ESKATON’S CONNECTIONS GO CYBER.

ESKATON’S CONNECTIONS GO CYBER. The grand opening today of Connections Café at Eskaton Jefferson Manor marks an extraordinary place in time. When nonprofit groups establish creative, mutually beneficial partnerships to extend the scope of their services. Where older adults can enjoy a hot, nutritious meal; and connect with the Internet and with one another.

About 100 healthy meals were served today at the Connections Café, courtesy of the Asian Community Center's Meals on Wheels, a Sacramento area nonprofit nutrition program that coincidentally served its one millionth meal today as well. The newest among ACC’s 23 nutrition locations, Eskaton Jefferson Manor is unique as the first to combine the free daily meals with free use of touch-screen computers and Internet access.

The Connections Café demonstrates Eskaton’s commitment to expanding social services for its affordable housing residents. With the success of Connections Café as a model, the organization anticipates scaling to a chain of cafes to serve more of Eskaton’s 15 affordable apartment communities throughout Northern California and the surrounding neighborhoods.

QUIETCARE SPEAKS VOLUMES IN ESKATON COMMUNITIES.

QUIETCARE SPEAKS VOLUMES IN ESKATON COMMUNITIES. Eskaton’s initial installation of the innovative QuietCare remote monitoring system is creating quite a buzz among residents, family members and staff. The unobtrusive technology, discreetly situated in residences, is performing around-the-clock as anticipated -- identifying anomalous patterns in residents’ routines and lifestyle patterns; and prompting caregivers to make more informed, quicker responses.

Deployment of the evolutionary motion sensors, developed by GE/Intel joint venture Care Innovations, will be complete in all Eskaton independent living, assisted living and memory care communities by the end of the year.

Eskaton is conducting research to track the long-range benefits of the monitoring system. In the meantime, anecdotal reports have already confirmed a number of resident health and safety interventions. Family members also are expressing added reassurance with the enhanced care. And sales and marketing teams are using QuietCare as a signature differentiator with consumers, who seem to appreciate Eskaton’s commitment to such innovation and early adoption of new technologies.

MULTI-TASK: LIVE AND LEARN.

MULTI-TASK: LIVE AND LEARN. A young gerontology student living amongst older adults? Whether inspired or obvious, it is nonetheless an unprecedented experience that Eskaton and California State University, Sacramento partnered to launch at the beginning of 2012.

The student, Yovana Gojnic, and her Eskaton Henson Manor neighbors share many similar interests -- cooking, gardening, reading, communicating with friends and family over the Internet, and volunteering with the students from the nearby school.

So it isn’t all that surprising how effortlessly she is connecting with fellow residents. Except for the fact that the ages of the other 90-100 residents at Henson Manor in Sacramento, one of Eskaton’s 15 affordable-living communities for older adults, range from two to three times that of the 29-year-old Gojnic.

As she works toward her Master’s degree in gerontology and public policy at California State University, Sacramento, she agreed to be the program’s first student to participate in this innovative immersion learning project, the “Eskaton / CSUS Student Living and Learning Experience.”

The year-long experience earns Gojnic program credit as she lives and learns with older adults. Consistent with the purpose of the “applied research” project, Gojnic will participate in nutrition and cooking classes, book clubs, expansion of community’s urban garden, a veterans appreciation initiative, computer training and similar projects – all of which will be chronicled for review by CSUS and Eskaton staff. A goal for Eskaton in championing the concept is to encourage peer organizations and local universities across the country to adopt the program.

Closer to home, Gojnic enthuses, “My goal is to hopefully enrich their lives as much as they enrich mine.”

Getting involved in something new is well within Gojnic’s wheelhouse. Already her experience includes serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and teaching elementary school. And currently and simultaneously, besides her CSUS studies, she is working as the sales and marketing assistant for Eskaton’s continuing care community; and training for a California fitness and figure competition this summer.

By contrast, Gojnic observes, “My neighbors love to go for walks, visit, bake and work their garden. Enjoying a more balanced lifestyle, with healthier ‘time management,’ may be the most important thing I learn during this experience.”

Note: Frasier Meadows Retirement Community in Boulder, Colorado, just launched a similar, but more intensive ethnographic research project, conducted by Varsity, a Pennsylvania branding firm varsity. For more on “Project Looking Glass II” and an excellent daily blog, check http://plg.varsitybranding.com/.

