, performing alongside music legends like the Staples Singers, Dionne Warwick, and the Drifters. He’s a visual artist who uses his drawings and paintings to lift others’ spirits and push himself to improve his craft. He’s a father, a sibling, and heart transplant recipient. And he’s a resident of the Thome Rivertown neighborhood, a unique full-continuum care community in the heart of Detroit that combines affordable assisted living, Green House homes, and PACE day services.
David joins the podcast to recount his fascinating life story, his personal journey through a heart transplant, and why he enjoys living in a supportive place like Thome Rivertown.
David’s story challenges all of us to remember what empowering, dignified services and supports for elders really mean, and why we must continue to fight to make places like Thome Rivertown the rule, not the exception.
View David’s work: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9qu4cjc7bnueug24io91n/h?rlkey=vwulmwjyzkjdu1cng4n4rscjy&dl=0
Learn more about Thome Rivertown: https://www.pvm.org/locations/rivertown/
The discourse around improving the eldercare landscape tends to focus on narrow, discrete metrics: What’s the correct number of nursing home staff hours per day? How can we reduce rehospitalizations? What types of services can be provided in the home most efficiently?
Scott Townsley, professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Erickson School of Aging Studiers and a longtime eldercare leader, recently challenged a group of industry executives to go beyond the silos and build a new system from scratch.
The Center for Innovation released the results of that exercise in Beyond Nursing Homes, a new white paper that Townsley joins the podcast to discuss with Susan Ryan and Alex Spanko. Tune in to hear why the future of eldercare is based on community, connectivity, and customization – and why one size will never fit all when working to create an empowering eldercare system.
Read the white paper: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/wp-content/uploads/Beyond-Nursing-Homes-White-Paper-Fall-2023.pdf Learn more about Scott Townsley and Trilogy Consulting: https://www.trilogyconnect.com/about
Biophilic design – incorporating nature into the built environment – has grown in popularity in recent years, but the term itself may still seem daunting and strange, especially in an eldercare space where new development of nursing homes is exceedingly rare.
Dr. Tuwanda Green, an adjunct instructor at Virginia Tech with more than 30 years of architectural experience, joins the podcast to discuss biophilic design as the process of creating human-centered spaces for all ages. The physical environment can have a substantial impact on day-to-day wellbeing, whether it’s enjoying the view of trees and flowers from a picture window in your living room or freely accessing outdoor space in an eldercare community.
Green encourages listeners to see architecture as a verb, the fuel for holistic care environments and living spaces alike.
Dive into the research on the impact of biophilic design on student performance:https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/report/the-impact-of-biophilic-learning-spaces-on-student-success/
https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks/handle/1773/49192
Faced with the workforce issues plaguing the entire eldercare sector, Goodwin Living in Northern Virginia developed a citizenship assistance program for its immigrant employees – simultaneously boosting recruitment and retention while also providing a new social outlet for residents, who help their caregivers prepare for the citizenship exam.
Looking for a way to help his mother respond to a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, Goodwin Living CEO Rob Liebreich worked to develop the non-profit’s StrongerMemory program, which supports people in retaining and improving cognitive skills through simple reading, writing, and mathematics exercises.
This week, Liebreich joins Susan Ryan for a discussion of these unique programs, which combine practical solutions with community-building activities that benefit everyone involved.
Learn more about StrongerMemory and download the resources for free:https://goodwinliving.org/stronger-memory/ Explore Goodwin Living’s Citizenship Program, including its free Citizenship Playbook: https://goodwinliving.org/about-us/citizenship/ Join us in Detroit October 3-4 for a workshop on building innovative new care communities: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/education-events/workshops/
In 2021, Dr. Samir Sinha was given a potentially daunting job: serving as the technical committee chair for a group tasked with establishing new, national long-term care standards in Canada in the wake of COVID-19’s devastation.
Dr. Sinha, an internationally renowned geriatrician who serves as the Director of Geriatrics at Mount Sinai and the University Health Network Hospitals in Toronto, joins the podcast to discuss how he navigated the politics and logistics of reshaping an entire nation’s long-term care standards.
By incorporating as many resident and caregiver voices as possible, and focusing as much on person-directed care practices as infection control and clinical concerns, Dr. Sinha’s team laid the groundwork for real transformation in Canada and abroad – though, as he notes throughout the interview, the work to build a truly empowering care system is far from over.
Explore the new Canadian long-term care quality standards: https://longtermcarestandards.ca/
Join us in Detroit October 3-4 for a workshop on building innovative new care communities: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/education-events/workshops/
Explore cultural transformation services from The Green House Project and Pioneer Network: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/cultural-transformation/
Building truly age-friendly communities starts with incorporating elders’ needs, wants, and goals into civic planning.
As the executive director of Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh, Laura Poskin works across the city to build bridges between elders and the decision-makers who can help create accessible, integrated spaces for people of all ages and abilities – all while centering the opinions of older people who far too often don’t have a seat at the table.
Poskin joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss the World Health Organization’s vision for age-friendly communities, success stories from her organization’s work in the Steel City, and her own journey into elder advocacy, which began as a child and young adult with the simple realization that older people and younger people can form fulfilling friendships across generations.
Explore the full list of age-friendly communities: https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/network-age-friendly-communities/info-2014/member-list.html
Learn more about the WHO’s age-friendly cities framework: https://extranet.who.int/agefriendlyworld/age-friendly-cities-framework/
Join us in Detroit October 3-4 for a workshop on building innovative new care communities: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/education-events/workshops/
Explore cultural transformation services from The Green House Project and Pioneer Network: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/cultural-transformation/
This week on the show, we take a break from eldercare policy and best practices with a story of mindfulness and adventure. Previous guest Natalie Yates-Bolton – a senior lecturer in nursing at the University of Salford, Manchester in the United Kingdom – returns with her mother, Myra, for a conversation about their recent pilgrim walk through France.
Natalie and Myra recently walked 32 miles along the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route that people have traveled since the 10th century. Along the way, Natalie and Myra experienced the simplicity, peace, and perspective that comes with walking through nature and participating in a centuries-old tradition.
As Myra, 80, advises listeners: “No matter what age you are, you should find and go on an adventure. Whether they're small or big, it doesn't really matter … With care and good support, everybody can still find and enjoy adventure in everyday life. And I really mean that – no matter what age you are.”
See photos from the journey: bit.ly/45wY4Vq, bit.ly/3YWIjEF, bit.ly/44wbGPf Learn more about the Camino: https://santiago-compostela.net/ Join us in Detroit October 3-4 for a workshop on building innovative new care communities: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/education-events/workshops/ Explore cultural transformation services from The Green House Project and Pioneer Network: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/cultural-transformation/
The relationship between nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in nursing homes can often be fraught with hierarchy and disputes over tasks and responsibilities, as well as the normal conflicts that arise in any workplace.
To gain some insights into building collaborative care teams, we sat down with two leaders from an organization that’s excelled in that department: Presbyterian SeniorCare Network’s director of nursing Taylor McMahon and lead CNA Maggie Pernatozzi.
These eldercare veterans have spent 10 and 18 years with the western Pennsylvania provider, respectively, and work together to create a person-centered care force that sets the Presbyterian SeniorCare Network apart from others in the area. Tune in for strategies on cross-role teamwork, insights on inspiring the next generation of geriatric nursing graduates, training and mentoring CNAs for future success, and creating a workforce culture that retains good people for decades.
Learn more about Revisiting the Teaching Nursing Home: https://www.johnahartford.org/grants-strategy/revisiting-the-teaching-nursing-home
Visit Presbyterian SeniorCare Network’s website: https://www.srcare.org/
Explore cultural transformation services from The Green House Project and Pioneer Network: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/cultural-transformation/
The people who work in state long-term care ombudsman’s offices are unsung heroes for residents of nursing homes, assisted living communities, and other communal care settings, helping to amplify their voices when they aren’t being heard.
This week on “Elevate Eldercare,” we dive into the present and future of the ombudsman role on both the macro and micro levels. First, former ombudsman Penny Cook – who recently departed from the Center for Innovation, where she served as chief culture officer – takes a global view of the position, probing the ways that states can expand the role to achieve the twin goals of better care and overall resident satisfaction.
Then Kate Poppenhagen, the current long-term care ombudsman for Larimer County, Colorado and a fierce advocate for elders, sits down with Alex Spanko to talk about the day-to-day life of an LTC ombudsman – as well as the particular need to support LGBTQ elders at this particular moment in U.S. history.
Learn more about the ombudsman role from our friends at the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care: https://ltcombudsman.org/about/about-ombudsman
Explore cultural transformation services from The Green House Project and Pioneer Network: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/cultural-transformation/
Within the world of aging services, there’s perhaps no more popular concept than “aging in place.” But what exactly does that mean, and how can we make that an attainable goal for most people?
To help answer that question, we turned to Christine Foster, an interior designer with a specific focus on developing new strategies and models to help elders age in place – whether that’s in their own existing homes, or new communal care settings designed to bridge the gaps betweenliterally aging in place and moving into a more formal care community.
In both her work at her own firm – eight two three Interior Planning and Design – and her elder advocacy work with the Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments (SAGE), the Moving Forward Coalition, and elsewhere, Foster looks to combine the best of biophilic and trauma-informed design to create spaces that people of all ages can truly call home.
Read Christine’s white paper on her innovative new model: Innovative Solutions Available at the Intersection of Built Environment and Long Term Care (adobe.com)
Read “Can Health Care Design Away Loneliness” in Healthcare Design:https://healthcaredesignmagazine.com/trends/perspectives/can-healthcare-design-away-loneliness/
Learn more about SAGE: https://sagefederation.org/
Explore cultural transformation services from The Green House Project and Pioneer Network: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/cultural-transformation/
oe Carella has a bold prescription for the future of eldercare, starting with reimagining nursing homes as hubs for entire communities.
Instead of looking for ways to iterate on the institutional nursing home, such as through assisted and independent living, Carella challenges the sector to imagine a future where people actually want to move into a nursing home level of care because that’s where the action is – friends, family, and the wider community gathering in places where people receive care instead of avoiding the setting altogether.
It's a model that Carella pioneered at the Scandinavian Living Center, a Massachusetts community that’s technically licensed as assisted living but is so interwoven with the town of Newton that people don’t immediately realize they’re enjoying ice cream or attending a cultural performance within an eldercare setting.
In this episode, hear Carella discuss his unique path to eldercare and his vision for how nursing homes can be destinations, and not places where people regret moving.
Learn more about the Scandinavian Living Center: https://www.slcenter.org/
Explore cultural transformation services from The Green House Project and Pioneer Network: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/cultural-transformation/
Christopher Laxton recently retired after a 40-year career in eldercare, including the last 10 at the helm of AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. He joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss his personal definition of retirement, reframing aging in the United States, and creating a world where eldercare – and health care writ large – is a baseline human right for all people.
In this wide-ranging and provocative interview with Penny Cook, Laxton calls for universal health care access for people of all ages, challenging us to imagine a landscape where eldercare support services are exclusively non-profit or government-operated – with the goal of rectifying decades of inequality and ageism.
Learn more about AMDA: https://paltc.org/
Read about Maggie Kuhn’s work with the Gray Panthers: https://www.graypanthersnyc.org/maggie-kuhn
When Georgetown University formed its School of Health last year, college officials deliberately left out the word “public” from the name – not as a slight against the profession, as dean Christopher King explains, but to indicate an emphasis on overall population health and wellbeing, not just traditional public-health initiatives like clean water and road safety.
King joins the podcast to discuss the interconnected non-medical factors that determine the wildly disparate health outcomes in the United States, from race to housing to food. While there’s never been more attention on the social determinants of health, King challenges leaders to dive into the history of forces like gentrification, redlining, and discrimination to identify the sources of health care inequality – and start plotting a course toward lasting change.
Read King’s article in Health Affairs, “Race, Place, and Structural Racism: A Review of Health and History in Washington, D.C.”: https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01805
Learn more about the Georgetown School of Health: https://health.georgetown.edu/
While researching ways to improve the end-of-life experience as part of her PhD work, Andrea Grindrod discovered something interesting: People are almost always willing to help others experiencing the death of a loved one, but rarely wanted to ask for that help themselves.
So Grindrod – who has personal experience dealing with end-of-life care for both her mother-in-law and husband – developed a suite of resources to break down the taboos about death and dying. The Healthy End of Life Program (HELP) app lets families build and sustain networks of care that ease the strain of caregiving and provide the best death possible for people with terminal conditions.
As a nurse with a background in the promotion of healthy habits, Grindrod provocatively asks why we can’t see death as a normal part of life that can even be good or fulfilling – with a little help from our friends.
Register for the CFI conference, bringing together the Green House and Pioneer Network communities in Pittsburgh July 23-26 – including a special session featuring Homecare Hub and other early age-tech startups: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Learn more about the HELP App: https://healthyendoflifeprogram.org/
As a physician with an MBA and a Silicon Valley programming background, Vipan Nikore has a rare perspective on the world of health technology.
Nikore, co-founder and CEO of elder tech company Homecare Hub, joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss the gaps that exist between health care providers and the companies that create health-focused technology – as well as some potential bridges across those divides.
From electronic health records to remote patient monitoring to telehealth, these advancements have changed the way we provide care, but providers across the care continuum still struggle with implementing health technology to the fullest. Nikore discusses his vision for a seamlessly connected health tech ecosystem, as well as Homecare Hub’s goal of becoming the Airbnb for senior living.
Register for the CFI conference, bringing together the Green House and Pioneer Network communities in Pittsburgh July 23-26 – including a special session featuring Homecare Hub and other early age-tech startups: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Learn more about Homecare Hub: https://www.homecarehub.com/
Join the Green House-Pioneer team for the celebratory 200th episode of “Elevate Eldercare.”
What started as a pandemic-era project to stay connected with long-term care providers during extended lockdowns has evolved into a platform for voices across the care continuum.
Alex Spanko moderates this conversation with the leaders who have hosted most episodes of the series – Center for Innovation CEO Susan Ryan, CFI chief learning officer Marla DeVries, and CFI chief culture officer Penny Cook. Together, they look back at some of the most powerful conversations from the first 200 episodes, and plot out a vision for the future – both for “Elevate Eldercare” and the ongoing Green House Project-Pioneer Network alliance.
Cheers to 200 episodes and many more!
Register for the CFI conference, bringing together the Green House and Pioneer Network communities in Pittsburgh July 23-26 – including a special session featuring early age-tech startups: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Long-term care is notorious for lagging behind other parts of the health care continuum – including hospitals and doctors’ offices – in the adoption of technology. As co-chairs of a Moving Forward Coalition subcommittee on health information technology, Gregory Alexander and Terrence O’Malley are working to change that.
Alexander, the Helen Young alumni professor at Columbia University, and O’Malley – a retired geriatrician and corresponding faculty at Harvard Medical School – joined the podcast to discuss their vision for an LTC landscape where technology actually improves the lives of residents and caregivers.
Listen as they go beyond the popular vision of age technology, like wearables and virtual reality field trips, to a world in which tech supports both better health outcomes and individual elder autonomy.
Register for the CFI conference, bringing together the Green House and Pioneer Network communities in Pittsburgh July 23-26 – including a special session featuring early age-tech startups: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Learn more about the Moving Forward Committee and its various subcommittees, including Alexander and O’Malley’s Committee 7: https://movingforwardcoalition.org/committees/
Under Jeannee Parker Martin’s leadership, LeadingAge California has achieved some remarkable workforce development numbers, graduating more than 1,000 students from a CNA and home health aide training program – funded by a generous $25 million state grant – in its first year alone.
While not every state has California’s budget surplus, dollars are only part of the equation. The California example provides a blueprint for how other states can use a combination of incentives, creative outreach to underrepresented communities, and technology to build up a long-struggling eldercare workforce.
Join Martin for a conversation on the connections between workforce development and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and how providers and advocates across the country can band together to build the care force that elders deserve.
Register for the CFI conference, bringing together the Green House and Pioneer Network communities in Pittsburgh July 23-26: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Watch labor economist Rick Hetrick discuss the demographic drought: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w05QgHwq8Ig
Explore LeadingAge California’s workforce initiatives: https://www.leadingageca.org/growtheworkforce
In his years marketing major brands like Gillette, Pepsi, and Dannon, Jeff Weiss never encountered any push to pitch products to consumers over the age of 55. Then, once he turned 55 himself, he realized that he didn’t feel like a different person just because he crossed an age milestone – he was still himself, with all the same evolving sets of desires, goals, and needs as people younger than 55.
At Age of Majority, the marketing and research firm where he serves as CEO, Weiss seeks to break down the stereotypes that people – and, by extension, companies – hold about older people. Through regular surveys of “active agers” over 55, Weiss reveals that much of what younger people assume about their elders is wrong.
Tune into this week’s episode to hear Weiss debunk some preconceived notions about older consumers, and learn how data can help organizations create products and services that real people of all ages actually want to use.
Register for the CFI conference, bringing together the Green House and Pioneer Network communities in Pittsburgh July 23-26: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Learn more about Age of Majority: https://www.ageofmajority.com/
If you’re 55 and older, consider joining Revolution55, Age of Majority’s market-research community that solicits opinions from older people on a variety of subjects: https://www.ageofmajority.com/revolution55/
When Jack York first started bringing computers into senior living communities in the 1990s, he never could have imagined the ways elders use technology to stay connected with loved ones and their interests today – particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But even back then, when PCs took up entire desks and internet connections required a landline, the goal was the same as it is now: keeping elders in touch with the people and ideas that give them joy and fulfillment.
York joins the podcast to discuss his career in elder-friendly tech, including his current role as founder and chief storyteller at TaleGate – a unique company that brings a mobile video studio to eldercare communities around the country, enabling people to tell their life stories and share their unique perspectives with their loved ones and the world.
Register for the CFI conference, bringing together the Green House and Pioneer Network communities in Pittsburgh July 23-26 – hurry, early bird rates end today, May 31: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Learn more about TaleGate: https://talegate4joy.com/
Check out pictures and stories from TaleGate and Methodist Senior Services’ Green House 20th anniversary party in Tupelo, Miss. back in April: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/blog/celebrating-20-years/
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of aging in place – already the overwhelming preference for most people – received more media and political attention than ever before.
But Ryan Frederick believes that the phrase, while well-meaning, is too passive and restrictive, implying that aging is something that happens to people with no agency of their own.
Frederick, the founder and CEO of Here – a consulting firm aimed at helping individuals and organizations adapt to a world with ever-increasing human longevity – joins Susan Ryan to discuss the concept of aging in the right place, and what that means for both eldercare providers and older folks alike.
Register for the CFI conference, bringing together the Green House and Pioneer Network communities in Pittsburgh July 23-26 – hurry, early bird rates end today, May 31: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Explore Here and take a free assessment to determine whether you’re living – or aging – in the right place: https://www.here.life/
Read Frederick’s book, “Right Place, Right Time”: https://www.here.life/right-place-right-time-book
The traditional nursing home took its design and operational cues from hospitals – a setting defined by its focus on physical health over all other considerations.
Since the late 1970s, Planetree International has worked to infuse humanity back into hospitals and, increasingly, health care settings of all kinds. In the beginning, that meant fighting a culture where visitors had strict time limits and patients weren’t even allowed to review their own medical files. Today, Planetree’s work encompasses all facets of emotional safety – a sense of overall wellbeing that still too often takes a backseat to physical condition and status, illustrated most brutally during COVID-era lockdowns and isolation.
Planetree president Susan Frampton joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss the network of health care providers that have adopted the organization’s philosophies for person-directed care, as well as the lessons that long-term care providers can take away from the movement to reform the acute care culture.
Register for the CFI conference, bringing together the Green House and Pioneer Network communities in Pittsburgh July 23-26 – hurry, early bird rates end May 31: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Read more about emotional safety in the British Medical Journal: https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/early/2023/02/02/bmjqs-2022-015573.info
Last year, the groundbreaking NASEM report on nursing home quality laid out a host of recommendations for improving the broken long-term care system in the U.S. While none of those suggestions is necessarily more important than the others, the topic of improving the LTC workforce is probably the one garnering the most attention from providers and policymakers.
This week on the podcast, Dr. Kezia Scales and Dr. Jasmine Travers – the co-chairs of the Moving Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition committee dedicated to finding ways to implement the NASEM report’s workforce recommendations – dive into their work with host Penny Cook. Both bring unique and vital perspectives to the Coalition; Scales serves as the senior director of policy research at PHI, an organization dedicated to strengthening the care workforce, while Travers is an assistant professor of nursing at the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing.
You’ll learn about the federal and state policy levers that the committee is exploring, and how workforce improvement relies on a complex network of factors, from state Medicaid funding to training standards to federal staffing regulations.
Learn more about the Moving Forward Coalition committees and members: https://movingforwardcoalition.org/committees/
Read the Biden administration’s fact sheet on reform: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/28/fact-sheet-protecting-seniors-and-people-with-disabilities-by-improving-safety-and-quality-of-care-in-the-nations-nursing-homes/
Register for the CFI conference, bringing together the Green House and Pioneer Network communities in Pittsburgh July 23-26 – hurry, early bird rates end May 31: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Eldercare – and U.S. health care writ large – too often is a cold, impersonal experience for the people both giving and receiving care, as ever-increasing demands for efficiency and profit turn an intimate experience into boxes to check and line items on balance sheets.
Dr. Stephen Trzeciak, chief of medicine at Cooper University Health Care and co-author of the book “Compassionomics,” seeks to change that with a simple yet bold assertion: Compassion for others in health care isn’t just good for people’s emotional wellbeing, but also their physical health and the operational strength of providers.
Dr. Trzeciak joins “Elevate Eldercare” ahead of his keynote speaking slot at the first annual Center for Innovation conference, coming to Pittsburgh July 23-26. In conversation with Susan Ryan, he gives an overview of his philosophy and challenges listeners to embrace compassion as the centerpiece of their eldercare practice.
Register for the CFI conference – hurry, early bird rates end May 31: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Watch Dr. Trzeciak’s TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elW69hyPUuI
When the Australia-based ACH Group agreed to become the first provider outside of the United States to fully implement the Green House model, CEO Frank Weits was taking the next step in his organization’s 70-year tradition of person-directed care – and building on his own experiences in eldercare, which began as a teenager growing up in the Netherlands.
Weits joins Susan Ryan to discuss his vision for Healthia, the Green House community coming to South Australia later this year, and ACH Group’s commitment to “social role valorization” – the idea that the roles we play in life, whether that’s as a professional or a charity volunteer or a grandparent or a participant in a hobby, help to provide us meaning and satisfaction.
