Elevate Eldercare

In this recap episode, Marla and Mary discuss the insights offered by Susan Ryan's conversation with Scott Townsley, a senior living professional with more than 30 years of experience in the field. Scott has worked with hundreds of organizations across the country as they have grappled with how to successfully navigate and drive change. He serves as a professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County's Erickson School of Aging Studies, where he teaches strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

In this recap, we discuss Scott's comment about the "spit shine of status quo," why long-term care needs a new mindset, and why we need to look at the world the way horses do! Marla also discusses confirmation bias, and asks whether you will be someone who disrupts or is disrupted? She explores a book by Josh Linkner entitled, "The Road to Reinvention: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation".

Find out more about the book by Josh Linkner here: https://joshlinkner.com/the-road-to-reinvention/

Susan Ryan sits down with Scott Townsley, who has more than 30 years of experience in the senior living field and has worked with hundreds of organizations across the country as they have grappled with how to successfully navigate and drive change. He serves as a professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County's Erickson School of Aging Studies, where he teaches strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

In 2016, Scott co-founded the Center for Innovation, a nonprofit entity that happens to be the sponsor for The Green House Project.

As a teacher of entrepreneurship in the field of eldercare, Scott has a propensity for asking provocative questions and probing prevailing traditional thinking. This episode is no exception as he tackles an industry responding to a pandemic and envisioning a post-COVID world.

Scott challenges us to leverage the critical opportunity for radical change afforded by the crisis and talks about the role that leadership and the right mindset can play in effecting lasting and meaningful transformation.

Find out more about Scott's company Trilogy Connect, here: www.trilogyconnect.com.

To kickoff 2021, Mary and Marla offer their takeaways from each episode of Elevate Eldercare. If you haven't had a chance to listen to all of the podcasts, this recap will give you insight into each podcast hosted by Susan Ryan in 2020.

We hope you enjoy our reminiscing and look forward to our continued recaps in 2021 in "Let Me Say This About That".

Click here for to find the Elevate Eldercare podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevate-eldercare/id1524700411?ign-itscg=30200&ign-itsct=podcast_box

Susan Ryan sits down with Jonathan Evans, MD, a physician, geriatrician, and epidemiologist, to address questions and concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Evans' career has focused on the care of people in nursing homes and other residential care settings, as well as the care and support of people living with dementia and their caregivers. For most of 2020, his time has been spent protecting residents of senior living from COVID-19 and supporting the long-term care workforce.

Dr. Evans describes the two vaccines that are currently available and authorized for use in the U.S. He talks about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, their side effects, and who should and who should not get it.

Dr. Evans addresses the myths that are circulating about the vaccine and why he is looking forward to receiving it this month. He provides reputable and credible sources to find accurate information.

See Dr. Evans testify in front of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging in 2011 on the use of antipsychotic drug use in nursing homes: https://www.c-span.org/video/?302927-1/antipsychotic-drug-prescriptions-nursing-homes#

In the final episode of 2020, Susan Ryan sits down with activist and writer, Ashton Applewhite. Her passion and focus are tackling ageism and its insidious penetration into the fabric of society. Ashton is the author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism and a TED mainstage speaker. Her manifesto was listed as one of the "100 Best Books to Read at Every Age" by the Washington Post, and named one of "10 Books to Help You Foster a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace" by Forbes.

Mary and Marla take a closer look at how Ashton connects ageism and ableism and how there is much to learn from the disability culture. Marla explores the happiness curve and how poignancy is connected to this insight as we age.

Finally, we review some tangible takeaways provided by Ashton that will be good first steps in combatting ageism.

Click here for information on the Happiness Curve: https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/scientists-just-discovered-mid-life-crisis-peaks-at-age-47-heres-how-to-minimize-effect-of-happiness-curve.html

Click here for information on Poignancy: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2807633/

Click here for information on Old School: https://oldschool.info/

In the final episode of 2020, Susan Ryan sits down with activist and writer, Ashton Applewhite. Her passion and focus are tackling ageism and its insidious penetration into the fabric of society. Ashton is the author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism and a TED mainstage speaker. Her manifesto was listed as one of the "100 Best Books to Read at Every Age" by the Washington Post, and named one of "10 Books to Help You Foster a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace" by Forbes.

