Elevate Eldercare

This week on the podcast, Mary Munoz   sits down with AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan to share her extraordinary journey from a childhood shaped by incredible hardship to a successful 26-year career at   Ziegler , and , ultimately, to launching a mission-driven nonprofit focused on intergenerational connection and opportunity. Mary's journey reflects both personal courage and a deep commitment to helping o...

AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with   Paul Sharman , founder and president of PACE Canada,   to explore how integrated, community-based care can transform aging services. Paul shares his journey from engineering and corporate leadershi p   to public service and eldercare innovation after his mother's experience with dementia reshaped his perspective. Inspired by a visit to   a Detroit PACE site...

Music isn't just an activity ; it's a powerful tool for connection, dignity, and redefining what's possible for people living with dementia. This has been proven by Second Verse Choir, a community choir created for people living with dementia and their care partners, and the subject of this week's episode. AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Second Verse Co-Founders Anne Rigley and K ris Boggs t...

In this episode of   Elevate Eldercare ,   AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan interview s two of the top experts in dementia, Jennifer Carson, PhD,   and   Al Power, MD. Together, they examine some of the most entrenched and damaging practices in dementia care and what can be done to eliminate them. Drawing from clinical experience, research, and personal caregiving journeys, they unpack how the overuse of an...

In this episode of Brain Bytes , host Kelly Tremblay, PhD, neuroscientist and hearing and   brain   health   expert , examines the truth about screen time and eye health—what it does   and does n't   do to your vision. She explains why digital devices won't permanently damage the eyes, but can still cause real discomfort in the short term. The conversation expands into aging and vision loss, chall...

This week on Elevate Eldercare, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Tom Kamber, founder of Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) and Senior Planet, to explore how technology can empower older adults. Tom shares his journey from a young activist inspired by his father's library to a national leader in digital inclusion. After 9/11, he shifted his focus toward technology as a tool for social cha...

This week's episode features Mohammad Mahoor, p rofessor of c omputer sc ience at the University of Denver, where he leads research in artificial intelligence, computer vision, and social robotics . AgingIN CEO sits down with Mohammad to explore how artificial intelligence can support emotional well-being and cognitive health in aging. With a unique background spanning computer science, biomedical...

Sue Paul, an occupational therapist with more than 35 years of experience, joins  AgingIN  CEO Susan Ryan  to share her journey reimagining dementia care through the lens of brain health.    Reflecting on a time when Alzheimer's care was often institutional and limiting, Sue , who is senior director of  well being  and brain health for Asbury Communities,  developed a more proactive, person-center...

In this week's episode of Elevate Eldercare, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with   Beverly Gianna, who recently became a long-term   care   ombudsman after a three-decade career with the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, now known as New Orleans & Company. Having earned at least three master's degrees—one from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology— Beverly has become a   passiona...

In this episode of Brain Bytes, host Kelly Tremblay, PhD, neuroscientist and hearing and brain health expert, explores the powerful—and often overlooked—connection between hearing and the brain.  In recognition of World Hearing Day on March 3, Dr. Kelly sheds light on why hearing health is critical to overall well-being, especially for older adults. Hearing loss is one of the leading causes of yea...

In this week's episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan   sits down with industry leader   Lisa McCracken   to explore how data, innovation, and bold thinking are reshaping the future of eldercare. With more than 26 years of experience spanning   Holleran ,   Ziegler , and now   the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care , Lisa shares how research and analytics can drive access, affordabilit...

In this week's episode AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Amy Schectman , CEO of 2Life Communities, to explore   how   affordable   housing,   community   connection,   and   supportive   services   can   transform   the   experience   of   aging. She share s   insights   into   how   innovative   housing   mo dels are helping older adults thrive while remaining connected   to   their   communi...

In this week's episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Christie Hinrichs, president and CEO of Frasier, a life plan community in Boulder, Colo. , who shares her journey from growing up on a farm in rural Nebraska to pioneering the Green House model at Tabitha, a senior living community in Omaha, Neb. Throughout their conversation, Christie reflects on the experiences that shaped her commitm...