Both ACH Group and the Center for Innovation built their operational philosophies around the goal of empowering elders to keep playing those roles as they age, maintaining vital connections with the people, communities, and activities that give them meaning. Together, we’ll break new ground in Australia!
Learn more about the ACH Group: https://achgroup.org.au/
Read about the ACH-Green House partnership: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/press-releases/australia-expansion/
More than 30 years ago, current Center for Innovation board chair Michele Holleran launched her eponymous data analytics firm with a focus that was considered revolutionary at the time: measuring the resident and staff satisfaction at senior living communities.
Holleran’s mission is now far more mainstream, and she joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss some of the more promising trends that she and her team have uncovered in recent years in a special preview of her new podcast, “The Data Dive.”
For instance, for all the legitimate concern about building a resilient long-term care workforce, Holleran has found higher levels of staff engagement in eldercare than corporate America writ large – evidence that with the right combination of leadership and listening to caregiver and resident needs, the industry might be on stronger footing than believed.
Learn more about Holleran Consulting: https://holleranconsult.com/
Listen to Holleran Consulting’s new podcast, “The Data Dive”: https://holleranconsult.com/podcast/
For the first time ever, The Green House Project and Pioneer Network are hosting a single conference under the Center for Innovation banner, and we want the entire eldercare community to be there!
In this week’s episode, hear CFI’s Penny Cook, Marla DeVries, and Joan Devine talk about the engaging speakers coming to Pittsburgh from July 23-26, including “Compassionomics” co-author Dr. Stephen Trzeciak, groundbreaking dementia researcher Dr. Al Power, and many more! Plus, learn more about the special performance of “A Box of Memories,” a one-act musical about living with dementia coming to Pittsburgh all the way from Australia, and the lineup of special pre-conference sessions designed to give attendees a more in-depth educational experience.
Taken together, the first annual CFI conference is all about helping people interested in eldercare reform to connect, engage, and make an impact back home in their communities. We can’t wait to see you there!
Learn more about the conference and register today: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Watch Dr. Stephen Trzeciak’s TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elW69hyPUuI
Learn more about primary conference sponsor Parker: https://www.parkerlife.org/
The Montessori approach to education empowers children to learn by doing activities that emphasize their innate abilities, not by rote or one-size-fits-all lessons. Inspired by his family’s own experiences with the Montessori method, Cameron Camp decided to apply those principles to dementia care, a field where far too often people are boiled down to sets of symptoms and behaviors to manage within rigid, impersonal structures.
Camp’s work with the Center for Applied Research in Dementia has helped to shift the traditional thinking around dementia services, focusing on elders’ retained abilities and what Camp calls “cognitive ramps” – simple adaptations, similar to wheelchair ramps, that allow people living with dementia to continue participating in society and empowering activities.
Camp joins Penny Cook to discuss his work and his vision for a truly person-directed future for all types of eldercare.
Join us in Pittsburgh for the 2023 CFI conference: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Learn about the Center for Applied Research in Dementia: https://www.cen4ard.com/
Explore Cameron and Linda Camp’s book: https://www.cen4ard.com/product/teaching-empathy-and-conflict-resolution-to-people-with-dementia/
During the pandemic, the father-daughter team of Duncan and Erin McKellar teamed up – over Zoom, of course – to create a passion project based on their unique life experiences and skills.
As both a psychiatrist specializing in the treatment of older people and the son of a woman, Lizzy, who was diagnosed with early onset dementia at age 60, Duncan has extensive firsthand experience navigating the world of Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. Erin, meanwhile, is pursuing a doctorate in music, with a particular focus on using songs and the stage to address important issues, including social justice.
Together, they created “A Box of Memories,” a musical about a woman living with dementia, her child, and a doctor whose attitudes on eldercare change as he experiences his patient’s dementia journey.
We’re proud to announce that “A Box of Memories” is coming to the first annual CFI conference in Pittsburgh on July 23, thanks to the generous support of our friends at Parker. All attendees will receive a free ticket to the Sunday evening performance, courtesy of Parker, so listen in and get inspired for the show!
Register for the CFI conference: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Learn more about HammondCare: https://www.hammond.com.au/
This week, please enjoy the first episode of our new podcast series, “Mission Possible,” produced in conjunction with the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care and AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Each week, you’ll hear in-depth interviews and conversations about the ways that leaders can turn decades of reports and recommendations into real results for the people who live in and work in U.S. nursing homes.
As the co-founder and former CEO of the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC), Robert Kramer has a deep and broad perspective on the financial factors that shape long-term care. Like it or not, in a for-profit health care system, where investors put their dollars – and where they don’t – has a direct impact on the types of services that are available to elders across the country.
Alex Spanko sat down with Kramer to talk through the current nursing home investment landscape and discuss possible financial levers for driving change in long-term care. Please note this interview was originally recorded in fall 2022.
Like what you hear? Check out the “Mission Possible” homepage and subscribe on the service of your choice: https://sites.libsyn.com/463842
Learn more about the producers of “Mission Possible”:
https://theconsumervoice.org/
https://paltc.org/
When Rose Marie Fagan first applied for a job as a nursing home ombudsman, she had no prior experience with long-term care or health care in general – but her status as an outsider almost immediately proved to be a much bigger asset than a liability.
With her fresh eyes, Fagan was able to clearly see the injustices of the era, including physical restraints, unsanitary conditions, and dehumanizing treatment of elders. That perspective inspired her to join in the founding of Pioneer Network in 1997, and while nursing homes have improved since her earliest days in the sector, Fagan continues to fight for the de-institutionalization of eldercare services.
Fagan sits down with Penny Cook – one of the countless people that Fagan has mentored and inspired throughout her career as an eldercare advocate – for a discussion of her career and vision for the future of empowering support for all elders.
Join us in Pittsburgh July 23-26: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Learn more about the Green House-Pioneer alliance: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/pioneer-alliance/
Explore the Live Oak Project’s work: https://liveoak4agingjustice.org/
Lori Smetanka of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care returns to “Elevate Eldercare” for an update on the key nursing home reform policies that she and other consumer advocates are watching most closely – including minimum staffing levels, ownership and investor transparency, and finally incorporating real person-centered care principles into day-to-day operations at all communities.
Many of these problems have been persistent for decades, but Smetanka continues to advocate on behalf of the people who live and work in nursing homes – with a particular focus on giving them a platform in a discourse that too often excludes them in favor of other voices.
Learn more about the Consumer Voice: https://theconsumervoice.org/
If you’re a nursing home resident who wants to share your thoughts with peers around the country – or if you know a resident who does – reach out directly to Lori at lsmetanka@theconsumervoice.org
Barry Barkan played a crucial role in the formation of Pioneer Network in 1997, but his experience in eldercare goes back 20 years before that, to a fateful morning of reflection in Live Oak Park in Berkeley, Calif.
Barry joins “Elevate Eldercare” and longtime colleague Penny Cook to discuss his five decades of advocacy for elders, starting with the then-radical – and far too often, still radical – idea that elders are people who are entitled to continued growth, fulfillment, engagement, and dignity.
It’s impossible to hear Barry speak and not come away inspired, so tune in for a fascinating journey through the history of eldercare reform with one of its most passionate and influential voices.
Learn more about the Live Oak Project: https://liveoak4agingjustice.org/
Learn more about the first annual CFI conference, coming to Pittsburgh July 23-26: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
Even as a self-described “mediocre gardener,” Orla Concannon has brought the joys of nature to thousands of elders across the country – all by bringing the garden to them.
Eldergrow, Concannon’s company, started out as a graduate school project but has since grown into a successful firm with national reach, empowering elders in a variety of settings to tend to indoor gardens while also enjoying the fruits of their labor through innovative and healthy cooking classes.
Concannon joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss the power of nature to enhance the lives of all people, including older adults living in communal care settings, and how her experiences with both nature and older adults in her own life led her down her career path.
Learn more about Eldergrow: https://www.eldergrow.org/
Submit your session proposals for the first annual CFI conference, in Pittsburgh July 23-26: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
As the president of the Point Roberts Circle of Care board, Galen Wood has a unique task in a unique place – providing services and supports for elders in one of the most secluded spots in the United States.
The town of Point Roberts, Wash. is what geographers call a pene-exclave. Located at the end of a peninsula, Point Roberts is surrounded by water on three sides and Canada to the north, meaning all land traffic has to come across an international border. In normal times, this presents a series of challenges, but during the pandemic and after, it’s made life even more difficult for the locals – especially elders who rely on services and supports on both sides of the border.
Wood joins “Elevate Eldercare” to talk about her organization’s work advocating for older residents, including the Circle of Care’s five-year plan to bring Green House homes to Point Roberts, as well as her long career as a successful consultant and leader in the corporate world.
Learn more about the Point Roberts Circle of Care: https://www.prcircleofcare.com/
Read about pene-exclaves, including Point Roberts: https://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2993.htm
Stay informed about the Center for Innovation conference, July 23-26 in Pittsburgh: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
High school junior Eli Grundy has been immersed in eldercare for as long as he can remember, thanks to his parents: One of his moms is the administrator of the Spearly Center, a unique skilled nursing community in Denver, and the other works for the Alzheimer’s Association.
At age 12, Eli followed in his moms’ footsteps and started as an activities volunteer at the Spearly Center – so when he turned 16, the decision to earn CNA certification was the logical next step.
Eli sits down with CFI’s Penny Cook to talk about his decision to serve elders at such a young age, as well as the steps providers and policymakers can take to make the profession more attractive for his generation.
Learn more about the Green House-Pioneer alliance under CFI: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/pioneer-alliance/
Explore the Spearly Center: https://junipercommunities.com/community/juniper-village-at-the-spearly-center/
Save the date for the first annual CFI conference, July 23-26 in Pittsburgh: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
“Elevate Eldercare” often welcomes academic researchers from across the aging field, but Anne Basting is the first English professor to sit down behind our mics.
Basting is a firm believer in the power of art and creativity as a medium of communication and connection for people living with dementia. From putting on a production of the ancient story of Ulysses at a long-term care community to conducting storytelling sessions for elders over phone lines during COVID, Basting sees the extraordinary potential of people to keep learning, growing, and creating at any age.
Join us for a powerful conversation on empowering elders, families, and caregivers with the universal language of art.
Learn more about the Center for Innovation: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/pioneer-alliance/
Explore Anne Basting’s bio and projects: https://www.anne-basting.com/
Connect with TimeSlips: https://www.timeslips.org/
Watch Anne’s TEDMED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liqQDDfhFXQ
The new year year kicked off with another report analyzing the failures of the nursing home system during COVID-19, this time from the HHS Office of the Inspector General. But while understanding the mistakes of the past is important, the time for retrospective reports has long since passed – and policymakers have the tools to effect real change today.
Join CFI communications director Alex Spanko and health care policy expert Anne Montgomery for a conversational look at a variety of evidence-based solutions to the problems that plague eldercare in America, from HUD lending changes to a federally authorized person-centered care pilot program.
If you’ve ever felt anger or frustration at the way nursing homes are run or overseen, tune in for fuel for your next conversations with lawmakers, policymakers, provider peers, and other changemakers!
Read the OIG report: https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/OEI-02-20-00491.pdf
Read CFI’s response to the OIG report: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/press-releases/as-oig-calls-for-significant-changes-to-nursing-homes-small-homes-are-the-answer/
Every Green House community is different, from the people who call it home to the surrounding neighborhood and landscape.
At Londonderry Village in Palmyra, Pa., outside of Hershey, the Green House homes come with the wafting smell of chocolate, an intergenerational play park, and people-powered vehicles known as trishaws.
We sit down with Londonderry Village president Jeff Shireman to discuss how he transformed his vision for Green House homes in the fields of Palmyra into a decades-strong reality – including a fiscally responsible board that won’t allow anyone to move out for financial reasons, and dedicated caregivers empowered to make elders feel truly at home however possible, whether it’s kibbitzing over tea, ordering in takeout on birthdays, or taking a trishaw ride through the snow.
Explore Londonderry Village’s intergenerational play park: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/blog/community-intergenerational-playground-sparks-joy-and-builds-memories/
Learn more about the Center for Innovation: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/podcast/
The Moving Forward Coalition launched with a clear but ambitious goal: Operationalize the host of recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s (NASEM) 2022 report on the state of nursing home care.
This week, we welcome Moving Forward leaders Alice Bonner and Isaac Longobardi to talk about the group’s mission and work, and how everyone in long-term care – from residents to caregivers to family members to policymakers to academics and everyone in between – can get involved and make their voices heard.
We’ll take a particular dive into the four main themes of the coalition’s work:
- Resident-Directed Care: A holistic care model that puts goals, preferences, and priorities first
- Workforce: A workforce pipeline built with federal, state, and other resources
- Financing: Incentives to build small homes and improve direct care wages
- Accountability: Accountability for all parts of the eldercare system, including both providers and government actors
Learn more about how you can get involved with the Moving Forward Coalition: https://movingforwardcoalition.org/
Learn more about CFI and our 2023 conference: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/2023-conference/
The past year brought significant momentum for real eldercare reform, and the year ahead promises even more progress toward our goal of overhauling the long-term care system in the U.S. and abroad.
We’ve gathered a group of CFI leaders – CEO Susan Ryan, chief culture officer Penny Cook, strategic advisor Ann Montgomery, and communications director Alex Spanko – to discuss the trends that will shape the LTC sector in the year ahead, from a predicted nursing home sell-off to the fate of strong reform proposals on the federal and state levels.
Join us as we break out the crystal ball and plot a course for 2023 and beyond!
Learn more about the Center for Innovation: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/pioneer-alliance/
Dr. Michael Wasserman’s unique combination of professional experience makes him one of the most incisive voices in the long-term care reform space: As both a trained geriatrician and the former leader of California’s largest nursing home chain, Wasserman can speak to both the medical and financial problems baked into the eldercare system.
He joins Penny Cook to share his vision for a person-centered care revolution in geriatrics, passionately arguing that a one-size-fits-all approach to health care – and particularly eldercare – has done more harm than good. As Wasserman puts it, if you’ve seen one 90-year-old woman, you’ve seen one 90-year-old woman; each elder has their own set of health challenges, goals, and support systems, and geriatricians must understand each person before they can provide truly high-quality care.
Read the American Geriatrics Society’s definition of person-centered care: https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jgs.13866
Learn more about the Center for Innovation: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/pioneer-alliance/
It’s been a momentous year for The Green House Project and Pioneer Network, as the two organizations formally united under the new Center for Innovation banner.
Three CFI leaders – CEO Susan Ryan, chief culture officer Penny Cook, and chief learning officer Marla DeVries – look back on a year that saw the culture change movement gain even more power and influence among operators and policymakers.
The executive team also dives into a 2023 that’s shaping up to be the most impactful yet for the Green House and Pioneer missions, from the 20th anniversary of the first Green House homes to the first CFI conference in Pittsburgh to a new e-learning platform set to debut early next year.
The entire CFI team wishes you a warm, happy, and healthy holiday season, with special greetings to the caregivers who continue to work around the clock, no matter the date, to support elders and people with disabilities.
For more information on the new CFI: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/pioneer-alliance/
Go inside the new e-learning platform and sign up for updates: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/elearning/
Reach out to Penny Cook with questions, comments, and suggestions for the new alliance: pcook at https://thegreenhouseproject.org/
Part of the enduring stigma surrounding dementia is the collective misconception that a diagnosis means the end of someone’s life – or at least the end of a person’s ability to contribute to society.
Bobby Redman turns that notion on its head, living on her own and serving as an advocate for the entire community years after her diagnosis with frontotemporal dementia. In this episode, Redman shares the strategies that she’s developed to not just survive but thrive as an independent person with dementia, from both low- and high-tech supports around the house to her work with Dementia Australia.
Ending stigma and discrimination isn’t easy, but Redman provides a clear blueprint for the future.
Learn more about the Center for Innovation, the new home of The Green House Project and Pioneer Network:
Explore resources from Dementia Australia: https://www.dementia.org.au/
In Lynne Sewell’s telling, her husband Rick seems almost larger than life, trotting the globe with his family as his job in technology took him from their home in Australia to Europe, Asia, and North America – winning friends and professional admiration at every stop along the way.
But when Rick was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia, their lives entered a challenging new phase. Lynne joins “Elevate Eldercare” to share stories from her years as a caregiver and fierce advocate for her husband.
With both humor and vulnerability, Lynne tracks her winding journey through the care system and offers advice for others in similar situations – ultimately proving that while caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia is often frustrating and lonely, there are people around the world with their own universal experiences to share.
Learn about Australia’s approach to dementia support from Dementia Australia: https://www.dementia.org.au/
Learn more about the Center for Innovation, the new home of The Green House Project and Pioneer Network: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/pioneer-alliance/
Architect Nick Seemann joins the podcast to discuss social architecture and design – the idea that people and physical spaces interact to create each environment – in eldercare and beyond.
The founder and managing director of the Australia-based Constructive Dialogue Architects, Seemann has a range of experience across a variety of settings, from overseeing housing improvements in remote Nepalese and Aboriginal communities to projects for homeless populations and other social organizations.
Through Constructive Dialogue and Dementia Training Australia, a government-backed education initiative, he’s working on the cutting edge of social design and elder-directed care principles in the country.
Seeman passionately argues that environments matter for overall wellbeing – and that leaders can create positive, supportive, and empowering environments for elders in even the most institutional of structures.
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Explore the resources from Dementia Training Australia: Creating Supportive Environments Online Course Trailer: https://vimeo.com/463258086 Course Link: https://dta.com.au/online-courses/creating-supportive-environments Activity Cards Support Page: https://dta.com.au/enviro-activity-cards-resources/ Resources Book: https://dta.com.au/resources/environmental-design-resources/#Resource1 Constructive Dialogue Architects: www.constructivedialogue.com.au
Paul Pholeros and Healthabitat: https://www.healthabitat.com/
Dr. Samir Sinha has emerged as a leading voice for eldercare improvement in Canada, and he joins CFI’s Penny Cook to discuss the lessons that leaders can learn from each other across the globe.
Sinha argues that there’s a core misconception in international analyses of countries, such as Denmark, that have emerged as eldercare leaders; while those nations generally do have a more compassionate framework for LTC than the U.S. and Canada, they’re just as focused on the financial and operational viability as their North American counterparts.
If we can harness the consumer demand for something better and realize that better care also means a more stable operational future, Sinha says, the momentum for change will be unstoppable.
Read about Dr. Sinha’s work with naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) in the Toronto Star: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/11/04/i-adore-her-but-sometimes-im-overwhelmed-how-a-program-to-help-other-adults-age-at-home-allows-the-whole-family-to-thrive.html
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
A Thanksgiving tradition continues as we gather around a virtual gratitude table with the folks who make Green House homes work. This year, GHP’s Susan Ryan and Rebecca Priest welcome a trio of employees from St. John’s Senior Services in Rochester, N.Y. – dining practice partner Linda McCoy, dementia and quality of life specialist Mimi DeVinney, Shahbaz Annette Robles, and nurse Jen Dean.
You’ll hear how this team built the Penfield Green House Homes, and how they continue to sustain an empowering environment for the elders who call Penfield home.
To everyone in long-term care working through the holidays to keep elders engaged, active, and safe, GHP and Pioneer extend our deepest thanks and admiration.
Explore the Penfield homes: https://www.stjohnsliving.org/communities/st-johns-home/green-house/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
It’s official: The Green House Project and Pioneer Network are now formally aligned under the Center for Innovation umbrella.
GHP senior director Susan Ryan and Pioneer Network CEO Penny Cook go inside the new alliance and share updates on some of the exciting work coming in the year ahead – including a new e-learning platform, their participation in the Moving Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition, the expanded Green House trademark, and the 2023 Center for Innovation conference in Pittsburgh.
If you’ve been curious about what the Center for Innovation means for Green House, Pioneer, and the future of eldercare transformation, tune in to learn all the details!
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Learn more about Pioneer Network: https://www.pioneernetwork.net/
Be the first to know about our new e-learning platform: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/elearning/
Read about the expanded Green House trademark: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/press-releases/the-green-house-project-expands-trademark-welcomes-the-new-jewish-home/
Explore the Moving Forward Coalition and learn how you can get involved: https://movingforwardcoalition.org/
Canadian Association for Long-Term Care CEO Jodi Hall joins Penny Cook to discuss the challenges and opportunities around systemic change post-COVID.
Hall’s answers will probably sound familiar to providers and reform leaders on both sides of the border – funding questions, staffing shortages, and regional regulatory variations loom large as lawmakers and advocates look to reshape nursing home care in Canada.
But those shared traits also mean that U.S. and Canadian long-term care leaders have much to learn from each other, and Hall challenges listeners to embrace the power of dialogue and collaboration across country lines.
Learn more about the Canadian Association for Long-Term Care: https://caltc.ca/
Explore The Green House Project and Pioneer Network’s new alliance: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/pioneer-alliance/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
As a chronic cancer patient and senior lecturer in nursing at the University of Salford in Manchester, England, Natalie Yates-Bolton knows about the importance of compassionate health care from both sides of the equation.
She joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss her extensive work in the field of compassionate leadership in nursing homes and other care settings, from coaching caregivers through COVID-19 to shadowing the daily lives of people living with dementia. To Yates-Bolton, compassionate leadership isn’t a “soft” or less demanding form of coaching – it’s a way to equip people with the tools and mindset they need to be there when it matters most.
Explore Michael West’s work on compassionate leadership: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/about-us/whos-who/michael-west
Learn more about Yates-Bolton’s firm, Five Blocks Coaching: https://fiveblockscoaching.com/
Learn more about the Florence Nightengale Foundation: https://florence-nightingale-foundation.org.uk/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
As a chronic cancer patient and senior lecturer in nursing at the University of Salford in Manchester, England, Natalie Yates-Bolton knows about the importance of compassionate health care from both sides of the equation.
She joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss her extensive work in the field of compassionate leadership in nursing homes and other care settings, from coaching caregivers through COVID-19 to shadowing the daily lives of people living with dementia. To Yates-Bolton, compassionate leadership isn’t a “soft” or less demanding form of coaching – it’s a way to equip people with the tools and mindset they need to be there when it matters most.
Explore Michael West’s work on compassionate leadership: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/about-us/whos-who/michael-west
Learn more about Yates-Bolton’s firm, Five Blocks Coaching: https://fiveblockscoaching.com/
Learn more about the Florence Nightengale Foundation: https://florence-nightingale-foundation.org.uk/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Even the most well-meaning people sometimes talk about “keeping our seniors safe” from a variety of possible outcomes, from disease to falls to the dangers of poor diet – as though elders have no autonomy or ability to make decisions on their own.
