Elevate Eldercare

In this recap, Marla and Mary discuss the 30th episode of Elevate Eldercare with Diane Meier, MD, director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care, a national organization devoted to increasing access to quality health care in the US for people living with serious illness.

While every podcast is a learning experience, both Marla and Mary were quick to admit that they both learned quite a bit about the difference between hospice and palliative care.

According to Dr. Meier, it is a common issue and concern for her and the national organization. Find out more about Robert Butler, who established the field of geriatric medicine and how he coined the term "ageism" back in the late 1960s.

Mary and Marla also discuss Dr. Meier's comments about the fragmented healthcare system and why palliative care has not been widely adopted by long-term care, yet 76% of the hospitals in this country offer it.

Learn more about Robert Butler here: https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/history/champions-of-aging-photos/robert-butler-gerontologist-longevity/

Find out where palliative care is located near you: https://getpalliativecare.org/

In today's episode, Susan Ryan talks with Diane Meier, MD, director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), a national organization devoted to increasing access to quality health care in the U.S. for people living with serious illnesses. Under her leadership the number of palliative care programs in U.S. hospitals has tripled in the last 20 years.

The two discuss what Dr. Meier calls a "hyper-fragmented sub-specialization system" that often loses sight of the person in treatment, and how this observation became a catalyst for her in developing a palliative care program at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, and how palliative care programs have since scaled across the country.

Dr. Meier provides a wonderful definition of palliative care, along with the clear distinction between palliative care and hospice care and confronts the notion that suffering only deserves attention when someone is predictably at the very end of life. She is passionate in her quest to see the whole person and provide a plan that prioritizes quality of life and function for each individual, and how we must advocate for ourselves or a loved one to ensure that anyone with a serious illness gets the essential support.

Ryan and Meier also discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the critical necessity of palliative care, and how CAPC was able to provide tremendous support and resources to patients, families, and healthcare professionals through the crisis.

Connect with Dr. Meier here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianemeiermd

Find out more about CAPC here: https://www.capc.org/

In this recap, Marla and Mary discuss the 27th episode of Elevate Eldercare with Louise Aronson, MD, a geriatrician, educator, and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, where she directs UCSF Health Humanities.

Dr. Aronson is also an author, and has just recently released her book, Elderhood, which offers a broad perspective on the issues impacting aging and eldercare. Mary and Marla discuss the original title for the book, Old Hood, and why Dr. Aronson wants to reform the word "old." They also take a closer look at social isolation and failure to thrive. Have you ever heard of Marjory Winsome Warren? She played an interesting role in the history of geriatrics.

Learn about failure to thrive here: https://jamanetwork.com/searchresults?author=HARRY+BAKWIN&q=HARRY+BAKWIN

Find out more about Marjory Winsome Warren: https://www.bgs.org.uk/marjory-warren

In today's episode, Susan Ryan talks with Louise Aronson, MD, a geriatrician, educator, and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, where she directs UCSF Health Humanities. A graduate of Harvard Medical School and the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College, she has received many awards and accolades, including the Gold Professorship in Humanism, the California Home Care Physician of the Year Award, and the American Geriatrics Society Outstanding Mid-Career Clinical Educator of the Year Award, and more.

Dr. Aronson is also an author, and has just recently released her book, Elderhood, which offers a broad perspective on the issues impacting aging and eldercare. Today, she talks about the three stages of life, particularly the third stage: Elderhood.

Dr. Aronson tackles the ageist stigmas and stereotypes within the healthcare system that devalue and disregard elders. In addition, she discusses the COVID crisis, the inequity across the care continuum, particularly for people of color, and her role with the San Francisco Department of Public Health COVID Response Unit.

In these complex and challenging times, Dr. Aronson offers fresh wisdom and thoughtful perspectives to help guide us forward in reimagining eldercare.

Find Dr. Aronson on Twitter @LouiseAronson and online at www.louisearonson.com

This week's recap with Marla and Mary takes you on a fast history lesson about congressional legislation for long-term care. You will also learn about the Ombudsman Program and Marla's work as an advocate for elders.

This episode centers on Lori Smetanka, executive director of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, the leading national nonprofit advocacy organization representing consumers receiving long-term care in nursing homes, assisted living communities, and home and community-based settings.

The first director of the program was Elma Holder. She was part of the Gray Panthers and worked with Ralph Nader on nursing home reform issues. Lori described Elma as "a force to be reckoned with" and one of her heroes.

We also discuss COVID-19 and why one elder described the nursing home during this time as a "death trap." It was a story that haunts Lori and the staff at Consumer Voice.

