Elevate Eldercare

Susan Ryan sat down with Roger Myers, president and CEO of Presbyterian Villages of Michigan (PVM). In this recap, Marla and Mary discuss how Roger became an early adopter of the Green House model, opening two homes in Redford, Mich.

Mary discusses why Myers was so amazed during the ceremony that was conducted when they turned the house over to the Shahbazim and elders. In addition, we look at how a PVM board of director member helped convince the union leaders about the importance of bringing the Green House model and empowered staff to their community.

Marla takes a deep dive into the Program for All Inclusive Care of the Elderly, or PACE, model, taking a look at its history, mission and scope of work. Roger believes PACE holds much promise for the future of senior living.

Marla explores Myers' comment about willing to take a risk as a leader and his appreciation for the PVM Board of Directors' ability to take measured, informed risks. She discusses the contents of an article entitled, "To Foster Innovation, Cultivate a Culture of Intellectual Bravery."

In addition, Mary and Marla offer some trivia for listeners. Hint: it has to do with the total number of podcasts produced to date. Mary was not even close with her response!

Read about the PACE program here: https://www.biophilicinstitute.com/

To Foster Innovation, Cultivate a Culture of Intellectual Bravery: https://hbr.org/2020/10/to-foster-innovation-cultivate-a-culture-of-intellectual-bravery

Information on the Green House Dementia Symposium here: https://files.constantcontact.com/e3eea0f5101/40485654-7e2c-4c75-8197-cd3b59f3dfec.pdf

Susan Ryan sits down with Roger Myers, president and CEO of Presbyterian Villages of Michigan, (PVM), headquartered in Southfield, Mich. He talks about bringing the first Green House homes to Michigan as the second organization in the nation to embrace the innovative model.

Myers talks about how the decision was made, balancing risk with pursuit of innovation, and the impact of the model on his team and the elders who live there. He shares the scope of services and geographical reach of PVM across the state, including the proliferation of the Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (known as PACE) and home- and community-based services options—initiatives and services that exemplify the guiding vision and values of the organization.

For those unfamiliar with PACE, Myers provides a snapshot today of what it is, why it's important, and what PVM is doing broadly to address affordability, accessibility, and diversity and inclusivity across the continuum. He goes on to describe the synergistic partnership that has brought a better quality of life experience to the Green House community located on the Detroit waterfront.

Follow Roger Myers on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-myers-9776225

Find out more about PVM's Green House community here: https://www.pvm.org/locations/the-thome-rivertown-neighborhood/the-weinberg-green-houses-at-thome-rivertown-neighborhood/?highlight=WyJ3ZWluYmVyZyJd

Information on the Green House Dementia Symposium here: https://files.constantcontact.com/e3eea0f5101/40485654-7e2c-4c75-8197-cd3b59f3dfec.pdf

Today we explore Serenbe, located in the hill country of South Fulton County, Georgia. It has been called a wellness sanctuary, an environmental prototype, an agrihood, even a utopia.

In Episode 87, Susan Ryan talked with Steve Nygren, founder, and CEO of Serenbe, a community created as a model to demonstrate that preserving 70 percent of green space interlaced with agriculture, housing, and retail is not only economically viable but is the future of community wellbeing.

In this recap, Marla highlights the many aspects of Serenbe, including the origin of the name. Mary explores the Biophilic Institute at the community and why the non-profit was established eight years ago. Both Mary and Marla share what they call "Steve-isms"—interesting perspectives that Steve has on life. Marla takes a closer look at his thoughts on fear, eldercare, purpose, and vitality.

We have often talked about meaningful life on this podcast and during this episode Marla discusses "Ikigai" and how it connects to the insights Steve shared during the podcast.

Thank you, VANCARE, our sponsor for the month of May. As a family-owned business for more than 30 years, VANCARE is the leading manufacturer of American-made ceiling and mobile floor lifts. You can find them at www.vancare.com.

