Elevate Eldercare

"Technology empowers, technology engages, and it is an enabler", says Sheri Rose, the CEO and executive director of the Thrive Center, a non-profit innovation center focused on wellness and aging located in Louisville, Ky. What do think about virtual reality for pain? What about an app for your phone for hearing loss? These are just a couple of the innovations you learn about at the Thrive Center....

Sheri Rose is the CEO and executive director of the Thrive Center, a non-profit innovation center focused on wellness and aging located in Louisville, Ky. She was named by Louisville Business First as "Top 20 People to Know in Aging" and was recognized by HealthTech Magazine as one of three women to know in health IT. In this episode, Sheri talks about why the Thrive Center exists, how it came to...

The early epicenter of COVID-19 was New York City and it was hit hard. In this recap of episode #21 with Dr. Jeffrey Farber, Marla and I unpack how the leader of The New Jewish Home in New York City took on the enormous challenges of COVID-19. Dr. Farber, president and CEO of The New Jewish Home in New York City, a health system for older adults that serves more than 10,000 clients annually throug...

Susan Ryan sits down with Dr. Jeffrey Farber, president and CEO of The New Jewish Home in New York City, a health system for older adults that serves more than 10,000 clients annually through a diverse portfolio of services that includes short-term rehabilitation, long-term skilled nursing, low-income housing, day programs, and home health and care management programs across three campuses in Bron...

In this week's recap, Mary and I talk about Susan Ryan's conversation with Walter Coffey and David Sprowl, managing partners of an international consulting business. These two leaders in senior living departed a great deal of knowledge and wisdom about leadership, opportunities, and relationships. In addition, they offer a great list of books (some that I will be reading) that you may appreciate a...

Susan Ryan sits down with Walter Coffey and David Sprowl, managing partners of an international consulting business. Walter was formerly the CEO of LeadingAge Georgia and the Georgia Institute on Aging for 18 years and well known for his efforts in the eldercare culture change movement. David was the Executive Director of Lutheran Towers, located in midtown Atlanta, Ga., where he brought person-ce...

In this recap, Marla and I take a deeper dive into the 17th episode of Elevate Eldercare with Dr. Jennifer Carson, the director of the Dementia Engagement, Education and Research Program at the School of Community Health Sciences at University of Nevada, Reno, and Dr. Al Power, an internist, geriatrician, and Schlegel Chair in Aging and Dementia Innovation at the Schlegel University of Waterloo Re...

Susan Ryan sits down with Dr. Jennifer Carson, the director of the Dementia Engagement, Education and Research Program at the School of Community Health Sciences at University of Nevada, Reno, and Dr. Al Power is an internist, geriatrician, and Schlegel Chair in Aging and Dementia Innovation at the Schlegel University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging in Ontario, Canada. Both Jennifer and A...

In this recap, Mary and Marla examine the 15th episode of Elevate Eldercare with Jill Wilson and John Ponthie, two senior living providers that operate more small-house/Green House homes under their organizational umbrellas than any other Green House provider. Mary and Marla discuss how each explained the impact of COVID-19 on their organizations and the interesting variety of words they used to d...

Susan Ryan sits down with Jill Wilson and John Ponthie, two senior living providers that operate more small house/Green House homes under their organizational umbrellas than anyone anywhere. Jill Wilson is president and CEO of Otterbein Senior Life, a faith-based not-for-profit ministry based in Lebanon, Ohio, and John Ponthie is co-owner of Southeran Administrative Services, a Sherwood, Ark.-base...

In this recap, Mary and Marla examine the 13 th episode of Elevate Eldercare with David Grabowski, PhD, professor of health policy at Harvard Medical School. With the focus of Dr. Grabowski's discussion with Susan Ryan on COVID-19 and the impact it has had on nursing homes, Mary and Marla discuss the surprising results of one of his recent studies, the devaluation of long-term care staff, and solv...

Susan Ryan sits down with David Grabowski, PhD, professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School. As a longtime researcher in the long-term care field, Dr. Grabowski has dedicated his career to shaping policy and making a difference in the lives of elders. Recently, he was part of a research team that studied the characteristics of nursing homes impacted by the coronavirus in order to und...