Zero-tolerance COVID lockdowns have helped to reframe the discussion in recent years, but too often we rob elders of the right to take the same acceptable risks that younger people take every day, from an occasional indulgent meal to attending an indoor party amid an ongoing pandemic.
Liza Behrens, a PhD and registered nurse who serves as an assistant professor at Penn State’s Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss her DIGNITY (Decision-making In aGing and demeNtIa for auTonomY) tool for fostering preference-based care, which balances the need for health and safety with the human right to choose.
Learn more about Liza’s work in this interview: https://www.preferencebasedliving.com/updates/ask-the-expert/a-risky-preferences-interview-with-dr-liza-behrens/
Explore Liza’s research at the links below:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36214738/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32756959/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29355878/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34958744/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6398972/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34039079/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Even the most well-meaning people sometimes talk about “keeping our seniors safe” from a variety of possible outcomes, from disease to falls to the dangers of poor diet – as though elders have no autonomy or ability to make decisions on their own.
Zero-tolerance COVID lockdowns have helped to reframe the discussion in recent years, but too often we rob elders of the right to take the same acceptable risks that younger people take every day, from an occasional indulgent meal to attending an indoor party amid an ongoing pandemic.
Liza Behrens, a PhD and registered nurse who serves as an assistant professor at Penn State’s Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss her DIGNITY (Decision-making In aGing and demeNtIa for auTonomY) tool for fostering preference-based care, which balances the need for health and safety with the human right to choose.
Learn more about Liza’s work in this interview: https://www.preferencebasedliving.com/updates/ask-the-expert/a-risky-preferences-interview-with-dr-liza-behrens/
Explore Liza’s research at the links below:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36214738/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32756959/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29355878/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34958744/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6398972/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34039079/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Persistent staffing issues in long-term care don’t have a single solution. In fact, leadership expert and educator Christopher Ridenhour argues that creating a stable, resilient, and satisfied workforce requires the intersection of multiple goals – from diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts to employee recognition to fostering a culture of true respect and appreciation.
In conversation with Penny Cook, Ridenhour argues persuasively for a truly comprehensive workforce development strategy that goes beyond in-services and one-off programs. To confront shortages, organizations must address the void at the center of workplaces, both in LTC and elsewhere – the feeling that individuals’ work is undervalued, underappreciated, and poorly understood by leadership.
DEI programs, workforce supports, and other HR strategies don’t exist in a vacuum. They all contribute to building a culture that retains and develops talent, and Ridenhour challenges individuals and organizations to take a more holistic approach to the “workforce crisis.”
Learn more about The Green House Project and Pioneer Network’s new alliance: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/pioneer-alliance/
Learn more about Christopher Ridenhour’s work: https://www.christophermotivates.com/
Persistent staffing issues in long-term care don’t have a single solution. In fact, leadership expert and educator Christopher Ridenhour argues that creating a stable, resilient, and satisfied workforce requires the intersection of multiple goals – from diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts to employee recognition to fostering a culture of true respect and appreciation.
In conversation with Penny Cook, Ridenhour argues persuasively for a truly comprehensive workforce development strategy that goes beyond in-services and one-off programs. To confront shortages, organizations must address the void at the center of workplaces, both in LTC and elsewhere – the feeling that individuals’ work is undervalued, underappreciated, and poorly understood by leadership.
DEI programs, workforce supports, and other HR strategies don’t exist in a vacuum. They all contribute to building a culture that retains and develops talent, and Ridenhour challenges individuals and organizations to take a more holistic approach to the “workforce crisis.”
Learn more about The Green House Project and Pioneer Network’s new alliance: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/pioneer-alliance/
Learn more about Christopher Ridenhour’s work: https://www.christophermotivates.com/
Harvard researcher David Grabowski returns to the podcast to discuss the financial incentives that have created our current long-term care landscape – and how small changes to the way the federal government funds and regulates nursing homes can lead to significant improvements in quality, safety, and satisfaction.
Too often, nursing home reform is presented as a false binary between increasing government funding for operators or increasing fines for wrongdoing. Organizations that have adopted Green House and Pioneer principles have shown that the equation for care improvement is more nuanced than one carrot versus one stick – but still eminently achievable with the right ingredients.
HHS, CMS, HUD, and states all play a role in the patchwork quilt of nursing home finance and oversight. Grabowski, along with The Green House Project’s Susan Ryan and Alex Spanko, try to untangle the knots while exploring recent efforts to effect change through rate increases, capital grants, and new rules.
Transparency and proper incentives can go a long way toward achieving the change we all hope to see in LTC!
Watch Grabowski’s recent appearance before a House hearing on nursing homes, COVID, and private equity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VUFu_DZzJ4
Learn more about the Moving Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition’s work to operationalize the recent NASEM recommendations for care improvement:
https://movingforwardcoalition.org/committees/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Harvard researcher David Grabowski returns to the podcast to discuss the financial incentives that have created our current long-term care landscape – and how small changes to the way the federal government funds and regulates nursing homes can lead to significant improvements in quality, safety, and satisfaction.
Too often, nursing home reform is presented as a false binary between increasing government funding for operators or increasing fines for wrongdoing. Organizations that have adopted Green House and Pioneer principles have shown that the equation for care improvement is more nuanced than one carrot versus one stick – but still eminently achievable with the right ingredients.
HHS, CMS, HUD, and states all play a role in the patchwork quilt of nursing home finance and oversight. Grabowski, along with The Green House Project’s Susan Ryan and Alex Spanko, try to untangle the knots while exploring recent efforts to effect change through rate increases, capital grants, and new rules.
Transparency and proper incentives can go a long way toward achieving the change we all hope to see in LTC!
Watch Grabowski’s recent appearance before a House hearing on nursing homes, COVID, and private equity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VUFu_DZzJ4
Learn more about the Moving Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition’s work to operationalize the recent NASEM recommendations for care improvement:
https://movingforwardcoalition.org/committees/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
The pandemic threw a harsh light on the lack of autonomy that far too many people experience when receiving care in an institutional setting, and supporting resident choice and decision-making ability has become an important area of reform action.
Jill Vitale-Aussem, president and CEO of Christian Living Communities, argues that it’s not enough to focus on resident choice of activities and meals – instead, eldercare leaders must work to foster a true community of citizen-residents who have real ownership and responsibility over what happens in their assisted living community or nursing home.
Vitale-Aussem dives into CLC’s experience with the citizenship model, and how fostering a culture that mirrors a neighborhood or town – with all of the shared challenges and collective problem-solving that comes with it – can bring true empowerment and purpose to elders in any care setting.
Explore the tenets of the citizenship model: https://www.pioneernetwork.net/can-we-talk-a-culture-of-citizenship/
Check out Jill’s book, “Disrupting the Status Quo in Senior Living: A Mindshift”: https://www.amazon.com/Disrupting-Status-Quo-Senior-Living/dp/1938870824
Show notes/call to action:
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
The pandemic threw a harsh light on the lack of autonomy that far too many people experience when receiving care in an institutional setting, and supporting resident choice and decision-making ability has become an important area of reform action.
Jill Vitale-Aussem, president and CEO of Christian Living Communities, argues that it’s not enough to focus on resident choice of activities and meals – instead, eldercare leaders must work to foster a true community of citizen-residents who have real ownership and responsibility over what happens in their assisted living community or nursing home.
Vitale-Aussem dives into CLC’s experience with the citizenship model, and how fostering a culture that mirrors a neighborhood or town – with all of the shared challenges and collective problem-solving that comes with it – can bring true empowerment and purpose to elders in any care setting.
Explore the tenets of the citizenship model: https://www.pioneernetwork.net/can-we-talk-a-culture-of-citizenship/
Check out Jill’s book, “Disrupting the Status Quo in Senior Living: A Mindshift”: https://www.amazon.com/Disrupting-Status-Quo-Senior-Living/dp/1938870824
Show notes/call to action:
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Frequently lost in the debates over nursing home reform is an uncomfortable fact: the federal and state governments spend billions on care in outdated, understaffed institutions that don’t always put residents’ needs first, and we’re all collectively getting what we’re paying for.
By better aligning reimbursements with the factors that matter most to residents, families, and staff – private rooms, elder-directed programming, and sufficient wages and benefits – officials can change the long-term care landscape without necessarily changing a single regulation.
Laci Cornelison of Kansas State University’s Center on Aging has been at the forefront of the push to link nursing home performance with reimbursement in her state. The Kansas PEAK 2.0 Project, for which Cornelison serves as coordinator, offers a blueprint for how other states and the federal government can incentivize change – and disincentivize the old broken model.
Learn more about the Kansas PEAK program: https://kdads.ks.gov/kdads-commissions/long-term-services-supports/peak
Explore the IMPROVE Nursing Homes Act: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/press-releases/green-house-pioneer-applaud-the-improve-nursing-homes-act/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Susan Ryan and Alex Spanko discuss a pair of interviews with care professionals conducted at the recent Pioneer Network conference.
First up, Lauren Flores – director of life enrichment at Green House adopter Mt. San Antonio Gardens in Pomona, Calif. – discusses her path from Disney to eldercare, and why she thinks more people should consider a pathway into working with elders.
Then, CNA Jonas Weitzman – better known to people on long-term care Twitter as @BigWrinkles – traces his journey from a job at a tech startup to caregiving at nursing homes during the pandemic.
Far too often, discussions about the “workforce crisis” in long-term care do not include the voices of the caregivers themselves, and we hope this episode offers a valuable window into what the very best caregivers need and want to stay and thrive in the sector.
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Organizations in all industries have embraced the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their operations – but how can eldercare organizations go beyond trainings and workshops to create truly inclusive cultures?
We asked that question to a variety of leaders at the Pioneer Network conference this past July. Join an all-star team of voices from across the eldercare spectrum for a challenging, honest, and open conversation about the barriers that people of color, LGTBQ folks, and others still face when taking a seat at the table – and how we can work to make our communities welcome to all.
You’ll hear from:
- Marvell Adams, Jr., founder and CEO of W Lawson and Green House Project board member
- Deke Cateau, CEO of A.G. Rhodes
- Ykeytta Spriggs, HR professional, Green House intern, and rising eldercare leader
- Sherrill Wayland, director of special initiatives at SAGE and program lead for the Long-Term Care Equality Index (LEI)
- Dan Stewart, associate director of the Aging Equality Project at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and LEI program co-lead
Learn about the Long-Term Care Equality Index: https://thelei.org/the-lei
Connect with Marvell Adams, Jr.: https://www.wlawsoncompany.com/
Read Brush Fire, Deke Cateau’s book about his experiences at A.G. Rhodes during COVID: https://www.amazon.com/Brush-Fire-Covid-19-Nursing-Homes/dp/1638606692
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
The voices from the Pioneer Network conference continue to speak as Alex Spanko and Penny Cook break down a pair of interviews focusing on the need for inherent humanity – and not just medical care – in eldercare settings.
First up, Paul Falkowski discusses his advocacy for the vital role of nursing home volunteers, unsung heroes and lifelines for elders who were among those shut out of buildings during the pandemic. Paul challenges providers to see volunteers not just as extra hands for tasks but critical companions for elders who don’t always interact with people outside of their caregiving teams.
Then Vicki DeKlerk-Rubin discusses validation training, the groundbreaking dementia care framework originally developed by her mother, Naomi Feil. Instead of challenging or scolding people with dementia for exhibiting aggression or confusion, validation training equips caregivers with tools designed to make elders feel heard, accepted, and understood.
Falkowski and DeKlerk-Rubin have different roles in person-directed care, but they have the same mission: caring for the whole person, not just a set of symptoms.
Learn more about Falkowski’s work with VolunCheerLeader: https://voluncheerleader.com/
Explore the history and principles of validation training: https://vfvalidation.org/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
In this edition of “Let Me Say This About That” we focus our discussion on health care innovations, a closer look at employees in skilled nursing and a new term for those team members – CAREFORCE, and why a formal alliance between the Green House Project and the Pioneer Network will be a single address for eldercare transformation.
This episode features:-Inside the Green House Project-Pioneer Network Alliance
Penny Cook (Episode 152)
-
Keep Learning, Keep Growing, Keep Thriving
Louis Woolf (Episode 153) -
Respect, Wages, Education: Paying It Forward for CNAs
Lori Porter (Episode 154) -
Beyond EAPs: Building the Mental Health Support Pyramid
Kelly O’Shea Carney (Episode 155)
Learn more about Collage 360: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5627496/pdf/nihms854820.pdf
Take the Image of Aging Quiz: https://becca-levy.com/quiz/
Read more about Disseminating Innovations in Health Care: http://www.jvsmedicscorner.com/Miscellaneous_files/Disseminating%20innovation.pdf
Register for the conference in Denver! https://www.pioneernetwork.net/pioneering-a-new-culture-of-aging-2022-conference
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
During COVID, many long-term care organizations have leaned heavily on employee assistance programs (EAPs) to support employee mental health. While these programs are valuable, psychologist and consultant Kelly O’Shea Carney passionately argues that EAPs are just the tip of a pyramid of services and systems that providers must implement to truly foster mental wellbeing among residents and staff.
One-on-one interventions offered through one's employer can seem daunting for employees in any profession. Carney, a specialist in geropsychology and dementia care, joins the podcast to discuss the more natural ways that organizations can provide mental health services, from facilitating support groups for frontline staff and developing a culture where self-care is as important as resident care and regulatory compliance.
Carney – whose career in eldercare includes a stint as the executive director of Phoebe Ministries’ Center for Excellence in Dementia Care – challenges providers to embrace the fact that every long-term care setting is a living, breathing community of humans, and caring for workers is a vital part of caring for elders.
Read Carney’s recent article on strategies for creating wellbeing in health care settings: https://www.chausa.org/publications/health-progress/article/winter-2022/reducing-stress-and-fostering-well-being-among-health-care-staff
Learn about Carney’s book on the vital need for better mental health supports for elders and workers in long-term care: https://www.amazon.com/Transforming-Long-Term-Care-Expanded-Professionals/dp/1433823667
Register for Pioneer Network’s conference in Denver, July 27-30, your one chance to see Green House in person this year https://www.pioneernetwork.net/pioneering-a-new-culture-of-aging-2022-conference
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
When Lori Porter was a young CNA, she relied on the support – both moral and financial – of others to access the training she needed to advance her career.
As the co-founder and CEO of the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA), Porter has dedicated decades of her career to providing those opportunities for training and advancement to CNAs across the country.
Ahead of CNA Week 2022, Porter returns to “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss her top priorities for advancing the profession – a mission that recently received a huge boost from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics, which called for empowerment of CNAs as a top area of overall systemic reform.
Porter’s experience as both a CNA and advocate brings an invaluable perspective often missing from the nursing home reform discourse, and her passion for the professionals who serve at the bedside is both an inspiration and a bold call to action.
Listen to Lori’s first appearance on “Elevate Eldercare” from March 2021: https://greenhouseproject.libsyn.com/passion-and-fortitude-stories-from-a-cna-activist
Learn how to sponsor CNA memberships in NAHCA: https://www.nahcacna.org/champion-membership/
Access NAHCA’s toolkit for celebrating CNA Week: https://www.nahcacna.org/cna-week/
Register for our conference with Pioneer Network in Denver July 27-30!
https://www.pioneernetwork.net/pioneering-a-new-culture-of-aging-2022-conference
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Before he was the CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife, Louis Woolf’s career started in consumer research, where he worked with Children’s Television Workshop – the creators of “Sesame Street.”
Those children’s TV visionaries taught him a valuable lesson that he carries with him today: Whether it’s young children, elders, people with disabilities, or other often marginalized groups, we do society a disservice when we assume that certain kinds of people can’t learn, grow, and contribute to the world around them.
Woolf takes that commitment to ongoing growth seriously. Hebrew SeniorLife’s home health and senior living programs challenge elders to set goals and stay active in their communities and passions – a philosophy that allows elders to thrive instead of simply managing their health conditions, with many residents even going in “reverse” from higher-acuity to lower-acuity settings.
Woolf joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss his organization’s care strategy, as well as its creative strategy to bring more affordable – and more integrated – independent living options to more elders, regardless of income or health needs.
Learn more about Hebrew SeniorLife: https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org/
Register for our upcoming in-person conference with Pioneer Network in Denver, July 27-30! https://www.pioneernetwork.net/pioneering-a-new-culture-of-aging-2022-conference
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Since we announced a formal alliance with Pioneer Network this spring, we’ve gotten a lot of questions: Why now? What will happen to the Pioneer brand? What are your plans for the future?
In this bonus episode, Pioneer Network CEO Penny Cook joins Susan Ryan for answers to those questions and more – including an exploration of Pioneer and GHP’s overlapping histories and a preview of our shared event in Denver July 27-30.
In short, we’re trying to build a single address for eldercare transformation, a place where organizations and individual changemakers can find all the resources and support they need to go beyond the status quo in long-term care.
Listen in and join us on our journey!
Learn more about the mission and history of Pioneer Network: https://www.pioneernetwork.net/
Register for the conference in Denver! https://www.pioneernetwork.net/pioneering-a-new-culture-of-aging-2022-conference
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
As we close out Older Americans Month, “Elevate Eldercare” takes a wider look at the societal problem of ageism with Paul Irving, the former president of the Milken Institute and the founding chair of its Center for the Future of Aging.
Irving, now a senior fellow at the institute, shares his bold vision of a future where people are just as excited at the prospect of aging as they are by other life milestones like college, marriage, and parenthood.
Join us for a challenging and thought-provoking conversation on how we can build a world where aging means continuing to learn, grow, and contribute – and where we stop asking people what the want to be when they grow up, and instead ask them what they want to do when they’re old.
Learn more about the Center for the Future of Aging at the Milken Institute: https://milkeninstitute.org/centers/center-for-the-future-of-aging
Explore Encore, an organization that encourages intergenerational collaboration: www.encore.org
Join us at Pioneer Network’s annual conference in Denver, July 27-30: https://www.pioneernetwork.net/pioneering-a-new-culture-of-aging-2022-conference
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
As soon as Larry Carlson saw a CNN piece about a unique dementia village in the Netherlands, he knew he had to see it for himself – and once he did, he knew he had to bring the model to his organization back home in New Jersey.
Carlson, the CEO of United Methodist Communities, joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss the groundbreaking project, which will feature single-family-sized homes, neighborhood amenities like a grocery store and bistro, and a farm with live animals.
The goal is to honor elders’ autonomy and independence no matter their cognitive abilities – a goal that often isn’t always neatly aligned with current regulations regarding assisted living communities.
Carlson provides an in-depth look at how organizations can proactively work with regulators and other stakeholders to break out of the institutional model for elders and others who require communal care.
Learn more about UMC’s planned new community: https://umcommunities.org/enclave/
Join us at Pioneer Network’s conference in Denver July 27-30! https://www.pioneernetwork.net/pioneering-a-new-culture-of-aging-2022-conference
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
In honor of National Nurses Week, we convened an all-star panel of nurses from the Green House and Pioneer Network communities to discuss the vital role that RNs, LPNs, and other nursing professionals play in truly driving culture change in long-term care.
You’ll hear real-life examples of how nurses can take small steps that lead to big quality-of-life improvements for elders and people living with disabilities. Nurses already have a natural desire to help others and provide comfort – and with the right leadership and guidance, nurses can form the bedrock of an elder-directed culture at nursing homes and other communal eldercare settings.
Nurses aren’t just pill-distributors and vitals-takers; they’re the eyes, ears, and heart of an organization that can provide the personal connections that make all the difference for elders and families alike.
Today’s panel consists of:
Ivy Gordon-Thompson, Director of Nursing at Green House adopter community John Knox Village
Lora Perryman, LPN, Staff Nurse at Green House adopter community Poydras Home
Joan Devine, Director of Education, Pioneer Network
Marla DeVries, Chief Learning Officer, The Green House Project
Carol DuMond-Stryker, Project Coach, The Green House Project
Learn more about the Pioneer Network conference, which we’re encouraging all friends of Green House to attend!
https://www.pioneernetwork.net/pioneering-a-new-culture-of-aging-2022-conference
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
The New Jewish Home has been serving elders in New York City since before the Civil War, but CEO Jeffrey Farber knows that even an organization with that kind of longevity needs constant innovation to survive into the future.
For more than 15 years, the Jewish Home’s Geriatrics Career Development (GCD) program has given teens and young adults in Manhattan and the Bronx the chance to gain practical experience – and certification – in the eldercare field. The benefits aren’t just practical for the Jewish Home, which has hired countless graduates from the program, but for the participants themselves, who boast a 99% high school graduation rate.
Farber sat down with Susan Ryan to discuss the benefits of the GCD program, as well as the Jewish Home’s partnership with The Green House Project to develop a post-acute Center for Excellence – building on momentum gained through GHP’s previous cultural transformation work at the Jewish Home’s Sarah Neuman campus.
Learn more about the GCD program: https://jewishhome.org/about-us/geriatrics-career-development/
Watch a local news segment on the GCD program: https://vimeo.com/463872676?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=19321718
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
In this edition of “Let Me Say This About That” we focus on innovation and how to make substantive change – from the perspective of those that are doing it, those that support organizations to make change, and those that research and have the 30-thousand-foot view. AND it’s all focused around the report released this month from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that contains some bold recommendations for nursing homes.
This episode features:-Going Beyond Good Enough for Elders and Workers
Barry Berman and Betsy Mullen (Episode 144)-Dismantling Institutional culture in Long-Term Care
Sonya Barsness (Episode 145)-A Comprehensive Roadmap for Meaningful Reform in Nursing Homes
David Grabowski (Episode 146)Learn more about the NASEM recommendations: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/26526/Nursing_Homes_Recommendations.pdf
Read the STAT article: https://www.statnews.com/2022/04/06/nursing-home-care-ineffective-inefficient-inequitable-fragmented-unsustainable/
Read more about Certificate of Need process: https://www.nashp.org/50-state-scan-of-state-certificate-of-need-programs/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
During this pandemic there has been a trusted and credible voice that has used data to shine a light on the urgent need for comprehensive nursing home reform in this country – and that voice is Dr. David Grabowski.
Dr. Grabowski is a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School and has published over 200 peer-reviewed research articles. He has often been called upon by government agencies to be a technical advisor, or to sit on committees and lend his expertise when nursing homes are at the center of an issue.
In today’s episode Dr. Grabowski discusses his work with the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine committee which recently released their findings on nursing homes after an 18-month review process. Dr. Grabowski unpacks the report and his perspective on the recommendations.
If you’ve been looking for the best way to use your voice in this nursing home reform effort – this is the episode for you!
