Elevate Eldercare

Neurologist Doug Redosh, MD, and Up ENDing Parkinson's founder Molly Cupka join AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan to explore the powerful connection between exercise, climbing, confidence, and community. Doug shares his personal experience with Parkinson's and how climbing helped him reconnect with something he loved. Molly explains how one climber with Parkinson's inspired her to create Up ENDing Parkinson'...

Aging policy expert, author, and journalist Howard Gleckman joins AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan to explore the fragmented U.S. long-term care system, the challenges of financing care, the workforce crisis, and the limitations of the "aging in place" ideal.  Howard and Susan make make the case for aging in the right place, wherever a person can experience the care, autonomy, connection and community they...

Barbara Infante joins AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan to share how a family member's difficult rehabilitation experience led her from a 25-year career in process improvement and project management into aging services. Barb's secret sauce is about looking for what's working and sharing the ideas so others can build on them. Through her initiative, Eldercare Quest, she has taken to the road visiting aging se...

Lori Mars, director of the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), joins the show this week to explore elder abuse, ageism, and what can be done to prevent both. AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Lori to discuss the different forms of elder mistreatment, including physical, psychological, sexual, and financial abuse, as well as neglect and self-neglect, and why recognizing the signs matters.  L...

James Balda, president and CEO of Argentum, joins Elevate Eldercare this week to explore how senior living can help address some of the biggest challenges facing aging and long-term care.  Balda sits down with AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan to discuss his journey to Argentum and the organization's policy priorities, including developing stronger care workforce pipelines, expanding senior housing, and find...

What we eat plays a critical role in brain health, muscle strength, bone health, and healthy aging. In this episode of Brain Bytes, Kelly Tremblay talks with Jenny Overly, senior director of nutrition and wellness for CCL Hospitality Group, explore the mind-gut connection, the importance of whole foods, and what to know about protein as we age. They separate evidence-based nutrition guidance from...

In this week's episode, Kimberly Green, PhD, CEO of Sage Integrated Health, shares her fascinating story of 34 years of experience in eldercare. AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Kimberly to discuss how a life-changing accident reshaped her perspective and how her work with Sage has fueled a vision for more holistic, home-like communities. She explores integrated health, food as medicine, staf...

What happens when Parkinson's changes nearly everything you love to do? For Paul and Deanna Stroud, music became an unexpected path back to purpose, connection and joy. In this episode, the Strouds talk candidly about Parkinson's, grief, caregiving and the losses that come with changing abilities. They also share how the Second Verse Choir, a program for people living with dementia, transformed Pa...

In this episode, AgingIN CEO Susan sits down with Lynne Katzman, founder of Juniper, a senior living company based in New Jersey. Inspired by her Holocaust-survivor parents and entrepreneurial grandmother, Lynne has spent decades challenging conventional approaches to aging.  As the first woman-led senior living company, Juniper has evolved from its beginnings in 1988 to a growing organization ope...

What happens when we stop designing eldercare environments around institutions—and start designing them around people? In this episode, renowned researcher, architect, and eldercare innovator Maggie Calkins, PhD shares her journey from psychology to architecture and her pioneering work creating dementia-friendly environments. AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Maggie to reflect on an early nurs...

How does standing on one leg connect to brain health and longevity? In this episode of Brain Bytes, Kelly Tremblay talks with physical therapist Karen Stellick about the important relationship between balance, neurological health, mobility, and fall prevention. They explore the single-leg stance test, how the brain uses vision, the inner ear, and proprioception to maintain balance, and simple ways...

What happens when nursing home residents, direct care workers, administrators, clinicians, and researchers all have an equal seat at the table? In this episode of Elevate Eldercare, host Susan Ryan welcomes Liza Behrens, assistant professor at Penn State University, along with members of the Empowering U.S. Nursing Homes Community Advisory Board explore how person-centered research can transform t...

In this episode of Elevate Eldercare, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan welcomes David Skoczulek, vice president of business development and communications at iCare Health Network, for a conversation about providing compassionate care to some of the most underserved populations in long-term care.  Drawing on his background as a paramedic, David shares how empathy, communication, and human connection have sha...

  In recognition of World Brain Day, Dr. Kelly Tremblay explores why brain health requires a whole-person approach. She explains how hearing, vision, nutrition, mobility, and social connection all play critical roles in cognitive health, and why addressing these factors early can reduce the risk of dementia, falls, and other age-related challenges. Kelly also introduces the World Health Organizati...

What will it take to build a long-term care system that truly works for everyone? In this episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan welcomes Robert Espinoza, founder of the CareWorks Project, for a thought-provoking conversation about reimagining care through innovation, equity, and collaboration. Robert shares the personal experiences that shaped his career and introduces the concept of the "caregiving div...

What does it take to build communities where older adults can continue learning, connecting, and thriving? In this week's episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Sarah Cheney, Executive Director of Aging Forward, to explore how the organization is empowering older adults through lifelong learning, volunteer services, and neighbor-to-neighbor support. Sarah shares the personal experiences th...

AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Peter Kaldes, president and CEO of the Next50 Foundation, to explore how philanthropy can help transform the future of aging.  Peter shares his unconventional journey from attorney and public policy leader to one of the nation's leading advocates for older adults. He discusses Next50's mission to end ageism while investing in innovative solutions that help peo...

In this episode of Elevate Eldercare, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan welcomes Francis LeGasse Jr, co-founder and managing partner of Assured Senior Living, a growing network of small homes in Colorado, to discuss how intimate, relationship-centered living environments are transforming eldercare. Francis shares his personal journey into aging services, inspired by his family's experiences with dementia and...

Feeling sad after a loss, health change, or major life transition is a normal part of life. But depression is not a normal part of aging. In this episode of   Brain Bytes , Kelly Tremblay , PhD, explores how to distinguish between temporary low mood and clinical depression, highlighting common symptoms such as persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities, changes in sleep or appetite, and so...

In this episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with George Kutnerian, second-generation operator and co-founder of WellPoint e , a California-based organization operating 67 licensed small house assisted living locations. George shares the remarkable story of how his parents pioneered the residential assisted living model in Fresno, Cali f., in 1984 and how their vision has evolved into a scala...

In today's   episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan welcomes neuroscientist, audiologist, and educator Kelly Tremblay , PhD,   for a conversation about healthy aging, brain health, and the science behind longevity. Susan and Dr. Kelly also preview the upcoming   AgingIN Conference 2026   and its highly anticipated   Longevity Summit , where participants will explore the importance of knowing the differen...

For this week's episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Leslie Eber, MD, a board-certified internal medicine physician, certified medical director, and president of the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine ( PALT med). Her journey into the field of geriatrics was inspired by her father's commitment to humanitarian service.  Her role with PALTmed is helping to sha p e the futur...

What happens when we stop designing care around institutions and start designing it around people? In this week's episode , AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with internationally recognized dementia care innovator Eloy v an Hal, to answer this question. Drawing on decades of experience in the Netherlands, Eloy tells Susan how he helped move residents from traditional high-rise nursing homes into sm...

On this episode of Brain Bytes,   Kelly Tremblay , PhD,   explores the critical connection between balance, mobility, falls, and brain health. With falls ranking as the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths globally , especially among older adults , Dr. Kelly explains why prevention starts long before a fall occurs. The conversation highlights how physical activity in midlife and bey...

In this episode of   Elevate Eldercare , AgingIN CEO Susan sits down with   Otis Woods   for a candid and insightful conversation about the evolution of aging services, culture change, and the future of long-term care. Drawing from decades of leadership experience—from supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to directing the Wisconsin Department of Health Services ,...