WITH THE SILVER TSUNAMI COMES SEA CHANGE.

WITH THE SILVER TSUNAMI COMES SEA CHANGE. Get ready for a wave of cultural transformations (and a boatload of related clichés) as 78 million boomers, society’s new and largest-ever cohort of older adults, begin to exert their heft. Anticipate looking back 20 years from now, and being impressed and nostalgic about the following paradigm shifts (first cliché alert).

Multiple generations of families will cohabitate. What is different, is households will become more collaborative ventures -- with families caring for one another (younger for old, and older for younger), sharing expenses, carpooling, dividing chores and, by the best of intentions, making the multi-age living experience more productive than annoying.

New homes and renovations will routinely incorporate livable designs and features to accommodate those who desire to grow older in their own homes for as long as possible. Livable design will enhance homes’ resale value as well.

Use of Skype and other online video communications will replace many actual family visits. Daily online video connections will also do much to alleviate anxiety about not making regular trips to visit infirmed parents and grandparents.

Alzheimer’s disease will be largely preventable -- removing an extraordinary burden from dementia sufferers and informal caregivers. Memory care providers will modify services and collaborate with assisted living communities to offer hybrid, multi-level models and options for residents with dementia.

Use of music, art, humor and other therapies proven to uniquely engage the brain creativity will be standard practice in caring for individuals with dementia.

Walking devices will definitely become simpler and more attractive. In fact, all assistive technologies will be way cooler and de-stigmatized. Watch out for more three-wheel bicycles with baskets, too.

Increased demand for surgeries and devices to improve eyesight and hearing will prompt the frenetic pace of progressive solutions, and more affordable corrective procedures.

Healthy fast food chains will dominate the market -- to the point “healthy” is no longer a differentiator.

First Florida, then other states, will designate the right lanes of highways as “accommodation lanes” for more cautious drivers, with speed limits reduced by 15 miles per hour.

Longevity and patience of older adults will force policymakers to commit to more long-term, substantive solutions with less focus solely on politically motivated immediate gratification.

Boomers will show appreciation for their “longevity dividend” (cliché alert) through generativity -- the principle of one generation looking out for another. Environmental protection and resource conservation will once again become a top concern.

Along this same line of thought, the “compression of morbidity” (prolonging active living and delaying disability for older adults” -- another cliché alert) will inspire legions of volunteers, mentors and experience counselors.

Retirement age will gradually advance to early seventies. To compensate for this inevitability, employers will create flexible workforces and hours to accommodate and respect the standardized practice of “transfer of experience” from veteran to fresh employees.

Centenarians will have to celebrate their 110th birthday to become newsworthy.

“Anti-aging” nostrums and advertisements will be perceived as ageist. (Florida will attempt to make it unlawful to sell or promote “anti-aging” anything.)

Engaged couples, both with hyphenated last names, will not appreciate their Boomer parents’ conceit.

And, successful aging services providers will offer more affordable services and care to give consumers more aging-in-place (final cliché alert) options focused on “your home, our experience.”

ASK ORIGINAL QUESTIONS.

ASK ORIGINAL QUESTIONS. In marketing and sales, the most fundament principle is to promote benefits rather than attributes. In other words, it is more effective to discover and then accentuate what is relevant to the consumer instead of simply bragging about all the features of your product or service -- some or all of which may not be relevant to your audience.

In other words, literally, it is more productive to listen more and talk less. To take advantage of this inherently difficult process, salespeople need to challenge themselves (and their prospects) by replacing sales pitches with thoughtful, probing questions.

Think about how infrequently you actually are asked an original, personal question -- and how much-appreciated and memorable the experience is. It is the same thing with a talk show guest who noticeably perks up when the host poses a unique question: “Wow, I’ve never been asked that before.”

A top sales consulting firm includes a key question on the inquiry sheet to be completed during calls with adult children considering aging services for their parents: “What is your greatest concern for your loved one at this time?” The question is valuable and probably never been posed to the individual. And, best of all, the purpose of the answer is mutually beneficial: Your consideration will almost certainly leave a lasting impression that distinguishes you and your community from the competition.

Feel free to test the approach on family, friends, coworkers and acquaintances. You will find playing talk show host or journalist is always appreciated.

OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK FOR ASSISTED LIVING.

OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK FOR ASSISTED LIVING. The nation’s largest assisted living providers believe that the sector will continue to benefit from several trends -- among them the geographic separation of families (precluding “informal” caregiving) and that the supply of new assisted living is not growing at a pace equal to that of our older adult population.

The optimistic outlook is reported in Provider magazine’s annual “Top 40 Assisted Living Companies” profile, which observes that “The expansion of ancillary services and specialty care among assisted living providers continues at a steady pace this year.”

With Eskaton’s reported “total assisted living occupant capacity” of 843, the organization ranks 37th overall and fourth among California providers. More exclusively, though, Eskaton is one of only five nonprofit companies listed, and the only one based in California.

BUCKMINSTER FULLER AND THE KEY OF LIFE.

BUCKMINSTER FULLER AND THE KEY OF LIFE. He is one of the 20th century’s great and certainly most prolific inventors. You might even say Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) invented the big idea. According to Wikipedia and other sources, his professions and titles include inventor, theorist, architect, engineer, author, professor, designer, philosopher, futurist and his preferred “property of the universe.” He was a pioneer in global thinking, exploring principles of renewable and efficient energy, sustainability and human survival.

Most of his life’s work concentrated on designs for practical shelter and transportation. He is credited with popularizing the geodesic dome, the affordably produced lattice-shell structure used for residential and commercial buildings and military installations in the mid-20th century.

Similar in concept, his round Dymaxion House, popularized post WWII, was a showcase for energy efficiency and affordable construction. The then-ultra-modern design included features like revolving dresser drawers, a fine-mist shower to conserve water, and a rotating device in the ceiling (photo) to create natural winds for cooling and circulation. A model is now on permanent display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

Sort of a modern-day Da Vinci, Fuller also was fascinated with transportation. In the 1930s, he designed and built the Dymaxion, an 18-foot-long concept car that he used to encourage a form of transportation that could be safer, more aerodynamic, and conserve fuel (It got 30 miles to the gallon and seated 11).

Fuller considered himself an independent thinker and committed to searching for the principles governing the universe and determining how to use them to help advance the evolution of humanity. In his book, Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth, chapter one “comprehensive propensities” begins with one this profound observation:

I am enthusiastic over humanity’s extraordinary and sometimes very timely ingenuities. If you are in a shipwreck and all the boats are gone, a piano top buoyant enough to keep you afloat that comes along makes a fortuitous life preserver. But this is not to say that the best way to design a life preserver is in the form of a piano top. I think that we are clinging to a great many piano tops in accepting yesterday’s contrivings as constituting the only means for solving a given problem.

5 CELEBRATE 100-PLUS.

5 CELEBRATE 100-PLUS. Five centenarian residents of Eskaton Care Center Fair Oaks got together this May 25 to celebrate the 102nd birthday of their friend and neighbor Melborn Fagerlie.

This marks the first time in Eskaton’s 43-year history that five residents ages 100 or older reside in the same community. The Northern California-based aging services provider typically boasts between 30-40 centenarians among its 3,000 residents in 28 communities.

Fagerlie’s colorful and still active life includes music and social events, church programs, relaxing in the outdoor gazebo, and enjoying his daily coffee and ice cream. His work history, as varied as it was interesting, included blacksmithing, U.S. Naval service, dredging, and finally as a correctional officer at the Old Folsom Prison, where he recalls providing security at the famous “Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison” concert.

When asked what he would like for his coming birthday, Fagerlie grinned and asked, “What you got?” And, in a TV interview, Fagerlie responded to the question about the key to his long, happy life: “Women!” And what he most looks forward to: “Ice cream!”

“We refer to ourselves as the “Official Sponsor of Longevity,” said Stephen Fife, administrator of the skilled nursing and rehabilitation center. “Centenarian birthdays are extraordinary accomplishments, always worthy of celebration.”

The Eskaton Care Center’s other centenarians, all women, each 100, are (from left to right) Caroline Lindgren, Ruth Shurrum, Lee White and Maria Defru.

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ESKATON RESIDENT TAKES “THRILLING” HORSEBACK RIDE.

ESKATON RESIDENT TAKES “THRILLING” HORSEBACK RIDE. Mariam, who rode horses constantly throughout her teenage years, hoped to once ride again in her lifetime. The 97-year-old Eskaton resident got her wish thanks to the organization's Thrill of a Lifetime Initiative.