Review the recommendations from The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/26526/Nursing_Homes_Recommendations.pdf
Click here to read an article on the report: https://www.statnews.com/2022/04/06/nursing-home-care-ineffective-inefficient-inequitable-fragmented-unsustainable/
Click here for the full report: https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/the-quality-of-care-in-nursing-homes
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
When The Green House Project talks about bringing an end to the institutional nursing home, we don’t just mean the outdated, hospital-like buildings where so many elders live: We also mean the institutional culture that dehumanizes real people by treating them solely as collections of symptoms to manage.
Sonya Barsness describes her role as a revisionary gerontologist, someone who challenges the institutional structure of nursing homes that exist only because we’ve always done things that way. In her work as a lecturer at Georgetown University and her own company, Sonya Barsness Consulting, she encourages individuals and organizations to build caring communities around people, not brute-force efficiency. It’s not just good for elders, she argues; it’s vital for developing the next generation of caregivers and leaders amid an historic workforce crisis.
Barsness joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss her own personal experience fighting the institutional urge, as well as her prescriptions for building truly elder-directed care options for the future.
Read Sonya’s blog post bidding farewell to the traditional nursing home: http://sbcgerontology.com/blog.html
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
For years, Barry Berman and Betsy Mullen thought they’d built the best possible nursing home – to the point where people came from all over to see their state-of-the-art nurses’ stations and efficient meal distribution.
But then Barry’s own mother needed nursing home care at their facility, and he saw firsthand how quickly even the best institutional setting can take a physical and emotional toll on an elder.
That experience inspired Barry to explore the Green House model, and today, he and Betsy can’t believe they ever provided care any other way.
Listen in to learn how these executive leaders made the Leonard Florence Center for Living, part of Chelsea Jewish Lifecare, a place where elders and people with disabilities don’t just survive but thrive – and a place where staff members feel so valued that they’ve never had to use temporary agency workers.
Watch the video of the Leonard Florence Center’s skydiving trip for people living with ALS and MS: https://vimeo.com/25932889
Sign up for our Deeper Dive Webinar Series, where Barry and Betsy will speak more in-depth on their workforce recruitment and retention success: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/projects/2022-deep-dive-webinar-series-workforce-success-stories/?portfolioCats=1162
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
As the CEO of an eldercare organization and the chair of LeadingAge’s board, Carol Silver Elliott faced a pair of daunting leadership challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic – and emerged as a shining example of strength under extreme pressure and tragedy.
As we close out Women’s History Month, we wanted to shine a light on the unique challenges that women in leadership roles face in the eldercare landscape. More than 40% respondents to a recent Ziegler survey of female eldercare leaders said they felt burnt out and considered a career change in the wake of the pandemic. But on the other hand, 68% reported having strong peer networks that helped them endure the pandemic, and 60% felt more optimistic than they did a year ago.
Silver Elliott describes the strategies, peers, and loved ones who helped her keep a level head during the most trying time the sector has ever faced – while also laying out the emotional and mental health initiatives that she and her team employed to support staff members from all levels of the organization.
As the rest of the world continues to move on from COVID, maintaining strong leadership will become even more vital for eldercare leaders, and Silver Elliott provides a clear blueprint for staying calm amid a still-raging storm.
Catch up on Silver Elliott’s blogging for the Times of Israel: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/carol-silver-elliott/
Read more about the Ziegler Women in Leadership survey: https://www.mcknightsseniorliving.com/home/news/burned-out-these-senior-living-leaders-suggest-meditation-wine-and-dogs/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
March of every year is declared “National Women’s Month”. The National Women’s History Alliance designates a yearly theme for Women’s History Month…and this year it is “Women Providing, Healing, Promoting Hope”. This theme is “both a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history.”
In this edition of “Let Me Say This About That” we highlight three women that have spent their careers working to provide the best possible care and environment for people living in skilled nursing.
Dr. Alexis McKenzie:- Who Cares for the Caregivers? (Episode 139)
Jane Rohne:- Emphasizing the Living in Senior Living (Episode 140)
Dr. Eleanor Feldman Barbera:- Building Morals into Long-Term Care (Episode 141)
Marla and Mary explore PTSD, what it is and what are the signs you may be experiencing it. We discuss mindfulness and how to meditate. Have you heard of Reiki? Alexis is a Reiki Master – we look at what it is and its health benefits for people. We also discuss why physical and mental health should receive equal attention and training in skilled nursing.
Learn more about PTSD: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
Learn more about how to meditate: https://www.mindful.org/how-to-meditate/
Learn more about Reiki: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/reiki/#:~:text=Reiki%20is%20an%20energy%20healing,your%20energy%20to%20support%20healing.
Read more Physical and Mental Health-research article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2981653/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Amid the current national debate over new nursing home regulations, Dr. Eleanor Feldman Barbera presents a provocative reframing of the system-wide problems in long-term care.
A psychologist who specializes in mental health care for older adults, particularly those who live in nursing homes, Feldman Barbera lays out a distinction between dysfunction and amorality in nursing homes – in part inspired by her experiences seeing the negative changes that occur when for-profit providers take over facilities from smaller, more mission-driven organizations.
It's one thing to help people navigate a dysfunctional system. But when caregivers feel as though they are being asked to do amoral things – for instance, make care decisions based more on profit than science – they lose hope and the will to effect change.
In this wide-ranging interview, Feldman Barbera talks about her experience working in nursing homes during COVID – including the real need to treat the mental health issues that she and her fellow care providers developed in the wake of the pandemic – and her vision for a more humane and moral LTC system.
Read Dr. Feldman Barbera’s blog: https://eleanorfeldmanbarbera.com/blog/
Learn more about the Sleepover Project: https://www.mcknights.com/blogs/the-world-according-to-dr-el/ltc-leaders-gain-remarkable-insights-from-the-sleepover-project/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Jane Rohde’s career in senior living architecture and design is based on a simple but often overlooked truth: What’s good for elders is also what’s good for everyone.
Our needs don’t change as we age, and Rohde joins “Elevate Eldercare” to challenge our idea of what senior living can and should look like – particularly, the notion that real answers to challenges in eldercare can be found by focusing on the living part of senior living.
As the founder of senior living design firm JSR Associates and Live Together – a non-profit focused on developing intergenerational communities that benefit both elders and young people classified as at risk – Rohde is a firm believer in the idea that environment, care, and quality of life are all connected. Listen in for some bold ideas that redefine the bedrock principles of senior living!
Learn more about Live Together: https://www.livetogethercommunity.org/
Connect with JSR Associates: http://www.jsrassociates.net/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
The solutions to the workforce crisis in long-term care are complex and systemic, from better wages to battling deep-seated biases to inspiring young people to see caregiving as a career. But what about the immediate challenges facing the current cohort of caregivers – the people who, often at the expense of their own physical and mental health, keep working to keep elders and others safe and comfortable?
Alexis McKenzie, a longtime eldercare leader and current consultant to nursing homes and assisted living communities, joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss strategies for easing caregiver stress – primarily by encouraging them to set aside time to direct that caregiving instinct inward.
Drawing on her professional experiences working with elders living with Alzheimer’s, as well as her personal story of recovery from a stroke, McKenzie challenges us all to embrace each day with gratitude, while also giving ourselves the grace to recharge.
Learn more about Jon Kabat-Zinn’s definition of mindfulness: https://www.mindful.org/everyday-mindfulness-with-jon-kabat-zinn/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
We continue our new format for “Let Me Say This About That” – highlighting all of the podcasts released in the month in one episode.
In February three podcasts were released:- Reframing Dementia and Caregiving for the Future
(Episode 135)- Editing the Genetics of Alzheimer’s
(Episode 136) - Getting Closer to Home with Marvell Adams, Jr.
(Episode 137)
This week on “Let Me Say This About That”, we highlight the key concepts and explore the overarching themes between all of the podcasts. In this episode we discuss S.P.I.C.E.S. – Quaker principles and how they apply to organizations, the concept of belonging, epigenetics, the stigma of Alzheimer’s and a new frame for the all-important role of the caregiver.
Learn more about the writings of Dr. Karlawish: https://www.jasonkarlawish.com/writings
Learn more about Quaker Principles – S.P.I.C.E.S. https://www.kendal.org/quaker-values-and-their-relevance-today/
Read more about Dementia Action Alliance & Aducanumab: https://daanow.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Discussion-Points-About-CMS-Draft-Decision-on-Monoclonal-Antibodies-1.pdf
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Marvell Adams, Jr. has built his career in non-profit senior services on a desire to bring the traditional spaces associated with eldercare – the nursing home, the assisted living facility – closer to home. But creating a home isn’t as simple as building a structure. It’s a deliberate act of fostering an environment where everyone feels included, supported, and valued.
For an organization like The Kendal Corporation, where Adams serves as chief operating officer, that means always remembering that quality care is based on people serving other people. For Adams, it also means tackling society’s most pervasive -isms – racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, and more – through the lens of belonging. It’s not enough for organizations to achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion goals through the addition of individual people; it’s about making those individuals feel as though they truly belong.
Adams – who recently joined The Green House Project’s board of directors – joins “Elevate Eldercare” for a powerful and challenging discussion of his experiences as a Black leader in an industry whose executive ranks are dominated by white people. Adams shares a bold vision for an eldercare landscape, from the boardroom to the home, where everyone belongs.
Learn more about The Kendal Corporation’s strategies for fostering diversity: https://www.kendal.org/about-kendal/kendal-values/welcoming-diversity/
Read Marvell’s firsthand experience with confronting racism in the industry: https://www.seniorlivingforesight.net/ugliness-at-leadingage/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Dr. Ornit Chiba-Falek’s work as an Alzheimer’s researcher sounds almost like science fiction – but it’s real. At the Duke University School of Medicine, Chiba-Falek and her colleagues are probing the ways that science can essentially turn off the specific DNA sequences that can lead to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
The science is still in its early stages, but Chiba-Falek is optimistic that her work will eventually lead to new targeted therapies for people living with dementia. There may never be a silver bullet cure for every person, but by learning more about the different ways our DNA affects our risk, Chiba-Falek and her team are laying the groundwork for the next generation of treatments.
Chiba-Falek joins “Elevate Eldercare,” along with former Green House Project intern and current Duke student Meghna Datta, to discuss her work and the present state of Alzheimer’s treatment, including the controversial new drug aducanumab.
Learn about Chiba-Falek’s work at Duke: https://neurology.duke.edu/research/lab-and-translational-research/ornit-chiba-falek-phd
Explore Chiba-Falek’s gene therapy startup, CLAIRIgene: http://clairigene.com/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Amid the gradual aging of the American population, there’s never been more awareness about Alzheimer’s and other dementias – but the stigmas and misconceptions have also persisted alongside this public knowledge, even among well-meaning people.
At the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Memory Center, Dr. Jason Karlawish and his colleagues take a holistic approach to caring for people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia; as a medical ethicist and author, he also probes the ways that society devalues caregiving as a vital role, while also treating elders with cognitive decline as “others.”
Karlawish joins Susan Ryan for a provocative discussion about Alzheimer’s and dementia not just as diseases, but as social constructs: Why was losing one’s sense of agency and self-reliance considered a natural part of aging, and not a disease, until relatively recently in human history? Why do we view family caregivers as housekeepers or visitors instead of crucial supports who can help people with dementia live more fulfilling lives – the way wheelchairs and other mobility aids allow those with physical disabilities to navigate the world more freely?
The answers to those questions will only become more vital as policymakers continue to debate eldercare reforms – and as new generations of both familial and professional caregivers look to improve the lives of America’s elders.
Learn about the Penn Memory Center and its philosophy on care: https://pennmemorycenter.org/who-we-are/
Read about Karlawish’s recent book, “The Problem of Alzheimer’s”: https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-250-21873-5
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
It’s a new year and we’ve got a new format for “Let Me Say This About That” – instead of highlighting just one Elevate Eldercare podcast, we will discuss all of the podcasts released in the month.
In January four podcasts were released:-COVID 2022: Hope and Reality with Dr. William Haseltine
(Episode 130)-Building a True Eldercare System with Rep. Jan Schakowsky
(Episode 131)- “Be Kind and Be Useful”: Finding Common Ground in Eldercare Reform
(Episode 132)-Overcoming Inertia in Eldercare Reform
(Episode 133)
This week on “Let Me Say This About That”, we highlight the key concepts and explore the overarching themes between all of the podcasts. We discuss collaboration, leading from where you are and why each of our voices can make a difference!
Learn more about collaboration and work: https://pingboard.com/blog/collaboration-in-the-workplace/
Read the newly released article – AARP Public Policy Institute on Empowered Direct Care Worker – Lessons from the Green House Staffing Model: https://www.aarp.org/ppi/info-2022/ltss-choices-empowered-direct-care-worker.html
Read more about Evidence-Based Practice: https://hbr.org/2019/08/4-ways-to-make-evidence-based-practice-the-norm-in-health-care
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
As a longtime advocate for better eldercare options, Susan Reinhard knows that calls for change will always be met with tough resistance from those invested in the status quo. Her advice? Be tougher.
Reinhard, the director of AARP’s Public Policy Institute, joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss her work as a collector and promoter of hard data that can bolster advocacy for eldercare reform. A nurse, educator, policy expert, and researcher, Reinhard draws on a host of different perspectives while providing empirical evidence to support AARP’s top legislative and regulatory goals.
From workforce shortages to a lack of comprehensive home health coverage to woefully outdated nursing facilities, the challenges facing eldercare reformers are numerous and complex. But Reinhard reminds us that just as society created the nursing home, forward-thinking leaders can create something better with the right combination of hard data, sound policy, and persistence.
Explore the AARP Public Policy Institute’s research: https://www.aarp.org/ppi/
View the Public Policy Institute’s Nursing Home COVID Dashboard: https://www.aarp.org/ppi/issues/caregiving/info-2020/nursing-home-covid-dashboard.html
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Laura Tamblyn Watts has a mantra for her work in eldercare reform: Be kind and be useful.
The temperature around long-term care reform debates can often rise into rancor – understandably so, given the abuse and death that too often occurs in the setting, particularly in the wake of COVID. But Tamblyn Watts believes that we’ll collectively go farther if we operate with the understanding that so many of us, no matter our exact ideas about the future, believe in the same thing: a completely transformed eldercare landscape and a world free of abuse and neglect.
She joined “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss her work as president and CEO of CanAge, a Canadian organization that seeks to unify and amplify the voices of those calling for change in long-term care.
While there are some differences between the challenges in the U.S. and in Canada, we found there were a lot more opportunities for collaboration and mutual understanding – and being kind and useful knows no national border.
Read CanAge’s master plan – “Voices of Canada’s Seniors” – and learn more about the organization:https://www.canage.ca/voices-overview/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Among the many long-simmering problems that COVID-19 revealed in long-term care, a lack of coordination among providers and leaders may be one of the trickiest to solve – but Rep. Jan Schakowsky believes it’s possible with collaboration and a groundswell of grassroots action.
Schakowsky, who represents Chicago and its suburbs, joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss the concrete steps that leaders can take to improve nursing homes while also expanding in-home care options – and ensuring that caregivers across all settings receive the pay increases and benefits they deserve.
Though the United States may not have a unified eldercare system now, creating an integrated network of services and supports is vital to honoring the lessons of the pandemic. We look forward to working with Rep. Schakowsky to make this goal a reality!
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Read about the remarkable life of Timuel Black, the Chicago professor, civil rights activist, and historian who Rep. Schakowsky mentioned in her interview. Professor Black died in October 2021 at the age of 102.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/17/us/timuel-black-dead.html
To kick off yet another uncertain year, “Elevate Eldercare” welcomes back Dr. William Haseltine for a dose of both hard reality and hope for managing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In the first part of the interview, conducted in late October, Dr. Haseltine – a renowned expert on virology and infectious disease – accurately predicted the ongoing risk that new variants will present to health care providers and officials around the globe. With a mixture of warning and optimism, Dr. Haseltine clearly broke down the strategies that will and will not work to contain this virus, along with the silver linings that can continue to sustain us through another uncertain winter: new antiviral treatments, workable blueprints for change, and the world-changing technological breakthroughs that will provide relief during COVID and future health crises.
In the second part, recorded in mid-December, Dr. Haseltine offers specific commentary and guidance around the omicron variant, which emerged in the relatively short window of time between interviews. As he did in October, Dr. Haseltine cautions individuals and leaders alike that vaccines alone cannot stop this pandemic – and that we all must continue to serve as our collective brothers’ keepers to prevent more illness and death.
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Learn more about Dr. Haseltine’s organization, Access Health International: https://accessh.org/
In this last episode of the year, Susan Ryan and Alex Spanko look back at some of the guests and ideas that stuck with the entire Green House Project team from the “Elevate Eldercare” podcast in 2021.
From the importance of inclusion in eldercare settings to the need for collaborative and transformative change, the leaders who joined the podcast this past year brought bold visions for the future rooted in their diverse experiences working in the field.
The end of the year often comes with an urge to look forward – but with new COVID variants ensuring that this pandemic will have no definitive end, it’s more important than ever to look back at the lessons learned to inform the hard work ahead.
Finally, this episode concludes with the voices that are so often unheard in discussions of long-term care reform: the frontline caregivers who work tirelessly to serve elders all year round.
Catch up on all our past podcasts at www.thegreenhouseproject.org/podcast
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
This week we have another inspirational woman to highlight on “Let Me Say This About That” – Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former Surgeon General of the United States and current Green House Project board member. Get ready for a wonderful discussion of her trailblazing life and career, and another “barrier-breaking” physician that inspired Dr. Elders. You will be in awe of their accomplishments and the impact they made on the delivery of healthcare.
Dr. Elders’s drive and talents took her from a childhood in poverty to the heights of federal influence, serving as the first Black surgeon general in American history – while also powerfully living her mother’s advice to always speak out and tell the truth, no matter the personal cost.
In this episode we also explore the position of the Surgeon General of the United States and the history behind the office. Plus, a discussion on Dr. Elders advice to leaders today.
Please note: In keeping with Dr. Elders’s mantra of speaking out, be advised that this episode contains some frank language during discussions of racism and sexual health.
Learn more about America’s Women Physicians: https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/
Learn more about U. S. Surgeon General position: https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/about/history/index.html
Explore Dr. Elders’s full biography: https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physicians/biography_98.html
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
This week, “Elevate Eldercare” has the true honor of welcoming former U.S. surgeon general and current Green House Project board member Dr. Joycelyn Elders for a discussion of her trailblazing life and career.
Dr. Elders’s drive and talents took her from a childhood in poverty to the heights of federal influence, serving as the first Black surgeon general in American history – while also powerfully living her mother’s advice to always speak out and tell the truth, no matter the personal cost.
With humor and refreshing honesty, Dr. Elders shares her perspectives on racism, sexism, and all the other -isms that continue to shape the way health care is provided in the United States. As an elder herself, she also provides insights into what she might want out of the U.S. eldercare landscape, and how supports and services might fit into her still-busy life as a widely sought-after and admired public health expert.
In keeping with Dr. Elders’s mantra of speaking out, be advised that this episode contains some frank language during discussions of racism and sexual health.
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Read more about Dr. Elders’s book, “From Sharecropper’s Daughter to Surgeon General of the United States of America” https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-688-14722-8
Explore Dr. Elders’s full biography: https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physicians/biography_98.html
Dr. Edith Eger’s life took her from unimaginable despair to peace and a calling to help others.
As a teenager, Dr. Eger survived the Nazi concentration camps – and the murder of her parents – by relying on her inner strength to remember that she was still a valuable human being despite the indignities and evil imposed upon her. She then went on to build an influential body of work as a psychologist specializing in trauma, encouraging others to find that same strength within during life’s disappointments, heartbreaks, and abuses.
This week on “Let Me Say This About That”, we explore her unique and powerful perspective on grief, hope, and forgiveness. We call them “Eger-isms” and offer why they resonated in our lives today. You’ll learn a bit more about Dr. Eger’s background and we’ll highlight a few select quotes from her book “The Choice”. Marla also discusses Logotherapy, developed by Victor Frankl – an important friend in Dr. Eger’s life.
Learn more about Dr. Eger’s life and work: https://dreditheger.com/
Read more about LogoTherapy: https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/logotherapy
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
The arc of Dr. Edith Eger’s life took her from unimaginable despair to peace and a calling to help others. This week, she joins “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss her unique and powerful perspective on grief, hope, and forgiveness – as well as the continued need to fight ignorance and hatred with love and understanding.
As a teenager, Dr. Eger survived the Nazi concentration camps – and the murder of her parents – by relying on her inner strength to remember that she was still a valuable human being despite the indignities and evil imposed upon her. She then went on to build an influential body of work as a psychologist specializing in trauma, encouraging others to find that same strength within during life’s disappointments, heartbreaks, and abuses.
In this deeply moving conversation, Dr. Eger shares her story and her outlook on enduring difficult times to find the peace and the good in yourself and others while also rejecting hate: When you change your thinking, you can change everything.
Learn more about Dr. Eger’s life and work: https://dreditheger.com/
Read an excerpt from Dr. Eger’s latest book, “The Gift”: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8633477/She-survived-Auschwitz-92-Dr-EDITH-EGER-says-Learn-love-life.html
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
This Thanksgiving week, “Elevate Eldercare” hands the mic over to three dedicated caregivers from the Green House Cottages of Homewood in Mena, Ark.
Administrator Vicki Hughes, RN Toni Lawrence, and Shahbaz/CNA Kerri Rye gather around a virtual gratitude table to discuss their reasons for working in eldercare, the power of the Green House model for staff and elders alike, and how caregivers can creatively balance pandemic safety with the need for unstructured social events and interactions.
As the sector continues to sort out ways to solve workforce shortages and improve care in nursing homes, it’s vitally important to take a break from big-picture debates and let the selfless professionals who work with elders every day tell their stories.
The Green House Project thanks Vicki, Toni, and Kerri for sharing their unique perspectives – and we thank all of the frontline caregivers and support staff who will spend this holiday season working around the clock to keep elders healthy, safe, and empowered to live a full life no matter their physical or cognitive abilities.
Learn more about the Green House Cottages of Homewood: https://www.homewoodghc.com/
https://www.facebook.com/The-Green-House-Cottages-of-Homewood-1502571206663071/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
As leaders from across the long-term care continuum continue to search for solutions to the worsening workforce shortage Robert Espinoza has a simple piece of advice: Learn more about caregivers’ challenges and solve them to help them stay in the sector. Espinoza is the vice president of policy at PHI – an eldercare workforce advocacy and research group.
In this episode of “Let Me Say This About That”, we explore the SAGE organization, where Espinoza once worked and his appreciation for what he learned about how a lifetime of discrimination affects a person. We also explore his current organization, PHI.