In this recap of this week's episode with Howard Gleckman, Mary and I have a bit to say about that. In particular, we discuss his impressive knowledge of tax policy, funding, and long-term care and his ability to bring all those things together in a succinct and easily understandable way. We examine his views on a broken long-term care system, issues around staffing, and the challenges faced by fa...

In this episode, Susan Ryan talks with Howard Gleckman, a senior fellow at The Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., where he is affiliated with both the Tax Policy Center and the Program on Retirement Policy. Gleckman is the author of Caring for our Parents, a book that tells the stories of the families who struggle every day with the care needs of their loved ones. Susan and Howard discuss the CO...

From the words of Mary & Marla, hosts of the Friday Recap of this podcast: There was so much to learn and such rich complex issues to unpack in this episode that we took 18 minutes to do it. But we think it will all be worth it to you as we explore the history and origin of the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging and the complex issues addressed in the conversation between Susan and Karyne....

Susan Ryan sits down with Karyne Jones, president and CEO of the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging and NCBA Housing Management and Development Corporation. Together they unpack the many issues surrounding COVID-19 and the health disparities that exist among people of color. You will hear Karyne describe how her organization supported their communities during the crisis, including the Coron...

In this recap, Marla and Mary examine three components of the episode: the origin story of the Green House model, where The Green House Project is now, and what the future of eldercare might look like. From the first home built by Steve McAlilly's organization, Methodist Senior Services, in 2003, to today, Marla and Mary take a long view of discuss several the power of community and its relationsh...

Susan Ryan sits down with Dr. Bill Thomas, creator of the Green House model of nursing home care, and Steve McAlilly, president and CEO of Methodist Senior Services in Tupelo, Miss., the first organization to build a Green House home. You will hear Bill and Steve describe how Green House came to be, what precipitated the need for change, and how the two collaborated to create the first radically n...

Marla and Mary examine Tammy Marshall's unique look at impact of coronavirus pandemic on older adults and on the communities that her company, Thrive Senior Living, owns and operate. In the process, they explore salutogenic versus pathogenic approaches to care, wellbeing, and Atul Guwande's contribution to rethinking the safety narrative. Mary's takeaway is Tammy's exclamation to go back to the ba...

Susan sits down with Tammy Marshall, chief experience officer at Thrive Senior Living, a luxury provider of independent living, assisted living, and memory care in the eastern and southeastern United States.  Tammy's deep knowledge of nursing and aging services, unique approaches to care, and innovative perspectives frame her discussion with Susan as they unpack the impact of COVID-19 on Thrive re...

Mary and Marla deconstruct Dr. Wright's story of the devastating impact COVID-19 had at the Virginia nursing home where he serves as medical director. In examining his commitment to improving the lives of elders living with dementia, Mary and Marla discuss his commitment to changing the narrative about nursing homes by being transparent and steadfast in his messaging. They also explore Dr. Wright'...

Ryan sits down with Dr. James Wright, medical director of three nursing homes in Richmond, Va., to discuss his experience managing a tragic outbreak of COVID-19 early in the pandemic, how it has shaped his view of eldercare, and how he plans to improve it. Now in recovery phase of the outbreak, Dr. Wright reflects on how it affected his residents, the staff, and himself. He describes how he used t...

Susan Ryan is joined by Carol Silver Elliott, president and CEO of Jewish Home Family (JHF), a nonprofit aging services organization located in northern New Jersey. In this first episode of Elevate Eldercare, Carol's tenacity and acumen as a leader is evident as she describes how she took a chaotic crisis and applied strategic systems to create real solutions. She recounts poignant stories and the...

In the first Friday Recap of Elevate Eldercare, Mary and Marla break down Susan Ryan's interview with Carol Silver Elliott, president and CEO of The Jewish Home Family in Rockleigh, N.J. As they examine Carol's experience leading her team through the COVID crisis, Marla and Mary focus on several things: the crucible moment that COVID created, caring for staff and ensuring they had PPE, and the emp...

Nursing homes rarely garner positive attention, particularly from the media, and especially since the onset of COVID-19. It is within this context that The Green House Project has launched Elevate Eldercare, a podcast that seeks to speak up and out about the issues that have enabled a traditional system to continue and prevented society from going as far as we need to go. Our goal in this podcast...