“I never thought there would be a possibility to ride again,” Mariam said. Which was all the attentive Eskaton staff needed to hear. To produce the unique Thrill, Eskaton partnered with the local group Project R.I.D.E., which guided her on a 30-minute ride through the facility’s outdoor trail. “If I could, I’d ride every day ... It was beautiful,” Russell beamed, after being assisted from the horse back to her wheelchair.

Click here to read the complete Elk Grove Citizen story, with photo.

THE STROKE OF A BAT.

THE STROKE OF A BAT. When circumstances blur the line separating cause from effect, the result can be both curious and extraordinary.

For example. Zac, 9, hit his first of many Little League homeruns on May 1. Amid the fans cheering in the grandstands sat his grandpa, quietly soaking in the uniquely thrilling moment. “I only want to live long enough to see my grandson hit a homerun,” he would joke before each game.

That night the proud grandpa phoned his two brothers and a number of friends across the country to boast about his grandson’s mighty slam.

Zac was asleep by the time his dad arrived home from an unfortunately scheduled business meeting (redundant, I know) that pulled him away midway through the game. Later that night the grandpa phoned his son, Zac’s dad, and was overjoyed to get to be the first to tell him the story of Zac’s heroics.

The next day another unpredictable, yet inevitable event happened. The grandpa, only 63 but suffering for several years from acute kidney failure, died abruptly from a massive stroke.

This story is not to suggest something as cliché as the power of positive thinking kept my dad alive long enough to witness his “thrill of a lifetime.” Actually, I believe it’s more likely his powerful thoughts helped lift that ball over the centerfield fence. And to think it only took 22 years to distinguish the cause from effect of that serendipitous stroke of the bat.

I wish there was some double-underlined moral to share here. But, if nothing else, maybe this story will encourage others, especially long-term care practitioners, to document some of the “metaphysical coincidences” that seem to occur almost daily.

ESKATON’S “LIFE IS A BALL” WINS ALFA FILM AWARD.

ESKATON’S “LIFE IS A BALL” WINS ALFA FILM AWARD. Consistent with the metaphor behind "Life is a Ball” short film, the 2011 production continues to take on new life.  

The Assisted Living Federation of America (AFLA) shared the good news with Pilotfish Productions, the creative team responsible for the Eskaton film and multiple other films and TV commercials:

“Life is a Ball” has been awarded the First Prize film in the ALFA Short Film Competition on Ageism. We will screen “Life is a Ball” at the second general session of our National Conference in Dallas. Thank you for making this film. We're thrilled to support your work. Congratulations!

       -- Nathan Nickens, Senior Director, ALFA: Creating the Future of Senior Living

About the ALFA’s “Short Films on Ageism” Competition

The following content from ALFA’s website provides interesting background on the film competition: ALFA sponsors an annual film competition featuring short films (under 8 minutes) about ageism that illuminate specific discriminatory practices against seniors, prejudicial attitudes toward the aging process, and institutional practices that perpetuate stereotypes about seniors.

With the long-term goal of eliminating ageism in our society, winning films:

§   Demonstrate the destructive forces of ageism in society and/or

§   Raise public awareness of how ageism is expressed in direct or subtle ways and/or

§   Demonstrate how individuals can change their attitudes and behavior towards older adults.

“ASSISTED LIVING. INSPIRED BY YOU.”

“ASSISTED LIVING. INSPIRED BY YOU.” Eskaton launches its 2012 TV commercial this week, highlighting resident satisfaction within its assisted living Lodges.

The ad begins: “As you recall, my mom and I were both hesitant about making the move. But, you have such a welcoming community that mom is thriving once again.”

This note, along with many other letters Eskaton receives from satisfied residents and family members, is featured through voice-overs and visuals in the new 30-second spot. Eskaton uses this independent validation to help tell the story of the positive impact of its assisted living Lodges. The commercial will air in the greater Sacramento area throughout the year and can also be viewed at online.

As with all Eskaton productions, the ad comes from the creative team at Pilotfish Productions. Pilotfish also was recognized this week with first prize in the Assisted Living Federation of America’s “Short Film Competition” for its “Life is a Ball” documentary for Eskaton.