We hope you are ready for some interesting statistics because Marla did a deep dive into a report from PHI and found some eye-opening information behind this crippling workforce scarcity.
We wrap up with some recommendations on how to help alleviate the workforce shortage and wonder if “this is the moment” when real action can take place for direct care workers.
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Learn more about Caring for the Future – The Power and Potential of America’s Direct Care Workforce: https://phinational.org/resource/caring-for-the-future-the-power-and-potential-of-americas-direct-care-workforce/
Read Federal Policy Priorities for Direct Care Workforce: https://phinational.org/resource/federal-policy-priorities-for-the-direct-care-workforce/
Read the PHI brochure: https://phinational.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/PHI-General-Brochure-2020-1.pdf
Learn more about SAGE: www.sageusa.org
As leaders from across the long-term care continuum continue to search for solutions to the worsening workforce shortage, Robert Espinoza has a simple piece of advice: Learn more about caregivers’ challenges, and solve them to help them stay in the sector.
As the vice president of policy at the eldercare workforce advocacy and research group PHI, Espinoza has a front-row seat to the litany of issues that push caregivers out of the long-term care sector or prevent them from entering in the first place: low wages, meager benefits, sexist and racist attitudes that devalue caregiving as a profession, a lack of supervision and support, and more.
Espinoza joins Susan Ryan to talk not only about the problems but the solutions – all of which start by listening to workers and trying to meet their needs so that they can continue to meet the growing need for direct care.
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Learn more about PHI: www.phinational.org
Read PHI’s latest workforce report: https://phinational.org/resource/workforce-displacement-and-re-employment-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
What might be the answer to the workforce crisis in long-term care? In this edition of “Let Me Say This About That” we explore the possibilities that Robyn Stone recently shared on Elevate Eldercare. Robyn is the senior vice president for research at non-profit provider organization LeadingAge and co-director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass-Boston.
Mary takes a closer look at the LTSS Center and the unique work that is developed by the researchers. Marla dives into a Mid-Level Manager Competency Development Guide that was created through the center.
Robyn says supervisors are the most critical linchpin for the retention of frontline team members along with a learning environment that includes coaching and nurturing. And yet, she says few organizations pay attention to this. We explore that comment and discuss why coaching is foundational in the Green House model.
Robyn also said, “I think our main challenge is mediocrity and not the really bad apples, because you can always get rid of them.” Marla will get you thinking about that statement and long-term care with a special article she found on mediocrity.
Learn more about the Mid-Level Manager Competency Guide: http://www.ltsscenter.org/resource-library/Mid_Level_Manager_Competency_Development_Guide.pdf
Read the Essay on Mediocrity: https://inside-politics.org/2012/05/21/an-essay-on-mediocrity/
Learn more about the LTTS Center: https://www.ltsscenter.org/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
With the workforce crisis in long-term care more dire than ever, providers face difficult decisions on an almost daily basis around maintaining a high level of care while managing a growing shortage of qualified candidates.
Robyn Stone – senior vice president for research at non-profit provider organization LeadingAge and co-director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass-Boston – says that the solutions to the workforce problem can’t be stopgaps. Instead of just seeking “warm bodies” to fill positions and accepting a kind of institutional mediocrity, Stone argues that leaders need to take bold steps to reimagine the eldercare workforce as we stare down a new COVID normal and the continued aging of the American population.
Stone sits down with Susan Ryan to discuss her career in long-term care from Washington to the world of academia, and why reforms need to be based in both solid research and the day-to-day reality of life on the ground for workers, elders, and their families.
Learn more about the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass-Boston: https://www.ltsscenter.org/
Follow Robyn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrRobynStone
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
This past summer, the American Bar Association overwhelmingly passed a resolution urging Congress to make private rooms and bathrooms, along with other small-home touches, a prerequisite for nursing homes to receive Medicare and Medicaid funding.
In this episode, Mary and Marla take a closer look at the work of the longtime director of the ABA’s Commission on Law and Aging, Charles Sabatino, and his conversation with Susan Ryan and Alex Spanko.
Mary gives us a closer look at the ABA Commission on Law and Aging and their mission. She also highlights the key points of the resolution. Sabatino talked about incentives, so Marla gives us a quick history lesson in the term “carrot and stick” and also discusses the research behind incentives versus punishments. Marla also digs into grassroots advocacy, and we provide information on how YOU can support the ABA resolution and be part of the change needed in long term care!
Learn more about The Power of Incentives: https://fs.blog/2017/10/bias-incentives-reinforcement/
Learn more about the ABA resolution here: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/resources/aba-private-rooms/
Learn more about Grassroots Efforts: https://www.thoughtco.com/grassroots-movement-definition-and-examples-5085222
Check out all of GHP’s advocacy efforts and learn how you can get involved: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/resources/advocacy/
Read Charlie’s article – Eight Advance Care Planning Lessons That Took Me Thirty Years to Learn: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_aging/publications/bifocal/vol_34/issue_6_august2013/8_lessons_in_30_years/
This past summer, the American Bar Association overwhelmingly passed a resolution urging Congress to make private rooms and bathrooms, along with other small-home touches, a prerequisite for nursing homes to receive Medicare and Medicaid funding.
To learn more about this attempt to overhaul the landscape by radically changing the financial incentives at play – as well as the ABA’s future plans for nursing home reform efforts— “Elevate Eldercare” welcomes Charles Sabatino, the longtime director of the ABA’s Commission on Law and Aging.
In addition to the resolution and a similar plan currently before Congress, Sabatino talks about his history with eldercare reform movements, and how he thinks progressive groups with a variety of different policy prescriptions can work together toward the common goal of real change.
Learn more about the ABA resolution here: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/resources/aba-private-rooms/
Keep up with the ABA Commission on Law and Aging: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_aging/
Check out all of GHP’s advocacy efforts and learn how you can get involved: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/resources/advocacy/
Read Charles Sabatino and Charlene Harrington’s call for structural change for long-term care: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_aging/publications/bifocal/vol-42/bifocal-vol--42-issue-6--july---august-2021-/policy-change-to-put-the-home-back-into-nursing-homes/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Research gives you a solid foundation on which you can build your ideas and opinions and in this episode of “Let Me Say This About That” we explore the work from two leading researchers in the aging sector.
University of Chicago researcher R. Tamara Konetzka, who was behind some of the earliest research into COVID-19 and nursing homes, which often generated provocative and unexpected results. And Sheryl Zimmerman, a distinguished professor at the University of North Carolina and the director of aging research at the School of Social Work – who has researched the Green House model since its inception.
In this episode, Mary and Marla take a deeper dive into the research conducted by both of these women and discuss the results. Marla also gives us a closer look at the nursing home regulations and those “F-Tags”. Mary gives us insight into the government website designed to help inform members of the public about nursing homes – what it includes and what is missing. And finally, Marla explores social support and resilience – plus a look at why systems are important and what composes the three main system categories. All topics Konetzka and Zimmerman highlighted in their comments concerning research and COVID-19.
Learn more about the Social Support and Resilience: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2921311/
Learn more about Tools of a System Thinker: https://medium.com/disruptive-design/tools-for-systems-thinkers-the-6-fundamental-concepts-of-systems-thinking-379cdac3dc6a
Read the JAMDA article: https://www.jamda.com/article/S1525-8610(21)00120-1/fulltext
Review the Nursing Home Care Compare website: https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
University of Chicago researcher R. Tamara Konetzka was behind some of the earliest research into COVID-19 and nursing homes, which often generated provocative and unexpected results: While media coverage focused on individual outbreaks and historic lapses in infection control, Konetzka’s work suggested that past quality didn’t have much of an impact on a nursing home’s pandemic risk when compared to bed counts, overall community spread, and the racial demographics of residents.
More than 18 months into the pandemic, Konetzka joins Susan Ryan and “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss how policymakers should apply those lessons learned, with a particular focus on ensuring that future emergency response plans recognize long-term care’s vital role in the overall health care delivery system – something that was missing during the early focus on hospitals as epicenters of pandemic-related support.
Konetzka also critiques the government’s longer-term responses to COVID in nursing homes in 2020 and 2021, including focused infection control surveys and performance-based bonuses for facilities that kept case counts low during certain periods. While those solutions might head off isolated issues, Konetzka argues that real reform must focus on much larger systems – as well as harder-to-measure metrics such as quality of life and patient-centered care plans.
Konetzka is the Louis Block Professor of Public Health Sciences at UChicago, where she also holds a secondary position in the Department of Medicine, Section of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine.
Check out a summary of Konetzka’s research on Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=BAjRCdAAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate
Read coverage of Konetzka’s May 2020 testimony before Congress: https://skillednursingnews.com/2020/05/no-connection-between-nursing-home-ratings-profit-status-and-covid-19-but-race-a-major-factor/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Evidence-based practices form the bedrock of quality health care services, but as we continue to seek real reforms in long-term care, Sheryl Zimmerman believes researchers need to flip the script – and also embrace practice-based evidence.
Instead of waiting years to see which new theories and ideas may eventually pan out into best practices, Zimmerman – a distinguished professor at the University of North Carolina, where she serves as director of aging research at the School of Social Work – calls on academics and policymakers to examine the best aspects of models that already work in the real world, and find ways to replicate them far and wide.
Zimmerman demonstrated the power of examining an existing model through as volunteer research probe into the effects of COVID-19 in Green House homes in 2020, leading to a widely publicized paper showing substantially lower rates of infections and deaths as compared to the overall nursing home system.
In this week’s episode, Susan Ryan sits down with Zimmerman – also the co-director of the Program for Aging, Disability, and Long-Term Care at UNC’s Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research – to discuss her Green House research, her background in social work, and her vision for system-wide reforms.
Read Zimmerman’s research on COVID and Green House homes: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/resources/research/covid-19/
Read the New York Times op-ed that references the research: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/01/opinion/aging-nursing-homes.html
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines brought a long-overdue end to a blanket federal ban on nursing home visitations this past March, but the surging delta variant has brought back the isolation and uncertainty of 2020 to nursing homes and other communal care facilities across the country.
This week, Susan Ryan and Alex Spanko sit down with a pair of grassroots leaders working to ensure that family members and other loved ones will never again be locked out during a public health emergency.
Mikko Cook and Carrie Leljedal share their deeply personal reasons for pursuing the Essential Caregivers Act (H.R. 3733), a piece of federal legislation that would provide a clear blueprint for loved ones to maintain uninterrupted access to their loved ones in nursing homes during this pandemic and future emergencies – while also ensuring everyone maintains proper safety protocols.
Cook and Leljedal are living proof that people can come together to bring a vital issue from their local communities all the way up to Congress, and we hope you walk away from today’s episode inspired to join their growing movement.
Learn more about the Essential Caregivers Act: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/wp-content/uploads/Essential-Caregivers-Act-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Download a template to help guide your outreach to federal lawmakers: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/wp-content/uploads/Essential-Caregivers-Act-Advocacy-Template.pdf
Get involved with the groups working to protect the rights of essential caregivers:
https://essentialcaregivermovement.org/ https://www.essentialcaregiverscoalition.org/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines brought a long-overdue end to a blanket federal ban on nursing home visitations this past March, but the surging delta variant has brought back the isolation and uncertainty of 2020 to nursing homes and other communal care facilities across the country.
This week, Susan Ryan and Alex Spanko sit down with a pair of grassroots leaders working to ensure that family members and other loved ones will never again be locked out during a public health emergency.
Mikko Cook and Carrie Leljedal share their deeply personal reasons for pursuing the Essential Caregivers Act (H.R. 3733), a piece of federal legislation that would provide a clear blueprint for loved ones to maintain uninterrupted access to their loved ones in nursing homes during this pandemic and future emergencies – while also ensuring everyone maintains proper safety protocols.
Cook and Leljedal are living proof that people can come together to bring a vital issue from their local communities all the way up to Congress, and we hope you walk away from today’s episode inspired to join their growing movement.
Learn more about the Essential Caregivers Act: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/wp-content/uploads/Essential-Caregivers-Act-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Download a template to help guide your outreach to federal lawmakers: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/wp-content/uploads/Essential-Caregivers-Act-Advocacy-Template.pdf
Get involved with the groups working to protect the rights of essential caregivers:
https://essentialcaregivermovement.org/
https://www.essentialcaregiverscoalition.org/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
As president of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, Bill Dombi is a prominent supporter of the Choose Home Care Act of 2021 – a piece of federal legislation that would expand Medicare coverage of in-home health care services.
In this episode Marla takes a closer look at what is included in the Choose Home bill – what does it mean for discharge planning from hospitals, the implications and history of the “3-Day Rule”, AND a look at the cost savings from the bill to Medicare.
Mary explores the national association that Dombi heads up and what their 35,000-member organizations receive in return. For example, a HomeCare University filled with educational resources for those connected in the business.
We also discuss compensation for the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and what it takes to become one today. We look at the anticipated demand for that profession and react to the comments from Dombi calling the CNA compensation levels “pathetic”.
Learn more about the Choose Home bill: https://homehealthcarenews.com/2021/07/snf-diversion-bill-choose-home-introduced-projected-to-save-up-to-247m-annually/
Learn more about reasons to repeal the 3-day requirement: https://medicareadvocacy.org/end-medicares-3-day-hospital-requirement/
Learn more about becoming a CNA: https://nursejournal.org/cna/reasons-to-choose-a-career-as-a-cna/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
As the CEO of National Association for Home Care and Hospice, Bill Dombi is a prominent supporter of the Choose Home Care Act of 2021 – a piece of federal legislation that would expand Medicare coverage of in-home health care services.
Addressing the relative lack of home care alternatives to nursing facilities has become a rallying cry for lawmakers and advocates alike in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. But even Dombi, whose organization represents a variety of home-based care providers, believes that true reform will only happen with a comprehensive approach that both bolsters home care options and revolutionizes the traditional nursing home.
Instead of looking at home health expansion as a threat, Dombi asserts, operators of nursing homes and other communal settings should see spectrum-wide reform as a significant opportunity – to provide better care for elders, to support and develop a stronger and more durable caregiving workforce, and to invest in the health of their businesses throughout the ever-changing pandemic landscape.
Learn more about the Choose Home bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2562?s=1&r=5
Learn more about the National Association for Home Care and Hospice: https://www.nahc.org/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
In this episode of “Let Me Say This About That” Marla and Mary explore the conversation that took place between Susan Ryan and Shawn Bloom, the CEO of the National PACE Association (NPA) in Episode 109 of Elevate Eldercare.
PACE, or the Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly is community-based and provides a comprehensive set of services designed to prevent unnecessary admissions to nursing homes – an imperative that only became more urgent during the pandemic.
Marla discusses NPA and how capitated payments are utilized vs. a fee-based system. She also talks about an article that Shawn authored on PACE that included outcomes over the past year and a look at their future 2.0 plans. Mary shares Green House 2.0 – Cultural Transformation and the impact it has had on Green House adopters. She also delves into how similar the history of NPA matches the Green House Project’s Peer Network over the years. Lofty goals were set by GHP and continue to part of the organization, including a recent re-branding and intention on making sure members “Connect, Engage, Impact” the Green House model moving forward.
And finally, Marla takes us on a deep look at why some people and organizations are seemingly more creative and innovative than others. You’ll be surprised by her research, and it may give you pause on how you feel about change, creativity, and innovation!
Fact Sheet on the Nursing Home Accountability and Improvement Act of 2021: https://blog.thegreenhouseproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Small-Home-Pilot-Program-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Template to write a letter to your legislator: https://blog.thegreenhouseproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Small-Home-Demonstration-Program-Advocacy-Template.pdf
Beckhard-Harris Change Equation: https://www.businessballs.com/change-management/formula-for-change/
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
COVID-19 continues to spur loud calls for expanded home- and community-based services for elders, which are too often lacking in many parts of the country.
But there’s an already powerful blueprint that organizations have followed, gradually but steadily, for decades: PACE, or Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. Across the United States, community-based PACE organizations provide a comprehensive set of services designed to prevent unnecessary admissions to nursing homes – an imperative that only became more urgent during the pandemic.
This week on “Elevate Eldercare,” Susan Ryan welcomes Shawn Bloom, CEO of the National PACE Association, to discuss his journey from working as a nursing home aide in high school to serving as a powerful policy voice for elders.
Bloom shares some major PACE successes achieved during the pandemic, and invites eldercare leaders from across the spectrum to rethink the ways that their services can play into a more person-centered ecosystem for elders.
Connect with Shawn Bloom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-bloom-1310887/
Learn more about the National PACE Association: https://www.npaonline.org/
Dive into the PACE Plus Act: https://www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/PACE%20Plus%20Act%20one%20pager.pdf
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
With the delta variant surging among the unvaccinated and the looming specter of increased restrictions even for those who’ve gotten their jabs, the cycles of uncertainty that defined most of 2020 are currently making an unwelcome comeback. In Episode 107, Susan Ryan welcomes Tammy Marshall and Alex Spanko back on the podcast to talk about strategies for pandemic resiliency.
In this episode of “Let Me Say This About That”, Marla and Mary take a closer look at some of those strategies and the benefits for our wellbeing. We explore laughter yoga, biophilic design and the workplace, plus the five stages of sleep. In addition, Marla surprises us with a special strategy she researched for this edition. We hope you enjoy!
Read more about Laughter Yoga:
https://laughteryoga.org/
Learn about recharge room for healthcare workers:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.560833/full
Learn more about the benefits of fishing:
https://www.substance.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Fishing-for-Answers.-Substance-2012.pdf
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
With the delta variant surging among the unvaccinated and the looming specter of increased restrictions even for those who’ve gotten their jabs, the cycles of uncertainty that defined most of 2020 are currently making an unwelcome comeback.
But for people who live and work in communal settings for elders, the stakes are much higher than the return of mandatory masking in indoor public spaces: How can caregivers, residents, and their families maintain the connections that were so often broken last year, while also not succumbing to ongoing pandemic burnout?
Susan Ryan welcomes Tammy Marshall and Alex Spanko back on the podcast to talk about strategies for pandemic resiliency – using the lessons learned during 2020, as well as perspectives from past podcast guests – as we barrel toward a potentially challenging fall and winter. They discuss simple, practical ways to stay connected to nature and each other, while avoiding the impulse to sacrifice elders’ autonomy and wellbeing in the name of COVID safety.
Learn more about Emi Kiyota’s Ibasho concept: https://ibasho.org/
Read the research on how Green House homes withstood the pandemic in 2020: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/resources/research/green-housesmall-house-covid-data
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Larry Polivka spent more than a decade as executive director of the Claude Pepper Center at Florida State University before his retirement this past May. In episode 105, Susan Ryan and Alex Spanko explore both leaders’ powerful legacies in the fight to revolutionize eldercare in America.
In this edition “Let Me Say This About That”, Marla and Mary take a closer look at the Claude Pepper Center and all of the organizations and research that have come to fruition from the Claude Pepper Center and Foundation.
Marla takes a close look at the center and all of the valuable tools available to researchers and explores the books connected with this legacy.
Mary explores the research with OAIC, the types of research that interested students and a look at a special researcher that took an interest in the Green House Project.
Read the Larry Polivka article here: https://claudepeppercenter.fsu.edu/an-ethic-of-care-needed-in-our-long-term-care-system/
Learn more about OAIC: https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/dgcg/claude-d-pepper-older-americans-independence-centers-oaics
Connect with Dr. Lori Gonzalez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-gonzalez-ph-d-51680882/
Blog on the GHP website: http://blog.thegreenhouseproject.org/author/lori-gonzalez/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Register for GHP’s newest in-person and virtual event, DementiaVerse: thegreenhouseproject.org/events/dementiaverse
Larry Polivka spent more than a decade as executive director of the Claude Pepper Center at Florida State University before his retirement this past May. In this episode, Susan Ryan and Alex Spanko explore both leaders’ powerful legacies in the fight to revolutionize eldercare in America.
Pepper’s life took him from extreme poverty in Alabama to a lengthy career in both the U.S. House and Senate, where his upbringing inspired him to champion government programs aimed at making life better and more dignified for all Americans. His ongoing influence includes the center that bears his name, where Polivka worked to improve the care options that are often sorely lacking for our nation’s elders.
In a series of powerful interview clips, Polivka calls for a new generation of leaders like Pepper to finally break through the inertia and inaction that has plagued long-term care for decades, while also displaying infectious optimism that America can once again embrace bold structural change – just like it did during the New Deal and Great Society programs.
Learn more about the Claude Pepper Center and Pepper’s personal legacy: https://claudepeppercenter.fsu.edu/
Connect with Larry Polivka: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-polivka-27309935/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Register for GHP’s newest in-person and virtual event, DementiaVerse: thegreenhouseproject.org/events/dementiaverse
Stephen Gordon has dedicated his career to improving eldercare services and supports, and during his time as a geriatrician and educator, he observed a trend among his fellow travelers: People tend to fall in love with a specific reform idea or organization, and then have trouble seeing the potential for connections and overlap with other novel models.
As the CEO of Edenbridge Health, Gordon hopes to build on the firsthand successes he saw working for a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) organization in Boston, taking the best parts of PACE and finding creative ways to tailor the model to local markets and individual elders’ needs.
In this edition of “Let Me Say This About That”, Marla and Mary take a closer look at six principles for Edenbridge Health and how they so closely align with the Green House Core Values. Gordon talked so often about his mentors, Marla explores what mentorship is all about and Mary explains how it has always been a vital part of the Green House model. Sit back and enjoy this episode with your favorite cup of coffee or tea!
The Science of Mentoring Relationships – What is Mentorship?: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK552775/
The Power of Mentorship: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/09/03/the-power-of-mentorship/?sh=621388e67438
Learn more about the Pass It On Network: https://www.passitonnetwork.org/our-global-network/
Stephen Gordon has dedicated his career to improving eldercare services and supports, and during his time as a geriatrician and educator, he observed a trend among his fellow travelers: People tend to fall in love with a specific reform idea or organization, and then have trouble seeing the potential for connections and overlap with other novel models.
As the CEO of Edenbridge Health, Gordon hopes to build on the firsthand successes he saw working for a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) organization in Boston, taking the best parts of PACE and finding creative ways to tailor the model to local markets and individual elders’ needs.
Gordon talks with Susan Ryan about his vision for truly all-encompassing eldercare programs – with a particular focus on realizing that no one model will fit every elder’s needs at any given time – as well as the importance of seeking out mentors who are unafraid to critique and challenge your ideas in the service of creating true change.
Connect with Gordon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-gordon-b032751/
Learn more about the Edenbridge model: https://www.edenbridgehealth.org/
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Register for GHP’s newest in-person and virtual event, DementiaVerse: thegreenhouseproject.org/events/dementiaverse
Jennifer Sodo and Max Winters share a core belief about architecture: It’s not just supposed to look nice, but actually improve people’s lives.