Read about the Biophilic Institute here: https://www.biophilicinstitute.com/

The Philosophy of Ikigai: https://positivepsychology.com/ikigai/?utm_campaign=enormail&utm_source=enormail&utm_medium=email

Information on the Green House Dementia Symposium here: https://files.constantcontact.com/e3eea0f5101/40485654-7e2c-4c75-8197-cd3b59f3dfec.pdf

Susan Ryan sits down with Steve Nygren, founder and CEO of Serenbe, an award-winning biophilic community that connects people to nature and each other. Located in Chattahoochee Hills, Ga., each of Serenbe's hamlets has a complementary commercial center focused on the elements of a well-lived life: arts for inspiration, agriculture for nourishment, health for wellbeing, and education for awareness.

Serenbe has been called a wellness sanctuary, an environmental prototype, an agrihood, and even a utopia. Nygren, who has won awards for his work with Serenbe, paints a picture that illustrates its virtues and holistic value proposition as something that is just right for all generations. He expounds upon biophilic design and how that has informed this unique community, including the location of the Biophilic Institute within Serenbe.

Finally, he talks about a vision for eldercare within the context of meaningful human connections and with nature. He challenges everyone to bring new mindsets, words, and actions to work and mission to prioritize people.

The Green House Project (GHP), in its pursuit of the most cutting-edge thinking, research, and whole-person approaches to ensuring that all elders thrive, will host a dementia symposium this Sept. 13 and 14 at Serenbe.

"DementiaVerse: A New Frontier in Learning, Collaboration, & Scholarship," will feature Nygren as well other internationally respected leaders, such as Drs. Emi Kiyota, Jennifer Carson, Al Power, and Dale Bredesen, along with Health and Wellness Coach, Lisa Feiner, and founder of the Biophilic Institute, Bill Browning, as they challenge us to think differently and embrace a better way to support people living with dementia.

This hybrid event will offer limited space for participants to attend onsite. For more information, visit the GHP website at www.thegreenhouseproject.org.

Thank you, VANCARE, our sponsor for the month of May. As a family-owned business for more than 30 years, VANCARE is the leading manufacturer of American-made ceiling and mobile floor lifts. You can find them at www.vancare.com.

Read more about Serenbe here: www.serenbe.com.

Connect with Steve Nygren on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenygren

Today we explore episode 85, where Susan Ryan sat down with Joel Anderson, president & CEO of LifeStar Living, a senior living development services, management, and advisory company located in Sarasota, Fla. Anderson has spent his 26-year executive career in directing both non-profit and for-profit senior living organizations.

In this recap, Marla and Mary discuss the LifeStar Living organization and take a closer look at what it means to build a new brand. Anderson is trying to move the needle on senior living and build a brand that is different. What does that take and what is important to consumers?

Marla takes a deeper dive into workforce and what Anderson has to say about leadership and its responsibility. Mary discusses his perspective on COVID-19 and the creative side of what staff members can do when forced to make alternative plans.

Are you ready for a revival? Anderson says there needs to be a revival in the senior living arena. What does a revival mean and how does it relate to the senior living?

Unexpected topics for this episode of "Let Me Say This About That"!

Thank you, VANCARE, our sponsor for the month of May. As a family-owned business for more than 30 years, VANCARE is the leading manufacturer of American-made ceiling and mobile floor lifts. You can find them at www.vancare.com.

Read about 7 steps to revival here: https://www.wordsoflife.co.uk/bible-studies/study-7-seven-steps-to-revival/

The difference between leaders and managers: https://executivetechnology.wordpress.com/2014/03/08/differences-between-leaders-and-managers/

Susan Ryan sits down with her good friend, Joel Anderson, president & CEO of LifeStar Living, a senior living development services, management, and advisory company located in Sarasota, Fla. Anderson has spent his 26-year executive career in directing both non-profit and for-profit senior living organizations.

In this episode, he discusses the backstory to starting his new venture, LifeStar Living, in partnership with David Faulk, renowned sports agent for NBA all-star Michael Jordan, and how the philosophy and driving force of the organization is big on quality and impact. Anderson provides a snapshot of the organization's priorities, scope of services, and its geographical reach and future opportunities.

He believes in the power of relationships in connecting purpose to mission and building a brand that takes on an archaic model and delivers compelling senior living services that attract and retain a robust workforce.

Don't miss the end of the conversation to hear Anderson's vision and call to action to become part of changing the negative narrative about nursing homes and bring real transformation.

