Elevate Eldercare

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 Paul's outlook and gave him something to look forward to again. For Paul, music gave him something to look forward to. Rehearsals restored a sense of purpose and belonging, while singing familiar songs created opportunities for connection and engagement. At a time when Paul had been struggling deeply with his sense of meaning, the choir helped him reconnect with life.  More about Second Verse here: www.secondversechoir.org.    Giving Voice is another resource for starting a choir in your own community: www.givingvoicechorus.org.    For more information on AgingIN education opportunities: https://aginginnovation.org/solutions/education/ 

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 operating 20 communities across five states. Lynne discusses with Susan how culture, data, and innovation can transform senior living and improve outcomes.  In addition to sharing Juniper's experience using technology and evidence-based approaches to care, Lynne describes the company's Connect for Life care transitions program, which has dramatically reduced hospital readmissions.  At the heart of their conversation is Lynn's powerful redefinition of independence, which isn't about having no support, it's about having choice. She imagines a future where older adults have more options for how and where they live, with the community, resources, and support they need to live rich and meaningful lives. Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZl1Z6OTixU More about Juniper here: https://junipercommunities.com/. Learn more about AgingIN education here: https://aginginnovation.org/solutions/education/

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 nursing home renovation project in 1984 that sparked her lifelong commitment to understanding how the physical environment affects people living with dementia. She discusses the evolution of her research, the development of environmental assessment tools, and the founding of IDEAs Institute and SAGE. The conversation explores why research is essential to innovation, the importance of collaboration among providers, designers, regulators, and academics, and the shift from person-centered care toward person-directed care and self-directed living. Maggie also shares her vision for the future: replacing institutional environments with truly home-like settings—and challenging everyone involved in eldercare to experience those environments for themselves. Connect with Maggie here on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-calkins-848096b 

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 to safely improve stability at any age. This episode also examines how to train and improve balance, the connection between neuropathy and balance, and why maintaining balance is an important part of healthy aging.

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 the future of long-term care. Funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the project is working to increase the capacity of nursing homes to participate in meaningful clinical research shaped by the people who live and work in these communities every day. Joining the conversation are resident Lorraine Bingman, certified nursing assistant Troy Alexander, nursing home administrator Allison Myers, and geriatrician Nicole Osevala, MD. Together, they share how diverse perspectives are strengthening research, breaking down barriers created by technical language, and ensuring that innovation reflects the real experiences of residents and caregivers. More about the Empowering U.S. Nursing Homes project here: https://www.nursing.psu.edu/empoweringus/ More about AgingIN's upcoming purpose-driven conference here: https://aginginnovationconference.org/