The senior associates at architecture and design firm Perkins Eastman joined Susan Ryan on “Elevate Eldercare” in Episode 101, to discuss how the built and natural environments are essential to creating inclusive, empowering communities for people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
Jennifer and Max visited Hogewey – a unique and controversial dementia care community in the Netherlands. In this edition of “Let Me Say This About That”, Marla and Mary take a deeper dive into their white paper entitled “Missing Main Street”. We explore the three main concepts and the 11 patterns they say can be applied to any existing or future dementia environment. Get ready for a unique discussion on architecture and design!
Read the full white paper “Missing Main Street”: https://www.perkinseastman.com/insights/designing-better-dementia-communities/
Register for GHP’s newest in-person and virtual event, DementiaVerse: thegreenhouseproject.org/events/dementiaverse
Jennifer Sodo and Max Winters share a core belief about architecture: It’s not just supposed to look nice, but actually improve people’s lives.
The senior associates at architecture and design firm Perkins Eastman join “Elevate Eldercare” to discuss how the built and natural environments are essential to creating inclusive, empowering communities for people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
Using their visit to Hogeway – a unique and controversial dementia care community in the Netherlands that has received national media attention in the U.S. – as a focal point, Sodo and Winters discuss the delicate balance between independence and safety for memory care communities, and how providers can use bricks, mortar, and nature to achieve the goal of truly dignified and integrated spaces for elders.
Connect with Sodo and Winters on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferacolley/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-winters/
Check out Sodo and Winters’s podcast, “Shaping Dementia Environments”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shaping-dementia-environments/id1561254549
Watch CNN’s 2013 profile of Hogeway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwiOBlyWpko
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Register for GHP’s newest in-person and virtual event, DementiaVerse: thegreenhouseproject.org/events/dementiaverse
“Elevate Eldercare” hits a major milestone this week with 100 episodes. One of the underlying themes throughout those programs is the prevalence of ageism that permeates society. OR as Ashton Applewhite explains, “Ageism is a prejudice against our future selves.”
In this edition of “Let Me Say This About That”, Marla and Mary explore ageism through the lens of Beliefs, Behaviors and Systems while quoting our guests from the past 100 shows. Beliefs: What do we think about ageism, our mindset? Behaviors: What actions do we take – what behaviors are a result of our beliefs? Systems: What organizational structure are in place that drive those behaviors?
Given the provocative nature of many of our guests on Elevate Eldercare, this episode will surely enlighten you about the topic of ageism and hopefully encourage you to take action in yourself and your community!
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Register for GHP’s newest in-person and virtual event, DementiaVerse: thegreenhouseproject.org/events/dementiaverse
“Elevate Eldercare” hits a major milestone this week with 100 episodes, so Susan Ryan sat down with the newest member of the Green House Project team to discuss the biggest ideas from the podcast’s first year – and how they can be applied to the ongoing discussion around eldercare reform in America.
Alex Spanko recently joined GHP as director of communications and marketing, having previously covered post-acute and long-term care for Skilled Nursing News in Chicago. Spanko discusses his motivations for leaving trade journalism to play a more active role in shaping eldercare environments before he and Ryan take a look back at some of the most inspiring quotes and calls to action from nearly 100 episodes of “Elevate Eldercare.”
From policy reform to leadership to person-centered care, the podcast has generated provocative commentary on what must be done to truly honor elders with dignified care and supports. Stay tuned for more in the next 100 episodes!
Connect with Alex Spanko on LinkedIn and Twitter: www.linkedin.com/in/alex-spanko/
www.twitter.com/ASpankoNews
Show notes/call to action: Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Register for GHP’s newest in-person and virtual event, DementiaVerse: thegreenhouseproject.org/events/dementiaverse
For Mindy Cheek, senior vice president at Greystone, diversity isn’t a corporate policy or a buzzword; it’s an integral part of daily life, and for those who have been victims of discrimination and hate, treating the need for diversity and inclusion as anything less misses the wider point about representation and dignity. Susan Ryan sat down with Mindy in episode 97.
In this episode of “Let Me Say This About That” Marla and Mary explore a number of topics they discussed, including the five basic points of a multi-layered topic. What does it mean to be diverse, why it is important NOT to assume, listening for cues, building rapport and why it is important to be a tide riser!
Intersectionality was a new term mentioned in the episode, and Marla takes a closer look at its definition, when it was first created, and why it is important in this discussion about LGBT rights.
We also talk more about the contents of the North Texas LGBT-Friendly Senior Housing Guide and the criteria that organizations must meet to be listed within the booklet. Mindy said it was one of the best things that she did outside of the education work that she performs.
Show notes/callll to action: Explore the housing guide here: https://www.cfa.lgbt/lgbt-friendly-senior-housing.html
National Resource Center on LGBT Aging and SAGE here: https://www.lgbtagingcenter.org/resources/pdfs/IntersectionAgeRaceandSexuality.docx.pdf
Learn more about the story behind intersectionality: “Demarginalizing The Intersection Of Race And Sex: A Black Feminist Critique Of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory And Antiracist Politics.”
For Mindy Cheek, senior vice president at Greystone, diversity isn’t a corporate policy or a buzzword; it’s an integral part of daily life, and for those who have been victims of discrimination and hate, treating the need for diversity and inclusion as anything less misses the wider point about representation and dignity.
In this interview with Susan Ryan, Cheek explores the ways her personal experiences have informed her work as a senior living leader and vocal advocate for LGBTQ elders. As an openly gay woman who grew up in a conservative Texas town and initially struggled to accept her identity, Cheek feels a deep need to share her story with others – both in the hopes that others working through similar questions can feel less alone, and to expand everyone’s knowledge of the LGBTQ experience in America.
Cheek has brought that perspective to Greystone and organizations that support the needs of LGBTQ seniors, including the LGBT Aging Center and SAGE.
To close out Pride month, Cheek and Ryan discuss ways to foster true diversity within eldercare organizations; the significant hurdles that LGBTQ seniors – who came of age before Stonewall, gay marriage, and other landmarks in the march for gay rights – face when seeking compassionate, inclusive care and supports; and why creating diverse communities must be a priority for everyone, regardless of background or identity.
Explore the resources for LGBTQ elders in your community, and learn how to get involved with organizations such as the LGBT Aging Center and SAGE:
www.lgbtagingcenter.org
www.sageusa.org
Learn how to become a volunteer education ambassador for LGBTQ elders: www.lgbtagingcenter.org/training/ambassadors.cfm
Watch Mindy Cheek’s TedX Talk: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jalrnKs0mYQ&t=40s
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Register for GHP’s newest in-person and virtual event, DementiaVerse: thegreenhouseproject.org/events/dementiaverse
Have you ever thought of segregation as a form of restraint for an elder living with dementia? In this episode of “Let Me Say This About That” we explore that view of memory care and many other interesting perspectives on aging shared by Pat Sprigg.
Sprigg is the president and CEO of Carol Woods, a retirement community in North Carolina without locked wards or other barriers between people living with dementia and the rest of the community. In episode 95, Susan Ryan sat down with Sprigg to discuss her decades of dedication to the empowerment of all elders, as well as the value in working for an organization where not everyone agrees on what constitutes a best practice.
Marla explores the proliferation of segregation and what it means to be an inclusive community. Mary gives us a closer look at Carol Woods, how it came to fruition, and the foundational practices in that community. Find out why they have never hired an activities director! We also take a look at the Green House Best Life principles that align quite well with Carol Woods.
Marla also takes a deeper dive into the background of Lloyd Lewis, who played an important role in the career of Sprigg and the 1989 Senate Symposium on “Untie the Elderly: Quality Care Without Restraints.”
Learn more about pathways to dementia inclusion: https://youtu.be/qbm8K6_Ap-U
Learn more about the Green House Best Life Approach: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/solutions/Best_Life_Memory_Care
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Register for GHP’s newest in-person and virtual event, DementiaVerse: thegreenhouseproject.org/events/dementiaverse
Pat Sprigg set off on her journey to change eldercare after observing firsthand the horrors of the “best practices” – powerful antipsychotic drugs and physical restraints – that were commonplace in the dementia treatment programs of the 1970s and 1980s.
But even as many facilities moved away from such dangerous and dehumanizing strategies, Sprigg came to believe that the next wave of best practices were just as damaging: Segregating people living with dementia into their own units behind locked doors, in Sprigg’s view, was just another form of physical restraint that robbed elders of their civil liberties and personal autonomy.
As CEO of Carol Woods, a retirement community in North Carolina, Sprigg has fostered an environment without locked wards or other barriers between people living with dementia and the rest of the community.
Sprigg sat down with Susan Ryan to discuss her decades of dedication the empowerment of all elders, as well as the value in working for an organization where not everyone agrees on what constitutes a best practice – and how such professional disagreements can break old patterns of thinking to create a better future.
Sprigg also explains how comprehensive benefits for workers helped Carol Woods weather COVID-19 better than most senior communities, and why people should still be excited about entering the field – after all, she went from never wanting to work in the sector as a recent graduate to an upcoming retirement as CEO after 46 years in the space.
Learn more about Carol Woods: www.carolwoods.org/
Dive into the history of the “Untying the Elderly” movement: www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/reports/rpt589.pdf
Learn more about The Green House Project: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Register for GHP’s newest in-person and virtual event, DementiaVerse: thegreenhouseproject.org/events/dementiaverse
Jennie Chin Hansen’s career in aging services has taken her from a community operation in San Francisco’s Chinatown to the presidency of AARP, all underpinned by a desire to view aging through a more holistic lens than the often one-size-fits-all institutional model.
Hansen’s work as CEO of On Lok, an organization formed to care for Chinese American elders in San Francisco, helped inform the creation of the federal Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE. Susan Ryan sat down with Hansen to discuss PACE’s incredible results and still-unlocked potential, as well as her personal history with On Lok and the need to understand the deep connections linking race, ethnicity, and elders’ needs as they age.
In this episode of “Let Me Say This About That,” Marla and Mary discuss a number of topics Jennie mentioned during her interview.
Mary takes a closer look at the Great Society and why Jennie placed the creation of On Lok within the context of that program. Marla explores the “geriatric day hospital” model in the U.K., as well as the definition of ethnogerontology and why it is important.
We discuss the “On Lok Playbook” and how it relates to the Green House model.
And when serendipity occurs – what do you do with it?
Read about Ethnogeriatrics here: https://geriatrics.stanford.edu/culturemed/overview/introduction/theories.html
Learn more about The Great Society: https://www.history.com/topics/1960s/great-society
In the mid-1980s, Jennie Chin Hansen decided to move her ailing parents from Boston to her home in San Francisco so that they could live out their remaining years surrounded by family – and not in an institutional nursing home.
Hansen’s care journey for her father, who had suffered several strokes, was a continuation of the work she’d already done with On Lok, an innovative community program in San Francisco’s Chinatown that offered comprehensive outpatient services. Through On Lok, Hansen’s father, Wing Chin, was able to receive the high-level care he needed while still returning home each night to share a bed with his wife.
Hansen went on to become the CEO of On Lok, and thanks to her tireless efforts, the model has been replicated in 250 programs across 31 states under the federal Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, known as PACE.
And PACE is only one small part of Hansen’s career, which has included stints as the president of AARP and a stakeholder in the state of California’s first-ever Master Plan on Aging.
Susan Ryan sat down with Hansen to discuss that ambitious master plan, as well as her deeply personal history with On Lok – which is informed by her interest in the connections between aging and cultural identity. Hansen also explores how she sees PACE, which fills a unique middle ground between home care and communal eldercare settings, fitting into the post-COVID aging services landscape.
Read about the PACE program here: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare-Medicaid-Coordination/Medicare-and-Medicaid-Coordination/Medicare-Medicaid-Coordination-Office/PACE/PACE
Learn more about the history of On Lok: https://onlok.org/about/
Read a 1998 profile of Jennie Chin Hansen that describes her personal caregiving experience and the development of PACE: https://thegreenhouseproject.org/application/files/4016/2317/8053/Boston_College_Hansen_Fall_1998_002.pdf
Susan Ryan sat down with Gail Kohn, coordinator of Age-Friendly DC – an ambitious and comprehensive program that seeks to make our nation’s capital a more accessible and joyful place for seniors to live, from aging in place supports to community services to opportunities for forging intergenerational connections.
We’ve all heard the phrase “it takes a village.” Mary explores what it takes to develop a village like the communities that Gail discussed with Susan. Find out what resources are available to your community – especially if you are interested in creating a village in your city.
Marla takes a look at the World Health Organization’s efforts to make it easier for people to grow older within their local jurisdictions. Learn the components of social determinants of health, and the eight domains that cities and communities can address to adapt their structures and services to meet the needs of older people.
Gail mentioned the Olmstead Plan, so we talk about that ruling and what it has meant for those with disabilities, and why Gail made the connection with age-friendly D.C.
In addition, Marla talks about “what-iffing” and why we need to just open our minds!
Read about the WHO program here: Global Age Friendly Cities Guide
Read more about the Village to Village Network: https://www.vtvnetwork.org/
Read about Helpful Village: https://www.helpfulvillage.com/
Read the “What Iffing” article here: https://www.thecolourworks.com/what-ifs/
Susan Ryan sits down with Gail Kohn, coordinator of Age-Friendly D.C., an initiative undertaken at the direction of the Mayor of Washington, D.C., as part of the broader World Health Organization-structured journey to help cities like D.C. become an easier city in which to grow older.
Previously, Kohn was the founding executive director for Capitol Hill Village, the second organization in the country formed to organize neighbor-to-neighbor support to enable aging in place. She began her career as the founding executive director of Collington, a non-profit continuing care retirement community in Prince George’s County, Md.
Kohn talks in more detail about Capitol Hill Village, how it came to be, why it’s important, and what is being done to enable the model to develop in communities across the country. As an avid researcher, Kohn has been instrumental in making sure developing villages have the essential infrastructure from the beginning so that data can be captured to evaluate the impact of these vital supports on its members.
Kohn further unpacks Age-Friendly DC, describing how the initiative began and where it’s gone over the years since its beginning in 2013. We talk briefly about the pandemic and how this initiative and collaborative leadership were pivotal in addressing the challenges in a timely and effective manner.
Finally, Kohn is a pioneer and a visionary leader that relentlessly pursues and is at the helm of initiatives that place value on all elders. Don’t miss her call to action, from someone who has her finger on the pulse, and her eye on the ball, in determining what must be done to elevate eldercare.
Find out more about Age-Friendly-DC here: https://agefriendly.dc.gov/page/age-friendly-dc-task-force
Connect with Gail Kohn on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gail-kohn-9680869/
Susan Ryan sat down with Roger Myers, president and CEO of Presbyterian Villages of Michigan (PVM). In this recap, Marla and Mary discuss how Roger became an early adopter of the Green House model, opening two homes in Redford, Mich.
Mary discusses why Myers was so amazed during the ceremony that was conducted when they turned the house over to the Shahbazim and elders. In addition, we look at how a PVM board of director member helped convince the union leaders about the importance of bringing the Green House model and empowered staff to their community.
Marla takes a deep dive into the Program for All Inclusive Care of the Elderly, or PACE, model, taking a look at its history, mission and scope of work. Roger believes PACE holds much promise for the future of senior living.
Marla explores Myers’ comment about willing to take a risk as a leader and his appreciation for the PVM Board of Directors’ ability to take measured, informed risks. She discusses the contents of an article entitled, “To Foster Innovation, Cultivate a Culture of Intellectual Bravery.”
In addition, Mary and Marla offer some trivia for listeners. Hint: it has to do with the total number of podcasts produced to date. Mary was not even close with her response!
Read about the PACE program here: https://www.biophilicinstitute.com/
To Foster Innovation, Cultivate a Culture of Intellectual Bravery: https://hbr.org/2020/10/to-foster-innovation-cultivate-a-culture-of-intellectual-bravery
Information on the Green House Dementia Symposium here: https://files.constantcontact.com/e3eea0f5101/40485654-7e2c-4c75-8197-cd3b59f3dfec.pdf
Susan Ryan sits down with Roger Myers, president and CEO of Presbyterian Villages of Michigan, (PVM), headquartered in Southfield, Mich. He talks about bringing the first Green House homes to Michigan as the second organization in the nation to embrace the innovative model.
Myers talks about how the decision was made, balancing risk with pursuit of innovation, and the impact of the model on his team and the elders who live there. He shares the scope of services and geographical reach of PVM across the state, including the proliferation of the Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (known as PACE) and home- and community-based services options—initiatives and services that exemplify the guiding vision and values of the organization.
For those unfamiliar with PACE, Myers provides a snapshot today of what it is, why it’s important, and what PVM is doing broadly to address affordability, accessibility, and diversity and inclusivity across the continuum. He goes on to describe the synergistic partnership that has brought a better quality of life experience to the Green House community located on the Detroit waterfront.
Follow Roger Myers on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-myers-9776225
Find out more about PVM’s Green House community here: https://www.pvm.org/locations/the-thome-rivertown-neighborhood/the-weinberg-green-houses-at-thome-rivertown-neighborhood/?highlight=WyJ3ZWluYmVyZyJd
Information on the Green House Dementia Symposium here: https://files.constantcontact.com/e3eea0f5101/40485654-7e2c-4c75-8197-cd3b59f3dfec.pdf
Today we explore Serenbe, located in the hill country of South Fulton County, Georgia. It has been called a wellness sanctuary, an environmental prototype, an agrihood, even a utopia.
In Episode 87, Susan Ryan talked with Steve Nygren, founder, and CEO of Serenbe, a community created as a model to demonstrate that preserving 70 percent of green space interlaced with agriculture, housing, and retail is not only economically viable but is the future of community wellbeing.
In this recap, Marla highlights the many aspects of Serenbe, including the origin of the name. Mary explores the Biophilic Institute at the community and why the non-profit was established eight years ago. Both Mary and Marla share what they call “Steve-isms”—interesting perspectives that Steve has on life. Marla takes a closer look at his thoughts on fear, eldercare, purpose, and vitality.
We have often talked about meaningful life on this podcast and during this episode Marla discusses “Ikigai” and how it connects to the insights Steve shared during the podcast.
Thank you, VANCARE, our sponsor for the month of May. As a family-owned business for more than 30 years, VANCARE is the leading manufacturer of American-made ceiling and mobile floor lifts. You can find them at www.vancare.com.
Read about the Biophilic Institute here: https://www.biophilicinstitute.com/
The Philosophy of Ikigai: https://positivepsychology.com/ikigai/?utm_campaign=enormail&utm_source=enormail&utm_medium=email
Information on the Green House Dementia Symposium here: https://files.constantcontact.com/e3eea0f5101/40485654-7e2c-4c75-8197-cd3b59f3dfec.pdf
Susan Ryan sits down with Steve Nygren, founder and CEO of Serenbe, an award-winning biophilic community that connects people to nature and each other. Located in Chattahoochee Hills, Ga., each of Serenbe’s hamlets has a complementary commercial center focused on the elements of a well-lived life: arts for inspiration, agriculture for nourishment, health for wellbeing, and education for awareness.
Serenbe has been called a wellness sanctuary, an environmental prototype, an agrihood, and even a utopia. Nygren, who has won awards for his work with Serenbe, paints a picture that illustrates its virtues and holistic value proposition as something that is just right for all generations. He expounds upon biophilic design and how that has informed this unique community, including the location of the Biophilic Institute within Serenbe.
Finally, he talks about a vision for eldercare within the context of meaningful human connections and with nature. He challenges everyone to bring new mindsets, words, and actions to work and mission to prioritize people.
The Green House Project (GHP), in its pursuit of the most cutting-edge thinking, research, and whole-person approaches to ensuring that all elders thrive, will host a dementia symposium this Sept. 13 and 14 at Serenbe.
“DementiaVerse: A New Frontier in Learning, Collaboration, & Scholarship,” will feature Nygren as well other internationally respected leaders, such as Drs. Emi Kiyota, Jennifer Carson, Al Power, and Dale Bredesen, along with Health and Wellness Coach, Lisa Feiner, and founder of the Biophilic Institute, Bill Browning, as they challenge us to think differently and embrace a better way to support people living with dementia.
This hybrid event will offer limited space for participants to attend onsite. For more information, visit the GHP website at www.thegreenhouseproject.org.
Thank you, VANCARE, our sponsor for the month of May. As a family-owned business for more than 30 years, VANCARE is the leading manufacturer of American-made ceiling and mobile floor lifts. You can find them at www.vancare.com.
Read more about Serenbe here: www.serenbe.com.
Connect with Steve Nygren on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenygren
Today we explore episode 85, where Susan Ryan sat down with Joel Anderson, president & CEO of LifeStar Living, a senior living development services, management, and advisory company located in Sarasota, Fla. Anderson has spent his 26-year executive career in directing both non-profit and for-profit senior living organizations.
In this recap, Marla and Mary discuss the LifeStar Living organization and take a closer look at what it means to build a new brand. Anderson is trying to move the needle on senior living and build a brand that is different. What does that take and what is important to consumers?
Marla takes a deeper dive into workforce and what Anderson has to say about leadership and its responsibility. Mary discusses his perspective on COVID-19 and the creative side of what staff members can do when forced to make alternative plans.
Are you ready for a revival? Anderson says there needs to be a revival in the senior living arena. What does a revival mean and how does it relate to the senior living?
Unexpected topics for this episode of “Let Me Say This About That”!
Thank you, VANCARE, our sponsor for the month of May. As a family-owned business for more than 30 years, VANCARE is the leading manufacturer of American-made ceiling and mobile floor lifts. You can find them at www.vancare.com.
Read about 7 steps to revival here: https://www.wordsoflife.co.uk/bible-studies/study-7-seven-steps-to-revival/
The difference between leaders and managers: https://executivetechnology.wordpress.com/2014/03/08/differences-between-leaders-and-managers/
Susan Ryan sits down with her good friend, Joel Anderson, president & CEO of LifeStar Living, a senior living development services, management, and advisory company located in Sarasota, Fla. Anderson has spent his 26-year executive career in directing both non-profit and for-profit senior living organizations.
In this episode, he discusses the backstory to starting his new venture, LifeStar Living, in partnership with David Faulk, renowned sports agent for NBA all-star Michael Jordan, and how the philosophy and driving force of the organization is big on quality and impact. Anderson provides a snapshot of the organization’s priorities, scope of services, and its geographical reach and future opportunities.
He believes in the power of relationships in connecting purpose to mission and building a brand that takes on an archaic model and delivers compelling senior living services that attract and retain a robust workforce.
