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The Aging Journey can be challenging...let us be your guide.™

 
Published Article by Sally Abrahms, WSJ


Upcoming Events:

June 17-19, 2015

Hyde Park, NY

 

Age of Disruption Tour

October 5-November 6, 2015

30 Cities

 

National Village Gathering

October 5-7, 2015

Seattle, WA

 

Connected Health Conference

October 29-30, 2015

Boston, MA

 

Aging 2.0 AgeTech Expo

November 19-20, 2015

San Francisco, CA

 

 

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FOR YOUR HEALTH

 

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Brain Cancer Research

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June 2015

Dear Friends, 
 

 

In May, I attended the Aging 2.0 Global Innovation Summit in San Francisco, a city whose heart beats with innovation. Although I typically limit time spent attending conferences, I went to support the work of friends Stephen Johnston and Dr. Katy Fike, who brilliantly are building a global ecosystem in Aging. It was a fabulous event - informative, purposeful and just plain fun.  I was greeted by Stephen and Lars Roemheld, a Stanford graduate student and entrepreneur working with Aging 2.0 for the summer. Lars demonstrated a special skill in inflating the ubiquitous orange Aging 2.0 balloons, an initiation rite, I presume. I was followed throughout the exhibit hall by Relay, a robot who soon will be delivering room service at your hotel and in your mother's assisted living community. I was inspired by a keynote from 91 year old Barbara Knickerbocker Beskind, hired in her late 80s as a designer for Ideo, one of the hottest jobs in the Valley. I laughed aloud as Stephen and Dr. Karyn Skultety danced to "Happy" on stage, appreciating their upbeat way to raise money to save the Friendship Line, a hotline created by the Institute on Aging to prevent the serious unspoken reality of elder suicide. I was impressed by Katy herself, just a few weeks away from delivering her first child, as she underscores what the data prove and we all know: this is what happens when women lead. So, bravo to Stephen (@sdbj) and Katy (@katy_thomas) two forces of nature!  If their work interests you, get involved. Join one of their Chapters, apply to their Academy, or plan to meet them in November at the Age Tech Conference. Over the summer, I'll blog and tweet more about all the folks I met and the useful products I found at the Summit. 

 

Some of you reading this newsletter can't share my excitement because you are currently overwhelmed by the needs of a family member. Take comfort knowing that your voice is being heard by leaders and innovators across the globe working feverishly to improve how we care for aging relatives. You're not alone. If you need help, please call, text or email us. Your health matters to us, too.

 

Keep well and in touch. Here's the news,

 

Jan

Attention Boomers: Pay Now or Pay Later 


 

Recently friend Sally Abrahms published an article in the Wall Street Journal about the trend among Baby Boomers to update their homes in order to Age in Place. If you or your relatives haven't considered doing so, perhaps this report by Genworth about the cost of alternatives will persuade you to act soon.
 
Sally is one of a handful of professional writers who has made healthy aging the focus of work. Included among her many accomplishments is a chapter in a life-affirming book entitled Not Your Mother's Retirement, an ideal gift for a 50+ birthday. Watch for Sally's by-line at AARP, the Huffington Post and other national publications. Follow her @sallyabrahms.

 He's Baaack! 

 

And this time, he's Changing Aging. Geriatrician Dr. Bill Thomas, founder of the Eden Alternative and The Green House Project has been on his Age of Disruption Tour challenging audiences to explore life beyond Adulthood, a stage that he calls Elderhood. "What if everything we think we know about aging is wrong?" he asks provocatively. Get inspired to help your relatives, clients and patients embrace longevity. Read his latest book, Second Wind, watch his TED talkand follow @drbillthomas.  

New Name, Still Serving Families

 

Years ago, I met my first geriatric care manager, a social worker employed as an independent business owner who is paid privately to assist families with elder care or transitions to alternative housing communities. She belonged to the "National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers," an unwieldy name. Recently, the Association upgraded its website and rebranded to be the Aging Life Care Association. A better name? You decide. Regardless, the organization remains one of a few where families may find competent, trustworthy assistance. Contact us if you need recommendations.

Housing: Who Advocates for  the Residents? 

 

74 million Baby Boomers are entering Elderhood and they won't Age Quietly. While most will age in place, some will transition to Assisted Living or Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs). The latter require a significant financial investment upfront with care services provided later in a resident's aging process. Concerned about the financial stability of these entities and the absence of regulations, one advocacy group, the National Continuing Care Residents' Association has formed and is gaining momentum. With affiliates in nine states and more joining the network, their mission is to assure that "their communities are well-managed and properly regulated."  If your parents or grandparents are in a CCRC, have them check out this organization. Yes, indeed. The Boomers are Coming! 

 

Got Health? Give.

 

Graduations. Reunions. Weddings. Father's Day. June is filled with family gatherings and opportunities to walk, run, golf or cycle to support organizations focused on health. The side bar lists a few of our favorites. Post yours on our Facebook page or LinkedIn group. We want to support your favorite causes, too.

Off the Road

 

I wrapped up my speaking schedule for the summer with my reunion program about Aging Parents at Harvard Business School. It is a privilege to lead what has been one of the most popular sessions for the past five years, a tribute to the many distinguished alumni/ae, including Matt Beecher and Dr. Chuck Gibson, who share their insights, and the brilliance of Stephen Spano, Esq., whose legal knowledge and comedic timing enriches each conversation. Years ago I wrote the Silent Workplace Crisis, saying it was time for business leaders to  #breakthesilence about the challenges of supporting our older relatives so that we could fix the elder ecosystem. Today, I see so many positive forces converging to do just that. And, together, we're making tremendous strides. Stay tuned to the fall and new programs we've created for families, professionals and clinicians. On we go... 

Connecting Families � Professionals � Entrepreneurs � Non-Profit Leaders

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