A VERY INTIMATE THRILL OF A LIFETIME

A VERY INTIMATE THRILL OF A LIFETIME: From its inception, Eskaton positioned its Thrill of a Lifetime Initiative as an opportunity to connect with residents on a very intimate level. This exemplary story was recently shared by an Eskaton Care Center.

Our activity director Kathy noticed that one of our residents appeared a little sad. She stopped to talk. The resident simply responded that he was feeling a little down. He just couldn’t do the things he used to do.

As a stroke survivor, this is not unusual. Kathy could have simply reassured him that we’re here to help and left it at that, but she didn’t. Sensing something deeper, she persisted until finally the truth came out. He confided in her that the next day would be his 27th wedding anniversary. And while his wife was nearby, and visited often, it would be the first time they would be apart and that he couldn’t do anything about it ... or for her.

Kathy reassured him that he could do something about it and she’d help him. With that, Kathy enlisted the help of Sue Kim, the assistant food service director. Together, they had contacted the local Sizzler (the couple’s favorite eatery) and, with the support of the manager, ordered a special dinner. They then arranged for a cake and balloon bouquet; made arrangements for a specially decorated table for two at the community (Due to his health, he couldn’t travel to the restaurant); secured the services of two violinists; made sure there was a sparkling drink for a toast; and, not forgetting even the smallest detail, got an appropriate anniversary card for the resident to present his wife.

All that was left was for him to call his wife and invite her to dinner.

On April 26, less than 24 hours after feeling helpless and hopeless, our resident was able to fulfill his Thrill of a Lifetime by enjoying a special dinner, on a very special day, with the most special person in his life.  All because someone took the time to listen and make a difference.

Now you know the story behind the story and why we do what we do: transforming the aging experience.

MUSEUM TOUR ENLIVENS INDIVIDUALS WITH ALZHEIMER’S.

MUSEUM TOUR ENLIVENS INDIVIDUALS WITH ALZHEIMER’S. Ideas, emotions, humor and reminisces spread up and down the massive corridors and through the maze of rooms of the Crocker Art Museum. Like a creative, healthy contagion. First to be infected was the tour group of six residents from Eskaton’s Memory Care community, who remarkably seemed to forget their disease and its cognitive limitations. Then, as if through direct contact, the team leading the tour -- the museum’s docents, Eskaton staff and the ARTZ: Artists for Alzheimer’s director -- forgot about their charges’ disease as well.

“All of us were completely engaged by the beauty surrounding us,” observed Tiffany Paige with ARTZ. “The Alzheimer’s seemed to go away while we were in the gallery. It’s as if their minds weren’t so busy and hurried like the rest of the world that they were able see things in a different way. Their enthusiasm was infectious. We got to experience a deeper beauty because of them.”

The April museum visit is an extension of Eskaton’s partnership with the Sacramento Chapter of ARTZ: Artists for Alzheimer’s, whose ARTZ Delivers program brings artwork to Memory Care communities to share with residents. Fieldtrips to Crocker and The California Museum, scheduled through June, then provide the residents an opportunity to enjoy public art exhibitions.

Carolyn, one of the Eskaton participants, said the tour “makes me think at a higher level.” Another participant, Fernando, joked “nature and nature,” about two adjacent painting, a woodsy landscape and a nude woman. It was definitely a memorable experience for everyone.

CREATIVE THERAPIES PROMOTE HEALING AND LAUGHTER.

CREATIVE THERAPIES PROMOTE HEALING AND LAUGHTER. Your funny bone might just be the only sore body part to result from Eskaton’s newest rehabilitative therapy. It’s laughable but true. Humor therapy is among an expanding schedule of innovative therapies Eskaton offers to some or all residents in its independent, assisted, skilled nursing and memory care communities. All of which are intended to complement the primary occupational, physical and speech therapies provided by Eskaton Care Centers and Home Healthcare.

“Our goal is to provide therapies that are both effective and engaging,” explains Jane Rupp, a quality and compliance nurse with Eskaton. “Enthusiasm definitely motivates participants and helps with the healing process.”

The cornucopia of activity -- designed to rehabilitate and rejuvenate -- borrows bits and pieces from everything from reality TV to life-long learning to petting zoos. There truly is something for everyone:

Music therapy, an especially popular and effective program with dementia sufferers, an example of which recently became a YouTube sensation of sorts, uniquely engages otherwise unresponsive individuals as well as generally enthuses participants. Similarly “therapeutic music” has a soothing effect on residents in skilled nursing and memory care, as well as hospice patients. “They should write a prescription for your music,” commented one appreciative resident to the guest harpist, “because when you play for me, my pain goes away.” Another patient, who was completely non-verbal, started singing along to the harpist’s rendition of “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and thanked her afterwards for the beautiful music.