Don’t miss the end of the conversation to hear Anderson’s vision and call to action to become part of changing the negative narrative about nursing homes and bring real transformation.
Find out more about The Green House Project here: www.thegreenhouseproject.org
Thank you, VANCARE, our sponsor for the month of May. As a family-owned business for more than 30 years, VANCARE is the leading manufacturer of American-made ceiling and mobile floor lifts. You can find them at www.vancare.com.
Find Joel Anderson on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelanderson1
This week on “Let Me Say This About That,” Marla DeVries and Mary Hopfner-Thomas recap episode 83, which features a conversation between Susan Ryan and Tammy Marshall, founder and CEO of Biophilia Pharma, a company that explores the healing power between nature and humans, as well as the benefits of non-pharmacological approaches to wellbeing.
DeVries and Hopfner-Thomas take a deeper dive into the many topics that Marshall mentions in her conversation with Ryan. DeVries takes a closer look at the definition of biophilia and Attention Restoration Theory—including a study during the pandemic at Mount Sinai—and looks at soft fascination and rewilding.
They both explore biophilic design and its three categories and 15 patterns.
Read about Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory here: https://positivepsychology.com/attention-restoration-theory/
14 Patterns of Biophilic Design: https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/reports/14-patterns/
Susan Ryan welcomes back Tammy Marshall, founder and CEO of Biophilia Pharma. Marshall’s journey to wellness, as well as to establishing Biophilia Pharma, exemplifies her passion around exploring the healing connection between nature and humans.
In her first episode with Ryan, Marshall described a unique approach to addressing COVID cases and contrasted a ‘salutogenic’ vs pathogenic approach that optimizes health and well-being. In this episode, she provides a refresher of this conversation and takes a deeper into why this matters.
Marshall describes biophilic design, its history, and a bit of the research that demonstrates humans’ hardwired need to connect with nature to support health and well-being. She further goes on to describe a lifestyle that is biophilic and why that’s important.
Marshall is on a mission to help everyone think differently and it is within this context that The Green House Project is working with her on projects that will deepen the understanding of biophilic design, lifestyle, and emerging research that has the potential to boldly impact the field of aging services. This includes implementing tangible strategies that will leverage the abundance that nature has to offer in creating vitality.
As Aristotle once said, “In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous.”
Find Tammy Marshall on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammy-l-marshall-0ba8b373/
Find out more about Biophilia Pharma here: https://www.biophiliapharma.com
On his LinkedIn profile, Michael Wasserman, MD, describes himself as a “Grampa, Father, Husband, Ironman, and Geriatrician.” He is also someone with strong opinions about COVID and nursing homes.
In our recap of the Episode 81, in which Susan Ryan sits down with Dr. Wasserman, we take a deeper dive into the “Quadruple Aim” and the four areas it covers in light of the pandemic.
Dr. Wasserman calls himself a pragmatic idealist, a term that Marla examines the origin of, while Mary explores the difference between stakeholders and subject-matter experts. He offered that insight in light of the work he has done in California and at the federal level.
We also discuss a Health Affairs blog in which Wasserman talks about the money behind nursing homes and his thoughts on moving forward.
Read the Health Affairs blog here: https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20210208.597573/full/
McKnight’s Long-Term Care News article on Infection Preventionists: https://www.mcknights.com/news/long-term-care-remains-in-the-dark-about-infection-preventionist-requirements/
The Quadruple Aim for COVID-19 response: https://files.constantcontact.com/e3eea0f5101/9c1b03fa-99bd-49df-a087-963ae70e7544.pdf
Susan Ryan sits down with Michael Wasserman, MD, a geriatrician who has devoted his career to serving the needs of older adults. He is the editor in chief of an upcoming textbook, Geriatric Medicine: A Person-Centered Evidence-Based Approach, and he was previously CEO of Rockport Healthcare Services. In this role, he oversaw the largest nursing home chain in California.
Dr. Wasserman is a sought-after expert and has been a frequent presence on television media, especially throughout the COVID crisis.
In addition to sharing his insights about the COVID crisis, Dr. Wasserman describes the importance of crisis management and how emergency preparedness can inform where we go in the future. He also talks about the need for transparency and accountability among providers and conveys his ideas for getting the right people together to tackle the challenges and find solutions while nursing homes are in the spotlight.
Finally, he shares his thoughts on elevating eldercare and the powerful role the medical director plays in ensuring quality experiences for residents.
Follow Dr. Wasserman on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/wassdoc?s=20
Steve Nash, president and CEO of Stoddard Baptist Home Foundation, is the focus of this episode of “Let Me Say This About That” with Mary and Marla. They examine Susan Ryan’s conversation with Steve to discuss his work with the foundation, his perspective on the challenges of COVID, and what he envisions for the future of long-term care.
Nash is a firm believer in forming partnerships with the community, and Marla takes a look at where Stoddard Baptist formed those ties.
Mary examines Nash’s perspective on what worked well during COVID and how much of what he concluded is the foundation of the Green House model.
In addition, Mary and Marla explore Nash’s unique ideas about how to help ease the workforce shortage.
Find information on Making Community Partnerships toolkit here: https://aapcho.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Giachello-MakingCommunityPartnershipsWorkToolkit.pdf
See how one organization recruited volunteers to be a Green House Sage: https://files.constantcontact.com/e3eea0f5101/518667e3-dcef-456b-990c-a71a4dc49e56.pdf
Susan Ryan sits down with Steve Nash, president and CEO of the Stoddard Baptist Home, which has a legacy of caring for elders in the Washington, D.C., metro area since 1902.
Nash has held leadership roles in a number of long-term care organizations, including as president of the District of Columbia Health Care Association, chair of D.C.’s Board of Long-Term Care Administration, a member of the LeadingAge National Finance Committee, and chair of LeadingAge D.C. In addition, he was a recipient of a national grant for training nursing home administrators by the National Caucus on Black Aging.
Nash begins the conversation by sharing his unique call to the profession and ultimately to Stoddard Baptist. His leadership skills were on full display as he led his team through the COVID crisis praised them for their tenacity and courage in spite of immense challenges.
Nash examines the barriers to innovation and what he’s doing to push through the obstacles to catalyze reform that offers quality of life experiences for all people.
Find out more about Stoddard Baptist Home here: https://www.stoddardbaptisthome.org/
In this recap of episode 77, Susan Ryan sat down with Larry Minnix, a consultant and author, and perhaps most known for his previous role as CEO of LeadingAge, a national association of nonprofit long-term and post-acute care providers. When he retired in 2015, LeadingAge named its Leadership Academy after him.
In this episode of “Let Me Say This About That,” Marla and Mary take a closer look at succession planning—a topic Minnix said kept CEOs up at night. They explore the importance of a succession plan and the steps needed to create one.
Mary takes a closer look at the book Minnix wrote and what he says are the secrets to successful aging. Both Mary and Marla discuss how five women from his church had such an impact on his career.
In response to Minnix’s suggested that society needs to “unfreeze” the way people are thinking about nursing home care, Marla reflects on how this term is connected to a theory of change.
Find information on succession planning here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesinsights/2017/05/24/succession-planning-needs-to-be-your-number-1-priority/?sh=9c33d9b62aa0
https://www.peoplefluent.com/blog/succession/6-foundations-effective-succession-planning/
https://dune.une.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1246&context=theses
Find more about the 12 Secrets to Successful Aging here: https://www.larryminnix.com/the-twelve-secrets/
Read the article on 7 Characteristics of Highly Resilient People here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2118935
In this week’s episode, Susan Ryan sits down with Larry Minnix, a consultant and author, and perhaps most known for his previous role as CEO of LeadingAge, a national association of nonprofit long-term and post-acute care providers.
When he retired in 2015, LeadingAge named its Leadership Academy after him. Minnix has been recognized as a “Top 50 Leader” by the Non-Profit Times and a “Top 50 Influencer of Aging” by Next Avenue.
He speaks on healthy aging and consults with nonprofits on governance and strategic planning. Minnix is a great storyteller and today is no exception, as he shares his journey and the pivotal experiences that significantly molded his life and career trajectory into aging services.
As a seasoned and respected leader, Minnix’s wisdom and insights in today’s conversation are just right for this crucial moment in time.
Finally, he talks about his recent book, Hallowed Ground: Stories of Successful Aging, and reflections gained throughout his personal journey and stellar career.
Find Larry Minnix’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Hallowed-Ground-Stories-Successful-Aging/dp/162787626X
Today they explore episode 75, where Susan Ryan sits down with Lisa McCracken and Dan Hermann of Ziegler Investment Banking, a privately held investment bank, capital markets and proprietary investments firm that specializes in the healthcare, senior living, and education sectors.
McCracken is director of senior living research and development, and her primary focus is on conducting industry research and trend analyses. Hermann is president and CEO, as well as head of investment banking at Ziegler.
In this recap, Marla and Mary discuss the differences in focus for not-for-profits and for-profit organizations in senior living and care. We discuss their rapid response to COVID and their unique ability to acquire a vast amount of data on this topic. Marla takes a closer look at the origins of Ziegler and where it started in the Midwest.
Ever wonder why they call it a bull or bear market? You’ll be surprised with some of the possible definitions.
Find out more about the origins of bull and bear market here: https://investinganswers.com/articles/quirky-and-brutal-origins-terms-bear-and-bull
https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/bull-bear-market-names/#:~:text=The%20terms%20%22bear%22%20and%20%22bull%22%20are%20thought%20to,the%20movement%20of%20a%20market.
In today’s episode, Susan Ryan sits down with Lisa McCracken and Dan Hermann of Ziegler Investment Banking, a privately held investment bank, capital markets and proprietary investments firm that specializes in the healthcare, senior living, and education sectors.
McCracken is director of senior living research and development, and her primary focus is on conducting industry research and trend analyses. Hermann is president and CEO, as well as head of investment banking at Ziegler.
Both Hermann and McCracken serve as members of The Green House Project Board of Directors.
Hermann offers a broad overview of Ziegler from his 30-year tenure, including a review of the growth of the organization and its scope of services. McCracken describes her role, building upon Ziegler’s longstanding commitment to understanding issues facing senior living providers, to conduct and provide research, education and thought leadership that captures industry trends.
They both discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the industry and how it determines future trends, as well as why they believe it would be disastrous to go back to ‘the way it was’ pre-pandemic.
Finally, McCracken and Hermann offer their perspectives on elder ‘living’ and the innovation and options that will be essential to achieving it.
Find out more about Ziegler here: https://www.ziegler.com
In this episode, Susan Ryan sat down with Jeannee Parker Martin, president and CEO of LeadingAge California.
In this recap, Marla and Mary offer some background on LeadingAge California and its 60-year history. They take a deeper dive into the five key initiatives the group is working on for its members and examine what the “silver lining” is with COVID, according to Parker Martin.
Marla explores resiliency in light of a comment by Parker Martin about how critical it is during this time. She also looks at seven characteristics of resiliency and how it can be applied in very tangible terms to staffers, family, and friends.
Find information on LeadingAge CA here: https://www.leadingageca.org/
Find more AGE On. Rage On. here: https://ageonrageon.com/
Read the article on 7 Characteristics of Highly Resilient People here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2118935
In this episode, Susan Ryan sits down with Jeannee Parker Martin, president and CEO of LeadingAge California, an organization that “fights on behalf of California's older adults to ensure their access to innovative, quality, and affordable long-term services and supports.” Its members are long-term and post-acute care providers in California.
Parker Martin explains what it was like to lead her members through the pandemic in a state that was hit hard by the coronavirus and how her previous work in disasters and other worldwide crises helped to shape her work. She also examines what she believes is the “silver lining.”
Connect with Jeannee on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannee-parker-martin-589a18b
In today’s episode, Marla and Mary reflect on Women’s History Month, offer some historical background on its origins, share statistics on women in long-term care, and then take a closer look at the leadership journey of Susan Ryan, senior director of The Green House Project.
Susan has been named a 2021 McKnight’s Women of Distinction Hall of Honor inductee, a much-deserved designation for an amazing leader.
Join us as we explore her background, share her “why” story, and hear what other leaders in the field of aging services have to say about Susan.
No episode of “Let Me Say This About That” would be complete without a deeper dive by Marla concerning a specific topic—and this time it is a concept known as the 6 Types of Working Genius. Marla shares her thoughts about which categories she believes capture Susan Ryan best.
Hear the “Katie story” in Susan Ryan’s voice from the 2016 Association of Jewish Aging Services Annual Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZuzYvP4jmw&t=2836s
Learn more about the 6 Types of Working Genius here: https://www.workinggenius.com/
In today’s episode, the last of March 2021, a month designated as Women’s History Month, Susan Ryan and her fellow podcasters from “Let Me Say This About That,” Mary Hopfner-Thomas and Marla DeVries, sit down to reflect upon the incredible women leaders that have been guests on Elevate Eldercare. Since we launched last July,19 women have been interviewed for this podcast.
A year into the pandemic, this episode takes a look back at these courageous women who stepped up and took action, allowing their passion and quest for social justice to mobilize solutions and teams amid undoubtedly the most horrific experience in our history.
Their stories are unique, yet eerily similar in that each voice became a guiding and stabilizing force that provided solid leadership within their sphere of influence during profound uncertainty and fear.
Today Susan, Mary, and Marla tap into the collective wisdom gained from Elevate Eldercare’s female guests and offer their thoughts and impressionable moments from each interview that inspired them and their work.
In recognition of Women’s History Month, here is a Washington Post collection of stories of women who have faced challenges and triumphed throughout the past year: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2021/women-history-month-leaders-2021/
Innovation is a big part of the conversation this week on “Let Me Say This About That.” In Episode 69, Susan Ryan sat down with Alice Bonner, who has been a geriatric nurse practitioner caring for older adults and their families for over 30 years. She is currently adjunct faculty and director of strategic partnerships for the CAPABLE program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and senior advisor for aging at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).
Marla and Mary discuss Project ECHO and the role it has played in healthcare. Bonner’s work with IHI involved Project ECHO and she is a big fan of the model, as is The Green House Project. Mary shares the number of initiatives Green House has launched using Project ECHO and the impact it has had on those learning through that model.
Bonner also speaks about the barriers to innovation and Marla explores a report from Canada on effective innovation for long-term care. Both Mary and Marla discuss the benefits of the report and utilizing the perspective from another country.
They examine Bonner’s greatest hope, fear, and her call to action. Plus, Marla adds an Irish proverb in the mix. Hear what it is and how it applies to our discussion today!
Find out more about Project Echo here: https://hsc.unm.edu/echo/
Read more about the Element of an Effective Innovation Strategy for LTC in Ontario here: https://neltoolkit.rnao.ca/sites/default/files/Elements%20of%20an%20Effective%20Innovation%20Strategy%20for%20Long%20Term%20Care%20in%20Ontario%202011.pdf
Susan Ryan sits down with Alice Bonner, a geriatric nurse practitioner who has been caring for older adults and their families for over 30 years. She is currently adjunct faculty and director of strategic partnerships for the CAPABLE program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and senior advisor for aging at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
Bonner describes how she has used her clinical, government, and community experiences to inform her work and perspectives on how to create age-friendly ecosystems in her quest for quality and coordination across the continuum. She further shares her work at IHI and the significant role the organization has played amid the pandemic: from early on in convening virtual huddles, to their current work in collaboration with Project ECHO and AHRQ to support nursing homes.
Alice is a thought and action-oriented leader who approaches problems head on by tapping into her network to identify and mobilize solutions.
Bonner provides a well-articulated vision for eldercare, with a clear and compelling call to action.
Find out more about CAPABLE here: https://nursing.jhu.edu/faculty_research/research/projects/capable/
Today we take a deeper dive into Episode 67, where Susan sat down with Lori Porter, co-founder and CEO of the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA), a nonprofit organization that elevates the professional standing and performance of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) through recognition, advocacy, education, and empowerment.
In today’s episode of “Let Me Say This About That”, we take a closer look at a couple of educational and workforce programs that NAHCA has developed with partners. Marla discusses “The Enclave Principle” that was launched in 2018 and Mary explores their most recent initiative, the National Institute of CNA Excellence or NICE.
We also share their “Statement of Standards” and Marla looks at a recent PHI study and the five pillars of Direct Care Job Quality and how they reflect both NAHCA and the Green House model.
Porter challenges us to rethink our vocabulary and provides a call to action that leverages the power and influence inherent in the CNA profession.
Find information on NICE here: https://www.nahcacna.org/
Find more on PHI workforce research here: http://www.phinational.org/resource/caring-for-the-future-the-power-and-potential-of-americas-direct-care-workforce/
Read the article on CNAs here: https://www.seniorlivingforesight.net/stop-giving-lip-service-to-cnas/
In today’s episode I talk with Lori Porter, co-founder and CEO of the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA), a nonprofit organization that elevates the professional standing and performance of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) through recognition, advocacy, education, and empowerment.
Porter is a nationally sought-after speaker on team building and transforming workforces into “care forces.” In 2020, she was appointed and served on the Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes
Porter shares her incredible journey from being a disgruntled CNA at 18, a nursing home administrator at 27, and, eventually, founder and head of NAHCA. An exceptional storyteller, she describes in detail her path to where she is today and how some very special people she has met along the way helped to shape her destiny.
Porter has a unique way of infusing humor into her stories, which are full of potent lessons as well as profound insights into the power paradigm that exists in long-term care. In this episode, she talks about why NAHCA exists and what the organization is doing to address the workforce challenges of today the issue.
She challenges us to rethink our vocabulary and provides a call to action that leverages the power and influence inherent in the CNA profession.
Find Lori Porter on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/loriporternahca
Join the April 7 virtual CNA March on Washington here: https://www.nahcacna.org/cna-virtual-march-on-washington/
Could we take what we learned with the HIV/AIDs global health issue and apply it to our crisis with COVID-19? William Haseltine, PhD, scientist, researcher, author, philanthropist, and currently president of ACCESS Health International says YES!
Susan Ryan sat down with Dr. Haseltine, who is perhaps best known for his work on cancer, HIV/AIDS, genomics and currently, COVID-19. He is an internationally recognized expert on the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this recap, Marla and Mary discuss why Dr. Haseltine believes those learnings from the HIV crisis could be used today. We also explore his candid thoughts on the Biden administration and the pandemic—such as, what has been good and what needs to be more robust moving forward.
With her philosophy ‘hat” on, Marla takes a closer look at social solidarity, which Dr. Haseltine mentioned several times. Marla helps unpack what it means and how we might apply it with our healthcare system. Finally, we take a look at a book he co-authored that offers eight lessons for social inclusion and high-quality sustainable elder care.
Find out more about HIV/AIDS lessons learned here: https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/covid-19-investment-our-economy
Read more about the Biden administration here: https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/weighing-bidens-first-executive-orders-address-covid-19
Read more about the eight lessons here: https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/c484fc63-3395-4326-bf5e-f79a052ba83b/1006963.pdf
Susan Ryan sits down with William Haseltine, PhD, scientist, researcher, author, philanthropist, and currently president of ACCESS Health International. Perhaps best known for his work on cancer, HIV/AIDS, genomics and currently, COVID-19, he is an internationally recognized expert on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Haseltine is dedicated to ensuring that quantum advancements in medical technology translate to improved health outcomes around the world. He is the author of more than 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 11 books, including two on COVID. His new book, Variants! The Shape-Shifting Challenge of COVID-19, addresses the questions and issues around the virus, variants, and immunity.
Dr. Haseltine offers his perspective on the pandemic, including what the U.S. got right, and what should have been done differently. In addition, he offers his thoughts on herd immunity, vaccines and variants, as well as strategies he identifies as essential to controlling the virus, and the brutal consequences of not controlling it.
His thoughts (and warnings) are sobering and likely controversial, but definitely worthy of a listen.
Finally, Dr. Haseltine casts a vision for eldercare that incorporates his perspectives gained from his career and global observations that places value on elders and their integration into the community.
Find Dr. Haseltine on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whaseltine
Follow him on Twitter her: https://twitter.com/WmHaseltine?s=20
In Episode 63 Susan Ryan sat down with Anne Montgomery, co-director at Altarum’s Program to Improve Eldercare, where she oversees a portfolio of quality improvement research and policy analysis focused on older adults. Montgomery has more than two decades of policy experience working on Medicare, Medicaid, and related programs.
Mary and Marla explore a number of topics Montgomery raised during her talk with Susan. You may have heard the term “Failure to Thrive” but what does it really mean and how does it connect to elders?
Much has been said and written about social isolation during the pandemic. Montgomery and her colleagues wanted to do more about it, so they launched an online survey asking residents directly. Mary and Marla take a look at the results and recommendations, while Marla takes a look at a workforce report Anne mentioned.
Mary and Marla also discuss why Montgomery is “hopeful” about the Biden administration and which members in the U.S. House and Senate will help move nursing home issues in a positive way.
Click here to watch Anne Montgomery in GH Webinar on Social Connectedness
Find out more about the workforce report here: https://leadingage.org/sites/default/files/Making%20Care%20Work%20Pay%20Report.pdf
Susan Ryan sits down with Anne Montgomery, co-director at Altarum’s Program to Improve Eldercare, where she oversees a portfolio of quality improvement research and policy analysis focused on older adults.
Montgomery has more than two decades of policy experience working on Medicare, Medicaid, and related programs. Prior to Altarum, Anne served as a Senior Advisor for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, where she developed hearings and numerous bills enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. She has also served as an analyst for the House Ways & Means Committee, the Government Accountability Office and the Alliance for Health Policy in Washington, D.C.
Montgomery talks about her personal passion and motivation that has shaped her career trajectory in research and policy and how she has used her expertise to improve quality broadly in home- and community-based services and long-term care environments. Today, she provides a comprehensive analysis of COVID-related challenges that she has observed, and specifically discusses the research that Altarum conducted on the social isolation that occurred among nursing home residents.
Montgomery shares recommendations in addressing social isolation and discusses the need to negotiate risk and balance that with safety when addressing this very challenging consequence of the pandemic and visitation bans in nursing homes.
Finally, Anne offers her perspectives on the Biden administration, policy champions, and the positive opportunities that lie ahead to elevate eldercare.
Find out more about Altarum report on social isolation here: https://altarum.org/sites/default/files/uploaded-publication-files/Nursing-Home-Resident-Survey_Altarum-Special-Report_FINAL.pdf
This week’s recap highlights the return trip to microphone for David Grabowski., PhD. In late summer, Susan Ryan first sat down with Dr. Grabowski to discuss his insights into the pandemic and his role and experience on the Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes. In Episode 61, he offers a retrospective look at the results and recommendations.
Marla and Mary take a close look at the ten themes and recommendations in the commission’s report, and Mary takes a deeper dive into the Dutch care model for long-term care, a system Dr. Grabowski visited prior to the pandemic and left him very impressed.