Learn about their upcoming virtual conference here: https://theconsumervoice.org/2020-conference

Find out more about Elma Holder: https://www.mcknights.com/news/mcknights-40-for-40-elma-holder/

This week, Susan Ryan sits down with Lori Smetanka, executive director of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, the leading national nonprofit advocacy organization representing consumers receiving long-term care in nursing homes, assisted living communities, and home and community-based settings.

Lori's passion and expertise have served her and the mission of Consumer Voice well. In this episode, she provides the history of nursing home reform and the formation of her organization. This rich history offers insights into the high value of collaborative partnerships and the critical importance of having the resident and family voices represented in the creation of policies.

Lori also dives into the devastation that COVID has left in long-term care communities across the country and how it has highlighted and the numerous challenges that have long existed, including the exacerbation of loneliness and social isolation.

Find more about the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care here: https://theconsumervoice.org/

Connect with Lori Smetanka here on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-owen-smetanka-0184664

"Technology empowers, technology engages, and it is an enabler", says Sheri Rose, the CEO and executive director of the Thrive Center, a non-profit innovation center focused on wellness and aging located in Louisville, Ky.

What do think about virtual reality for pain? What about an app for your phone for hearing loss? These are just a couple of the innovations you learn about at the Thrive Center.

In this recap of episode 23, Marla and Mary discuss the impact of Sheri taking care of her mother with Alzheimer's and how that influenced her decision for this "second career." Have you ever wondered about the impact of personal experience in your life? You might be surprised. Marla shares an interesting article that includes late fees for video rentals and the innovation that was created from that situation—the outcome will surprise you!

Find out why Sheri believes that technology needs to not only identify when an elder has a gait and balance issue, but also what role tech can play in helping that person build up their core body strength to improve heir balance and mobility issue.

It is all about technology that is designed to have an elder live their best life possible.

Find out more about the THRIVE Center here: https://www.thrivecenterky.org/

Find out more about The Impact of Personal Experience on Behavior: https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1145&context=oid_papers

Sheri Rose is the CEO and executive director of the Thrive Center, a non-profit innovation center focused on wellness and aging located in Louisville, Ky. She was named by Louisville Business First as "Top 20 People to Know in Aging" and was recognized by HealthTech Magazine as one of three women to know in health IT.

In this episode, Sheri talks about why the Thrive Center exists, how it came to be, what it is (and isn't), and the reason it is garnering global attention. She describes the impact of COVID-19 on the center and its surrounding communities, and what they have done to address the issues, such as the exacerbation of social isolation of older adults.

Sheri also shares her take on some of the emerging technologies and how they can better support aging in community.

Finally, she examines the vital role that technology will play in shaping the future of eldercare and what each of us can do to be a part of the solution.

Connect with Sheri on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheri-rose-81391414b

The early epicenter of COVID-19 was New York City and it was hit hard. In this recap of episode #21 with Dr. Jeffrey Farber, Marla and I unpack how the leader of The New Jewish Home in New York City took on the enormous challenges of COVID-19.

Dr. Farber, president and CEO of The New Jewish Home in New York City, a health system for older adults that serves more than 10,000 clients annually through a diverse portfolio of services across three campuses in Bronx, Manhattan, and Westchester.

"Unimaginable" is how Dr. Farber described the initial months of the pandemic. Marla and I discuss how he focused on three critical items each day and how "leading by your core values" was essential to him during this crisis. Find out what those values include for The New Jewish Home and how important he found self-care to be for himself and his team members. Have you ever heard of nature-deficit disorder? Marla will give you the highlights and you will find out why Dr. Farber issued a "doctor's order" to his team to take time for nature!

Find out more about The New Jewish Home here: https://jewishhome.org/

Find out more about Nature-Deficit Disorder: http://richardlouv.com/books/last-child

Susan Ryan sits down with Dr. Jeffrey Farber, president and CEO of The New Jewish Home in New York City, a health system for older adults that serves more than 10,000 clients annually through a diverse portfolio of services that includes short-term rehabilitation, long-term skilled nursing, low-income housing, day programs, and home health and care management programs across three campuses in Bronx, Manhattan, and Westchester.

Dr. Farber explores his experiences in New York City amid the early epicenter of COVID-19 and how he addressed the numerous challenges of battling the virus. In so doing, he examines the role of a leader in a time of crisis; the importance of showing up daily, communication strategies and community collaboration important to building relationships, and the necessity of making critical decisions that align with an organization's core values.

Finally, he provides a portrait of the future for eldercare that tackles ageism, shifts mindsets, and seeks to leverage the lessons learned amid a horrific pandemic.

Find out more about The New Jewish Home here: https://jewishhome.org/