Elevate Eldercare

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 every...

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, ch...

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. He...

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...

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 elde...

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. Al...

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...

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 a...

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 vi...

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...

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 podcas...

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 desc...

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...

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 fasc...

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 Univ...

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...

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 ab...

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, w...

In a n 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. I n 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. B...

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....

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 diversit...

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...

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 reg...

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 model international with the opening of new homes in Australia , further integrating the GHP and Pioneer Network communities , and gathering the...

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...