In this week's episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Mary C ay Durrant , founder of Leading Naturally. In this enlightening discussion, MaryCay s hares her journey from corporate leadership to developing nature-inspired practices that help organizations thrive. Drawing from her upbringing in North Dakota and a transformative personal awakening, MarCay challenges transactional workplace mo...

Introducing Brain Bytes , a new micro-cast h osted by Kelly Tremblay, PhD, neuroscientist, World Health Organization advisor, NIH grant reviewer, advocate, and professor. Brain Bytes features "byte"-sized nuggets of knowledge  aimed at making neuroscience accessible for the senior living world.  In each episode, which will air on the fourth Friday of each month, Dr. Tremblay will share research-ba...

This week on the podcast, AgingIN CEO, Susan Ryan, welcomes Kelly Tremblay, PhD, a neuroscientist, World Health Organization advisor, NIH grant reviewer, advocate, and professor. As a first-generation college student, Kelly's path was shaped by lived experience. Growing up with a father who had multiple sclerosis, she became an early advocate for accessibility and healthcare equity. At the   Unive...

In this episode, AgingIN CEO, Susan Ryan, sits down with Mary Naber, p resident and CEO of   PACE Southeast Michigan , to explore her remarkable leadership journey and the transformative potential of the PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) model of care. Mary shares how her career evolved from respiratory therapy into executive leadership . With degrees in psychology, business, an...

This week on the podcast, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan is joined by Susie Singer Carter, a f ilmmaker, advocate, and caregiver , who share s her deeply personal journey into caregiving—and how it transformed her life, her work, and her mission. Inspired by her mother 's 16-year battle with Alzheimer's disease, Susie recounts moving from "caregiver by surprise" to outspoken advocate for systemic reform i...

What if better care actually costs less? And what if technology is the bridge to get us there ? I n this episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan is joined in this week's episode by   Kim Brawley , regional vice president of   AgeWell Solvere Living , and   Stu Hamilton , CEO and founder of   Amba Health and Care , for a timely conversation about how technology—when implemented thoughtfully—can transform s...

In this episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with   Gautam Gulati, MD, physician, entrepreneur, producer, and "health artist ." Also known as " Dr. G, " his background makes for a wide-ranging discussion that bridges medicine, storytelling, real estate, and wellness design. He shares his unconventional journey from medical doctor to real estate professional and certified interior designer—and...

In this episode, Joe Jasm on , C EO of American Healthcare Manage ment and co-founder of Elevate Senior Living,   joins AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan on the podcast to share the origin story and philosophy behind Elevate, a mid-market senior housing model designed from the ground up around residents—not corporate overhead. Drawing on a career spanning hospitality, healthcare turnarounds, and senior livin...

In this episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with longtime senior living leader and consultant   Michele Holleran   for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, resident voice s , and why   brain health must become a strategic priority in senior living . A passionate advocate for leadership development, Michele discusses her role in initiatives such as the   Larry Minnix Leadership Academy...

In this episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Bob Kramer to explore a career shaped by purpose, perspective, and a deep commitment to improving the lives of older adults. Kramer reflects on his personal and professional journey—from his early work as a pastor, to leadership roles in government, to founding the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC)—and the values that...

In our final replay of 2025's most popular conversations, Lisa McCracken, head of research and analytics at the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC), sits down with AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan to discuss her organization's work to demystify the financial side of eldercare with data .  In what was a clear-eyed forecast of the year, McCracken examines how high-quality, third-party...

This week's replay , one of the most popular episodes of 2025 , features a profound conversation between Barry Barkan, visionary eldercare advocate and Pioneer Network co-founder , and AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan. The se longtime friends discuss reimagining aging and the transformative potential of community, spirit, and consciousness. Barkan shares his journey from founding the  Live Oak Institute  to...