Susan and Ashton dive deeply into the topic of ageism and how it cuts (and divides) both ways and across generations. They examine the 'U curve of happiness' and how to dismantle the existing cultural myths associated with growing older.

Finally, Ashton looks at ageism and ableism through the lens of COVID-19 and how the pandemic has glaringly exposed the attitudes, behaviors, and systemic flaws that have been around us all the time.

Watch Ashton's 2017 TED Talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/ashton_applewhite_let_s_end_ageism

Follow her on Twitter here: @thischairrocks

Susan Ryan sits down with Daniella Greenwood, an international speaker, consultant, and author specializing in human rights policy and practices within aged care. Daniella, who is based in Victoria, Australia, is a staunch advocate for relational and social approaches that maximize freedom, self-determination, and choice for elders.

In this recap Mary and Marla take a deeper dive into some of Daniella's thought-provoking new mandates for the care of older adults. Marla takes a closer look at how Daniella defines a human rights practical model in residential care by sharing her takeaways from reviewing a presentation Daniella did for Dementia Alliance International. We discuss what is included in this human rights framework and what the barriers are moving forward. Daniella is extremely open and honest about her work in the aged care system in Australia and we think you will be enlightened too.

Click here for more information on "A Human Rights Perspective on Aged Care": https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/system/files/2020-06/AWF.500.00267.0002.pdf

Susan Ryan sits down with Daniella Greenwood, an international speaker, consultant, and author specializing in human rights policy and practices within aged care. Daniella, who is based in Victoria, Australia, is a staunch advocate for relational and social approaches that maximize freedom, self-determination, and choice for elders.

Daniella shares incredibly provocative insights that should give us reason to embrace our shared humanity and the opportunities that await us. She has developed relationship-focused approaches to providing care and support, including a dedicated staffing model that enables staff to work with the same small group of residents every time they come to work.

In addition, Daniella explains why she believes the eldercare "culture change" movement hasn't gone far enough, in addition to describing the system failures that often produce meaningless care plans that few read.

Watch Daniella's recent webinar with Dementia Alliance International titled Human Rights as a Practice Model in Residential Aged Care": https://youtu.be/kHkCOUNyRIM

In this week's episode, Susan talked with good friend, fellow nurse Anne Ellett. Anne is a certified nurse practitioner and founder of Memory Care Support, where she provides private consultation to individual families seeking the best in care for their loved ones living with dementia.

In this recap Marla and Mary take a closer look at Anne's work through the lens of the four core principles of Best Life, the Green House approach to people living with dementia, authored by Anne. Both of us have taught with Anne, so we enjoyed the opportunity to share our perspective on her dedication to elders.

The Power of Normal is one of the principles of Best Life, and Marla takes a deeper dive into normalization. She cites Wolf Wolfensberger and his work in the field. You will enjoy her insight on the topic.

For more information on the Green House Best Life program: https://www.thegreenhouseproject.org/solutions/Best_Life_Memory_Care

Learn more about Wolf Wolfensberger on Normalization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdQAFPAktR0

In this episode, Susan Ryan sits down with her good friend and fellow nurse, Anne Ellett, a certified nurse practitioner and founder of Memory Care Support, a company that provides private consultation to individual families seeking the best in care for their loved ones living with dementia.

Prior to founding Memory Care Support, Anne held the position of senior vice president of health services for Silverado Senior Living for more than ten years. It was in this role that Susan met Anne and readily resonated with her philosophy for supporting people living with dementia (PLWD) and her quest for normalcy and dignity, which led to Anne's development of a memory care approach for The Green House Project. Known as Best Life, the approach has now been integrated into the fabric of Green House education to equip care teams with everything necessary to engender quality of life experiences for people living with dementia.

Anne and Susan discuss the significant role of advocacy in challenging stigmas and stereotypes that prevail and devalue older adults, especially those living with dementia. She talks about the need to confront and shift beliefs and perspectives in order to fully see and understand PLWD and deliver individualized approaches that integrate and engage the person with real life.

Connect with Anne Ellett on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-ellett-12b41213

Learn about her work with Memory Care Support here: https://memorycaresupport.com