Find out more about The Green House Project here: www.thegreenhouseproject.org

Thank you, VANCARE, our sponsor for the month of May. As a family-owned business for more than 30 years, VANCARE is the leading manufacturer of American-made ceiling and mobile floor lifts. You can find them at www.vancare.com.

Find Joel Anderson on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelanderson1

This week on "Let Me Say This About That," Marla DeVries and Mary Hopfner-Thomas recap episode 83, which features a conversation between Susan Ryan and Tammy Marshall, founder and CEO of Biophilia Pharma, a company that explores the healing power between nature and humans, as well as the benefits of non-pharmacological approaches to wellbeing.

DeVries and Hopfner-Thomas take a deeper dive into the many topics that Marshall mentions in her conversation with Ryan. DeVries takes a closer look at the definition of biophilia and Attention Restoration Theory—including a study during the pandemic at Mount Sinai—and looks at soft fascination and rewilding.

They both explore biophilic design and its three categories and 15 patterns.

Read about Kaplan's Attention Restoration Theory here: https://positivepsychology.com/attention-restoration-theory/

14 Patterns of Biophilic Design: https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/reports/14-patterns/

Susan Ryan welcomes back Tammy Marshall, founder and CEO of Biophilia Pharma. Marshall's journey to wellness, as well as to establishing Biophilia Pharma, exemplifies her passion around exploring the healing connection between nature and humans.

In her first episode with Ryan, Marshall described a unique approach to addressing COVID cases and contrasted a 'salutogenic' vs pathogenic approach that optimizes health and well-being. In this episode, she provides a refresher of this conversation and takes a deeper into why this matters.

Marshall describes biophilic design, its history, and a bit of the research that demonstrates humans' hardwired need to connect with nature to support health and well-being. She further goes on to describe a lifestyle that is biophilic and why that's important.

Marshall is on a mission to help everyone think differently and it is within this context that The Green House Project is working with her on projects that will deepen the understanding of biophilic design, lifestyle, and emerging research that has the potential to boldly impact the field of aging services. This includes implementing tangible strategies that will leverage the abundance that nature has to offer in creating vitality.

As Aristotle once said, "In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous."

Find Tammy Marshall on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammy-l-marshall-0ba8b373/

Find out more about Biophilia Pharma here: https://www.biophiliapharma.com

On his LinkedIn profile, Michael Wasserman, MD, describes himself as a "Grampa, Father, Husband, Ironman, and Geriatrician." He is also someone with strong opinions about COVID and nursing homes.

In our recap of the Episode 81, in which Susan Ryan sits down with Dr. Wasserman, we take a deeper dive into the "Quadruple Aim" and the four areas it covers in light of the pandemic.

Dr. Wasserman calls himself a pragmatic idealist, a term that Marla examines the origin of, while Mary explores the difference between stakeholders and subject-matter experts. He offered that insight in light of the work he has done in California and at the federal level.

We also discuss a Health Affairs blog in which Wasserman talks about the money behind nursing homes and his thoughts on moving forward.

Read the Health Affairs blog here: https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20210208.597573/full/

McKnight's Long-Term Care News article on Infection Preventionists: https://www.mcknights.com/news/long-term-care-remains-in-the-dark-about-infection-preventionist-requirements/

The Quadruple Aim for COVID-19 response: https://files.constantcontact.com/e3eea0f5101/9c1b03fa-99bd-49df-a087-963ae70e7544.pdf

Susan Ryan sits down with Michael Wasserman, MD, a geriatrician who has devoted his career to serving the needs of older adults. He is the editor in chief of an upcoming textbook, Geriatric Medicine: A Person-Centered Evidence-Based Approach, and he was previously CEO of Rockport Healthcare Services. In this role, he oversaw the largest nursing home chain in California.

Dr. Wasserman is a sought-after expert and has been a frequent presence on television media, especially throughout the COVID crisis.

In addition to sharing his insights about the COVID crisis, Dr. Wasserman describes the importance of crisis management and how emergency preparedness can inform where we go in the future. He also talks about the need for transparency and accountability among providers and conveys his ideas for getting the right people together to tackle the challenges and find solutions while nursing homes are in the spotlight.

Finally, he shares his thoughts on elevating eldercare and the powerful role the medical director plays in ensuring quality experiences for residents.

Follow Dr. Wasserman on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/wassdoc?s=20