Far too often, people – even well-meaning folks who work in the field – fail to see nursing home residents as humans capable of the same growth, creativity, and fulfillment as people living in private homes. In fact, this ageism and ableism is a major reason why our imagination around reforming communal care settings is so narrowly focused on individual health metrics, and not overall wellbeing.

Andres "Jay" Molina is living proof that one's life as a productive, curious human doesn't end upon moving into a nursing home. Since coming to New York City's Coler nursing community at age 35 after a significant health emergency, Jay has become an advocate for people living with disabilities; a self-taught animator; a poet and storyteller; and the co-director of "Fire Through Dry Grass," a gripping documentary about the experience of Coler residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tune in to hear Jay's perspectives on how nursing homes must change to meet the spiritual, emotional, and creative needs of residents – and how they can better support residents' innate desire to contribute to the community.

Watch "Fire Through Dry Grass": https://www.pbs.org/pov/films/firethroughdrygrass/

Learn about OPEN DOORS, the Reality Poets, and the Nursing Home Lives Matter movement:https://www.opendoorsnyc.org/

Hear Jay tell his personal story: https://www.opendoorsnyc.org/blogs/realitypoets-jay