Art therapy uses in-house demonstrations and museum visits to inspire creativity with memory care residents. Eskaton partners with ARTZ: Artists for Alzheimer’s on this new concept.

Pet therapy, popular within many Eskaton communities, brings a virtual zoo of sensory stimulations to residents who can look, touch, smell and hold a wide variety of furry and feathered creatures.

Humor therapy and laughing yoga, led by a certified laugh instructor, cheerfully exercises the mind and body with a variety “cowboy,” “aloha” and other laughs -- each with their own movements and sounds.

“Beats and Rhythm” therapy uses bells, egg shakers, tambourines and maracas to engage memory-impaired individuals. Rhythm therapy also encourages adult healthcare residents to play instruments, sing and dance. One particular dance therapy program involves individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

Chair yoga focuses on stretching, deep breathing exercises and hand massages.

Chair zumba promotes cognitive and physical fitness with memory care residents.

Tai Chi chair therapy helps heal sore muscles and even promotes healthier sleeping.

Adaptive gardening and horticulture therapy offers a trifecta of benefits -- community beautification, gardens of healthy eats and purposeful living.

Galactic therapy encourages "big-picture" philosophical discussions among residents.

Cooking therapy with a resident as “celebrity chef” introduces a new recipe each session.

“Monday Motivators” is an open communication and self-awareness forum.

“Guided Autobiography” offers both creative and reminiscence therapeutic value.

Storytelling therapy encourages positive social and cognitive skills.

Coloring therapy promotes creativity and conversation, along with a calming effect for memory care residents.

“Lasting Memories” uses teen volunteers to help memory care residents with scrapbooking projects.

WILL BOOMERS CHANGE WORDS, PERCEPTIONS OR REALITY?

WILL BOOMERS CHANGE WORDS, PERCEPTIONS OR REALITY? Real changes are in store with the next generation of older adults. The quantifiable stuff is well documented: There will be more of them; they will live longer, and they will benefit from better medicine and healthcare. 

But there’s also the inevitable, yet to be resolved changes: How will Boomers refer to themselves; where and what will they call “home”; will they “retire”; and what about “care”?

With history as a guide, change will be reflected through an amalgam of words, perceptions and reality. (i.e. Individuals are no longer referred to as “handicapped,” but rather as “disabled” or with “developmental differences.”)

But it often starts with words, and several that are on the verge of being replaced, redefined or reinvented include: seniors, home, care, retirement and community.

The word “Seniors” will continue to be replaced by “older adults,” which qualifies rather than labels our more experienced years. In this vein, the more contemporary “longevity” will gradually replace “aging.”

“Home” is a dicey proposition. Aging services providers are a little schizophrenic here. Rest home is an antiquated description along the lines of convalescent, old folks’ home and institution. In marketing, however, home, homey, homelike still resonate with prospective residents. The solution might be to redefine “home” by its essence, such as “comfort.”

“Care” is in jeopardy, too. It is a perfectly good word that may be discarded because its perception conflicts with a generation that prides itself on independence. Maybe care and independence intersect at “inter-dependence.” Or, perhaps reality will simply trump ego on this one.

“Retirement” may be retired and work may be repurposed as “purpose.”  Many Boomers aspire to do something more interesting and less demanding than work. “Encore careers” is a term most often referenced to define a new professional purpose.

“Community” is especially ambiguous. For this word to have real value, more consistent geographic or demographic distinctions need to be assigned. Can aging services providers have communities within walls and naturally occurring retirements communities exists on the outside?

Combine the later three, as in “continuing care retirement community” (and “CCRCs without walls”), and it’s literally obvious why the aging services profession is on the verge of an identity crisis.

Professionals in the field of longevity have the opportunity to either defend or redefine such words. And as a result, positively influence perceptions and, eventually, reality as well. Check out Media Takes: On Aging, co-published by the International Longevity Center and Aging Services of California, for more information.

SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES.

SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES. The political process can make it difficult to “see the forest for the trees.” Too often, special interests overshadow public interest. And rhetoric obscures facts.