Marla looks at the Dutch funding system and a recent article authored by Dr. Grabowski that discusses a false dichotomy.
Find out more about the future of LTC here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-020-00018-y?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nataging%2Frss%2Fcurrent+%
Review the Dutch care model here: http://www.teresahappycare.cn/en/dutch-care-model-introduction/
David Grabowski, PhD, professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, sits down with Susan Ryan for his second episode of this podcast. This week, they examine recommendations made by the Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes, whether they went far enough in achieving the goals for improving quality and safety and what has happened since those recommendations were released in early fall 2020.
In addition, Dr. Grabowski talks about his concept of aging in the “right” place and what that means for home- and community-based services, reimagining nursing homes, and why it’s not an either/or solution.
He shares his observations from a global perspective and the comparative healthcare spending patterns for long-term care among different countries. Dr. Grabowski recounts a visit he made to the Netherlands (pre-pandemic) where he was able to see a traditional nursing home and shares that experience, from the moment he walked in the door to the insights gained on the workforce and the built environment.
Finally, Dr. Grabowski challenges us all to use our collective voice to be a part of generating the big changes that are sorely needed in eldercare.
Review the Coronavirus Commission report here: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/covid-final-nh-commission-report.pdf
This week’s episode of “Let Me Say This About That” covers two major topics all thanks to Katie Smith Sloan, president, and CEO of LeadingAge. Susan Ryan talked with her on Episode 59.
Get your seat belt fastened for this episode – it’s packed with information and insights! Not only do we highlight the work and leadership of Sloan and LeadingAge, but we also take a deep dive into two areas she discussed with Susan.
We explore Level 5 Leadership – what it is, what it includes, and how it connects to Sloan, who describes herself as a quiet leader.
When Sloan was asked about the new administration in the White House, she mentioned that her biggest fear is our hyper partisan world. What does that mean in our country? We explore the polarization of America and that sparked research and discussion on a number of articles and some very tangible resources for you to use.
More about Level 5 Leadership here: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/level-5-leadership.htm
More about the cost of polarization in our country here: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_is_the_true_cost_of_polarization_in_america
More about Braver Angels here: https://braverangels.org/talking-across-the-political-divide/
More about Social Media here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-social-media-makes-us-more-polarized-and-how-to-fix-it/
Susan Ryan sits down with Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, an organization that represents more than 5,000 nonprofit aging services providers and other mission-minded organizations.
Sloan talks about LeadingAge, what it does, why it exists, and how the organization has used its voice to lead during the pandemic by interpreting changing guidance to produce tangible tools and resources for its members. She examines the power of a story to positively impact the national narrative about nursing homes and talks about leading during the most horrific time in our history.
In addition, Sloan talks about ageism, the associated devaluation of older adults, and how that has led to the nursing home crisis amid the pandemic.
More about LeadingAge here: www.leadingage.org
What better way to kick off your Valentine’s Day weekend than learning about a leader who truly believes in a culture of love to operate a home care agency in the Baltimore, Md., area.
In Episode 57, Susan Ryan sat down with Danny O’Brien, founding CEO of Avila Home Care. At a time when the senior living field is re-evaluating the challenges of congregate care during a pandemic, home care is often the option that emerges as the solution for many people.
In this recap, Marla and Mary explore what it takes to fully embrace a culture of love and the qualities needed by the leader of the organization. They discuss the ten important characteristics of Servant Leadership and how O’Brien exemplifies each one.
Find out more about Servant Leadership here: https://www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/
Susan Ryan sits down with Danny O’Brien, founding CEO of Avila Home Care, a growing home care agency serving the Baltimore, Md., area. Prior to founding Avila, O’Brien served as senior pastor of Grace Fellowship Church in Timonium, Md., with a congregation of over 2,500 families.
At a time when the senior living field is re-evaluating the challenges of congregate care during a pandemic, home care is often the option that emerges as the solution. O’Brien offers incredible insight into the factors that make home care work. His background as a pastor and as a frequent public speaker on topics that span senior living, leadership, and matters relating to faith is reflected in his conversation with Ryan.
This motivating and inspiring conversation is laced with snippets of O’Brien’s path to ministry and ultimately how, in 2016, he made the decision to start a home care agency.
Lastly, he describes how word-of-mouth referrals helped to expand his caregiver workforce to more than 400 caregivers—all done without running a single ad! To this end, O’Brien explores the power of relationships in growing his business, and the role of leadership to shape a culture that prioritizes people, including the compensation philosophy and strategies he utilized during COVID-19 to keep caregivers safe.
Find out more about Avila Home Care here: https://avilahomecare.com/
In Episode 55, Susan Ryan had a conversation with George Everly, PhD, professor at the Center Humanitarian Health in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is also Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Since 2016 he has been ranked the leading author in the world in the field of crisis intervention, having authored 20 books and 100 published papers.
This week’s recap with Marla and Mary takes a closer look into the crisis intervention programs discussed by Dr. Everly. We are all familiar with traditional first aid training so why not Psychological First Aid training? We explore RISE and why it was developed at Johns Hopkins—a unique peer to peer support program focusing on resilience.
Dr. Everly referred to the impact of social isolation and the principle of unintended consequences. We discuss that impact on elders and Marla shares a list of unique ideas for all of us to consider in our work to combat loneliness and build resilience during this pandemic.
Find out more about loneliness here:
https://www.worth.com/loneliness-the-hidden-pandemic-that-erodes-your-worth/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/when-disaster-strikes-inside-disaster-psychology/202011/psychological-survival-and-the-second
Susan Ryan sits down with George Everly, PhD, professor at the Center for Humanitarian Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Since 2016, he has been ranked the leading author in the world in the field of crisis intervention, having authored 20 books and 100 published papers.
Given Dr. Everly’s achievements, Ryan taps into his wisdom and insights to tackle the growing workforce fatigue and stress brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. He shares his observations gained through his experiences in responding to major disasters around the globe and talks about a model that helps to predict the psychological toxicity of any given disaster.
In addition, Dr. Everly examines how COVID-19 ranks by way of toxicity and further describes psychological first aid, what it is and is not, and why it is critically important to acquire at such a time as this.
Finally, Dr. Everly addresses the unintended consequences of social isolation, and gives some thought-provoking insights, questions, and a call to action.
Find Dr. Everly’s research work here: https://www.jhsph.edu/faculty/directory/profile/209/george-s-everly
This week’s recap with Marla and Mary explores a purposeful healthcare strategy for older adults. It’s all part of the John A. Hartford Foundation and the “big idea” from its president and CEO, Terry Fulmer. She is definitely a woman on a mission!
In Episode 53, Susan Ryan had an inspiring conversation with Terry. She holds master’s and doctoral degrees from Boston College, and her Geriatric Nurse Practitioner Post-Master’s Certificate from NYU. She serves as the chief strategist for the Foundation, and is fueled by her passion for older adults, exceptional visionary skills, and preponderance for action.
Marla and Mary take a close look at the Age-Friendly Health approach and what it means for clinicians and what the “4M’s” provide YOU in seeking better healthcare. Find out why Joyce Clifford was one of Terry’s nursing idols. And Marla shares an interesting project to empower adults to prepare for their future and take the initiative to talk to their doctors, family and friends about what matters most to them at life’s end.
Find out more about the 4M’s here: https://www.johnahartford.org/images/uploads/resources/Better-Care-for-You-Guide-to-the-4Ms.pdf
Find out more about the Stanford Letter Project here: http://med.stanford.edu/letter/about.html
http://med.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/letter/documents/Letter-English.pdf
Susan Ryan sits down with Terry Fulmer, president and CEO of the John A. Hartford Foundation. Terry holds master’s and doctoral degrees from Boston College, and her Geriatric Nurse Practitioner Post-Master’s Certificate from NYU. She serves as the chief strategist for the Foundation, and is fueled by her passion for older adults, exceptional visionary skills, and preponderance for action.
Terry and Susan explore that history of the foundation and their priority areas, including a look at Age-Friendly Health Systems, why they are important, and where to find valuable and practical resources for consumers.
Terry talks about the COVID-19 crisis, the foundation’s response to it, and her experience serving on the Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes. She also offers some provocative ideas for elevating eldercare—asking “why not,” and “what if.” As a woman of action, Terry believes it’s time speak up and speak out in order to find solutions.
Find out more about the John A. Hartford Foundation here: https://www.johnahartford.org/
In this recap Marla and Mary highlight key concepts revealed in Episode 50 where Susan Ryan sat down with Deke Cateau, CEO of A.G. Rhodes, a non-profit long-term care organization with three communities in Georgia. Deke discusses the challenges of the COVID crisis, the personal grief he has experienced as his community endured the pandemic, and the resolve of leadership to curtail the spread of the infection.
In this recap it’s a “Back to Basics” look at leadership, relationships and what COVID has taught us. Deke spoke passionately about each of those topics. Marla gives us some insight into his quotes from military leaders and his belief that COVID is a war. We discuss his unique reference to a “double pandemic” – the COVID crisis and racism. We discuss how Deke lead his team and the introspection the organization ultimately needed to undergo.
Find out more about leadership and management in a crisis here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/07/17/management-in-crisis-the-best-leadership-style-to-adopt-in-times-of-crisis/?sh=4e8545317cb4
Susan Ryan sits down with Deke Cateau, CEO of A.G. Rhodes, a non-profit long-term care organization with three communities in Georgia. Deke discusses the challenges of the COVID crisis, the personal grief he has experienced as his community endured the pandemic, and the resolve of leadership to curtail the spread of the infection.
Deke shares why he believes truth and transparency in communication are key to gaining public trust, and how that strategy played out during the crisis.
Deke, a native of Trinidad, calls himself a double minority, and he offers unique perspectives on what he describes as a “double pandemic” – the COVID crisis and racism.
Finally, he envisions a better future and issues a call to action to a wide stakeholder group that addresses our biggest challenges and systemic flaws.
Find out more about A.G. Rhodes here: https://www.agrhodes.org/
In this recap episode, Marla and Mary discuss the insights offered by Susan Ryan’s conversation with Scott Townsley, a senior living professional with more than 30 years of experience in the field. Scott has worked with hundreds of organizations across the country as they have grappled with how to successfully navigate and drive change. He serves as a professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Erickson School of Aging Studies, where he teaches strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
In this recap, we discuss Scott’s comment about the “spit shine of status quo,” why long-term care needs a new mindset, and why we need to look at the world the way horses do! Marla also discusses confirmation bias, and asks whether you will be someone who disrupts or is disrupted? She explores a book by Josh Linkner entitled, “The Road to Reinvention: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation”.
Find out more about the book by Josh Linkner here: https://joshlinkner.com/the-road-to-reinvention/
Susan Ryan sits down with Scott Townsley, who has more than 30 years of experience in the senior living field and has worked with hundreds of organizations across the country as they have grappled with how to successfully navigate and drive change. He serves as a professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Erickson School of Aging Studies, where he teaches strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
In 2016, Scott co-founded the Center for Innovation, a nonprofit entity that happens to be the sponsor for The Green House Project.
As a teacher of entrepreneurship in the field of eldercare, Scott has a propensity for asking provocative questions and probing prevailing traditional thinking. This episode is no exception as he tackles an industry responding to a pandemic and envisioning a post-COVID world.
Scott challenges us to leverage the critical opportunity for radical change afforded by the crisis and talks about the role that leadership and the right mindset can play in effecting lasting and meaningful transformation.
Find out more about Scott’s company Trilogy Connect, here: www.trilogyconnect.com.
To kickoff 2021, Mary and Marla offer their takeaways from each episode of Elevate Eldercare. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to all of the podcasts, this recap will give you insight into each podcast hosted by Susan Ryan in 2020.
We hope you enjoy our reminiscing and look forward to our continued recaps in 2021 in “Let Me Say This About That”.
Click here for to find the Elevate Eldercare podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevate-eldercare/id1524700411?ign-itscg=30200&ign-itsct=podcast_box
Susan Ryan sits down with Jonathan Evans, MD, a physician, geriatrician, and epidemiologist, to address questions and concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Evans’ career has focused on the care of people in nursing homes and other residential care settings, as well as the care and support of people living with dementia and their caregivers. For most of 2020, his time has been spent protecting residents of senior living from COVID-19 and supporting the long-term care workforce.
Dr. Evans describes the two vaccines that are currently available and authorized for use in the U.S. He talks about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, their side effects, and who should and who should not get it.
Dr. Evans addresses the myths that are circulating about the vaccine and why he is looking forward to receiving it this month. He provides reputable and credible sources to find accurate information.
See Dr. Evans testify in front of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging in 2011 on the use of antipsychotic drug use in nursing homes: https://www.c-span.org/video/?302927-1/antipsychotic-drug-prescriptions-nursing-homes#
In the final episode of 2020, Susan Ryan sits down with activist and writer, Ashton Applewhite. Her passion and focus are tackling ageism and its insidious penetration into the fabric of society. Ashton is the author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism and a TED mainstage speaker. Her manifesto was listed as one of the “100 Best Books to Read at Every Age” by the Washington Post, and named one of “10 Books to Help You Foster a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace” by Forbes.
Mary and Marla take a closer look at how Ashton connects ageism and ableism and how there is much to learn from the disability culture. Marla explores the happiness curve and how poignancy is connected to this insight as we age.
Finally, we review some tangible takeaways provided by Ashton that will be good first steps in combatting ageism.
Click here for information on the Happiness Curve: https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/scientists-just-discovered-mid-life-crisis-peaks-at-age-47-heres-how-to-minimize-effect-of-happiness-curve.html
Click here for information on Poignancy: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2807633/
Click here for information on Old School: https://oldschool.info/
In the final episode of 2020, Susan Ryan sits down with activist and writer, Ashton Applewhite. Her passion and focus are tackling ageism and its insidious penetration into the fabric of society. Ashton is the author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism and a TED mainstage speaker. Her manifesto was listed as one of the “100 Best Books to Read at Every Age” by the Washington Post, and named one of “10 Books to Help You Foster a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace” by Forbes.
Susan and Ashton dive deeply into the topic of ageism and how it cuts (and divides) both ways and across generations. They examine the ‘U curve of happiness’ and how to dismantle the existing cultural myths associated with growing older.
Finally, Ashton looks at ageism and ableism through the lens of COVID-19 and how the pandemic has glaringly exposed the attitudes, behaviors, and systemic flaws that have been around us all the time.
Watch Ashton’s 2017 TED Talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/ashton_applewhite_let_s_end_ageism
Follow her on Twitter here: @thischairrocks
Susan Ryan sits down with Daniella Greenwood, an international speaker, consultant, and author specializing in human rights policy and practices within aged care. Daniella, who is based in Victoria, Australia, is a staunch advocate for relational and social approaches that maximize freedom, self-determination, and choice for elders.
In this recap Mary and Marla take a deeper dive into some of Daniella’s thought-provoking new mandates for the care of older adults. Marla takes a closer look at how Daniella defines a human rights practical model in residential care by sharing her takeaways from reviewing a presentation Daniella did for Dementia Alliance International. We discuss what is included in this human rights framework and what the barriers are moving forward. Daniella is extremely open and honest about her work in the aged care system in Australia and we think you will be enlightened too.
Click here for more information on “A Human Rights Perspective on Aged Care”: https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/system/files/2020-06/AWF.500.00267.0002.pdf
Susan Ryan sits down with Daniella Greenwood, an international speaker, consultant, and author specializing in human rights policy and practices within aged care. Daniella, who is based in Victoria, Australia, is a staunch advocate for relational and social approaches that maximize freedom, self-determination, and choice for elders.
Daniella shares incredibly provocative insights that should give us reason to embrace our shared humanity and the opportunities that await us. She has developed relationship-focused approaches to providing care and support, including a dedicated staffing model that enables staff to work with the same small group of residents every time they come to work.
In addition, Daniella explains why she believes the eldercare “culture change” movement hasn’t gone far enough, in addition to describing the system failures that often produce meaningless care plans that few read.
Watch Daniella’s recent webinar with Dementia Alliance International titled Human Rights as a Practice Model in Residential Aged Care”: https://youtu.be/kHkCOUNyRIM
In this week’s episode, Susan talked with good friend, fellow nurse Anne Ellett. Anne is a certified nurse practitioner and founder of Memory Care Support, where she provides private consultation to individual families seeking the best in care for their loved ones living with dementia.
In this recap Marla and Mary take a closer look at Anne’s work through the lens of the four core principles of Best Life, the Green House approach to people living with dementia, authored by Anne. Both of us have taught with Anne, so we enjoyed the opportunity to share our perspective on her dedication to elders.
The Power of Normal is one of the principles of Best Life, and Marla takes a deeper dive into normalization. She cites Wolf Wolfensberger and his work in the field. You will enjoy her insight on the topic.
For more information on the Green House Best Life program: https://www.thegreenhouseproject.org/solutions/Best_Life_Memory_Care
Learn more about Wolf Wolfensberger on Normalization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdQAFPAktR0
In this episode, Susan Ryan sits down with her good friend and fellow nurse, Anne Ellett, a certified nurse practitioner and founder of Memory Care Support, a company that provides private consultation to individual families seeking the best in care for their loved ones living with dementia.
Prior to founding Memory Care Support, Anne held the position of senior vice president of health services for Silverado Senior Living for more than ten years. It was in this role that Susan met Anne and readily resonated with her philosophy for supporting people living with dementia (PLWD) and her quest for normalcy and dignity, which led to Anne’s development of a memory care approach for The Green House Project. Known as Best Life, the approach has now been integrated into the fabric of Green House education to equip care teams with everything necessary to engender quality of life experiences for people living with dementia.
Anne and Susan discuss the significant role of advocacy in challenging stigmas and stereotypes that prevail and devalue older adults, especially those living with dementia. She talks about the need to confront and shift beliefs and perspectives in order to fully see and understand PLWD and deliver individualized approaches that integrate and engage the person with real life.
Connect with Anne Ellett on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-ellett-12b41213
Learn about her work with Memory Care Support here: https://memorycaresupport.com
In this week’s episode, Al Power sits down again with Susan Ryan. Al is an internationally recognized dementia expert whose books, Dementia Beyond Drugs and Dementia Beyond Disease, are must reads for anyone supporting people living with dementia. His astute insights and expertise provide a voice of clarity that provokes us to think differently and apply approaches that value the unique needs of each person.
In this recap Marla and Mary take a closer look at Al’s work at St. John’s in Rochester and why he says it “became my lab for doing culture change”. He is most proud of the work that continues at St. John’s and why he was so pleased that he could move his mom into the Penfield Green House homes.
You might be surprised to learn that instead of becoming a geriatrician Al almost dedicated his career to music. Marla explores his latest music venture with singer/co-writer Anne Hills. The new album is called “Accidental August”, and you’ll enjoy hearing a bit of the music and what the lyrics include.
We also explore Al’s passionate comments about society and COVID-19 and how “we have totally medicalized and pathologized the lives of people with dementia”.
For more information on Al’s recent music with Anne Hills: www.annehills.com
Read more about St. John’s and the Penfield Green House homes: https://pressfrom.info/us/lifestyle/health-fitness/-567274-keeping-the-pandemic-at-bay-in-small-group-nursing-homes.html
In this week’s episode, Al Power sits down again with Susan Ryan. Al is an internationally recognized dementia expert whose books, Dementia Beyond Drugs and Dementia Beyond Disease, are must reads for anyone supporting people living with dementia. His astute insights and expertise provide a voice of clarity that provokes us to think differently and apply approaches that value the unique needs of each person.
While this week’s episode was recorded at the end of September 2020 and the discussion included some sobering statistics for COVID-related deaths among residents and staff in long-term care for the months of July and August. Al shares his thoughts on the especially harsh impact the coronavirus has had on people living with dementia and the associated ageism, ableism, stereotypes, and inequities in the system that exacerbate these challenges.
He also examines the devastating social isolation and loneliness that have occurred in nursing homes and offers candid perspectives and parameters for making decisions and negotiating risk for resuming visitation and fostering social connections.
Follow Dr. Power on Twitter: @AlPower12
The essential theme of this recap episode is “Rethinking our Approaches and our Mindset.” Marla and Mary review the 37th episode of Elevate Eldercare with Susan Ryan and her good friend, Dr. Emi Kiyota. Emi is an environmental gerontologist and organizational culture change specialist.
She is also the founder and director of Ibasho, an approach that seeks to make communities more inclusive and resilient by empowering elders.
Both of us were fascinated by Emi’s insight and unique perspective on the role of elders through co-designing socially integrated and resilient communities with elders both in developed countries and in developing parts of the world.
Marla calls Emi a “real thinker” and explores why each of us should be taking time to think! Find out more about the Ibasho café and what is included in the eight Ibasho principles.
Learn more about Emi here: https://www.gbhi.org/profiles/emi-kiyota
Read more about taking time to reflect: https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/the-two-hour-rule-taking-time-to-think
In today’s episode, Susan Ryan engages her good friend, Dr. Emi Kiyota, an internationally recognized thought leader on issues relating to healthy aging, in a conversation about the importance of multi-generational design, the value of reciprocity, and creating opportunities for elders to give back to their communities.
Emi is the founder of Ibasho, an approach that seeks to make communities more inclusive and resilient by empowering elders. Emi describes the Ibasho concept, how it came to be, the critical elements for success, both in design and philosophy, its global reach, and her work in bringing the concept to the United States.
Finally, Emi and Susan talk about COVID-19 and its profound global challenges, not the least of which is the tension that exists between mitigating the spread of the virus with good infection control measures, and the critical need for elders to be socially connected.
For more information on Ibasho: https://ibasho.org/
Connect with Emi here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emi-kiyota-47a02410/
In this recap, Marla and Mary discuss the 35th episode of Elevate Eldercare where Susan Ryan sits down with her good friend and colleague, Mike Belleville. After a career in telecommunications and as a member of the Rhode Island National Guard for over a decade, Mike was diagnosed with early onset dementia.
While devastating, Mike has not let the diagnosis define him. He currently serves on the board of directors for Dementia Action Alliance and the Council on Aging.
Mike is adamant about using his voice to encourage and advocate for others and challenge beliefs and stigmas about people living with dementia.
Marla and Mary take a deeper dive into Mike’s “Four Myths of Dementia.” He initially delivered that message at a Green House Annual Meeting in 2018 and recently updated it for a special presentation to Green House partners. Find out why a line from one of Mike’s favorite movies is his motto these days. And Mary talks about why a driving simulator created such a memorial moment for Mike and why you should never assume you know what might be meaningful to someone.
Mike’s “Four Myths of Dementia” presentation: https://youtu.be/YS8KKGPrh-o