A classic example of this myopia can be witnessed with a piece of legislation currently before the California State Legislature, the so-called “Continuing Care at Home” bill.

The forest in this scenario is us, everyone who is aging. More specifically and urgently, the forest is the older adult population who will soon need some level of assistance either at home or in a care community setting. The facts are our population is living longer, in greater numbers than ever. Ten thousand Americans are turning 65 every day. It is clearly in the public interest to prepare for the increasing demand for affordable aging services.

“Continuing Care at Home” -- or “CCRCs without walls” -- describes a promising new movement. The idea is to offer people who want to age in their own homes some of the benefits available to residents of continuing care retirement communities (or CCRCs). This includes access to experienced care management; home care and home healthcare; skilled nursing and rehabilitation; and hospice, among other services.

Best of all, this innovative connection (Eskaton refers to a similar program as “your home, our experience”) has potential to be a long-term solution; and one that acknowledges rather than disregards the extraordinary accomplishment of our extended life expectancy.

Legislators need to see the forest for the trees ... and see the writing on the “walls” around CCRCs. On both sides live older adults, including 78 million Boomers, their constituents.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO. The Sacramento Kings rank last or near the bottom among NBA teams in most defensive categories. The competition exploits the weakness routinely. The Kings players complain about it when interviewed after each loss. Not so ironically, while there isn’t a good defender on the squad, each player directs his frustration toward “we,” the team, rather than ever addressing his own deficiencies. Remarkably these guys have managed to discredit the concept of “no ‘I’ in team.”

The phenomenon of group blame to obscure individual accountability is as pervasive in business (and politics and life, for that matter) as it is in sports. “We have a problem” is the default position to avoid personal accountability.

It becomes a contest to see who can point the finger first, who can protest the loudest, whose indignation is most palpable. In some delusional lack of insight, this outward perspective somehow absolves any one individual of accountability.

To identify something as everyone’s problem too often translates to someone else’s problem. The only way to confront this denial by misdirection is to reinforce the ultimate equalizer: You are what you do, not what you say.

Problem solving needs to focus on actions: “What did you do? What are you doing? What do you plan to do?” To be more effective, we (each one of us) could try doing more and saying less.

MOYER TURNS THE PAIGE.

MOYER TURNS THE PAIGE. Jamie Moyer made history this month as the oldest opening day starting pitcher in a major league ballgame. The 49-year-old took the mound for the Colorado Rockies in a rare feat of longevity and curiosity, considering his 80 mph fastball resembles most pitchers’ change-up. Like Satchel Paige, who nearly a half-century earlier pitched three innings for the Kansas City A’s at 59, Moyer’s actions speak louder than words. No doubt he would agree with Paige’s advice, “Don’t look back. Something may be gaining on you.” (photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

AN AGE-OLD STORY WITH A FUTURISTIC TWIST.

AN AGE-OLD STORY WITH A FUTURISTIC TWIST. Themes like trust, community and wisdom might not sound thrilling on the surface. But mix them with a post-apocalyptic scenario of tyranny, totalitarian power and a fight to restore humanity and you’ve got a book that destroys stereotypes faster than “The Hunger Games” breaks box office records. “Tribes of Eden is a classic thriller ... that people of all ages can enjoy,” says author William Thomas. Thomas’ storytelling relies heavily on inspiration from his transformative work in aging services and his efforts to change the way society views aging. The coming-of-age story features a young girl who must lead an alliance of young and old, working together, to restore humanity. The paperback edition of Tribes of Eden was released April 2.

BETTY WHITE “JUMPS THE SHARK.”

BETTY WHITE “JUMPS THE SHARK.” To avoid stereotyping Betty White and her new show, “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers,” let’s say it is inappropriate for viewers of all ages. Not because of language, sex or violence, but because it is awful. Its “shocking” vignettes (an older woman in an airport lounge propositioning a younger passenger to join the mile-high club with her; an older man asking for his photo to be taken as he runs around naked) are so contrived that they are uncomfortable to watch. And while the cast of “sassy seniors” and the show’s producers so deliberately attempt to break down stereotypes about older adults, they actually reinforce them: that you can be excused for being dimwitted or “irreverent” because you are old. Reality, not “reality TV,” is what is needed to help reverse stereotyping of the aging process and older adults.

STUDENTS TAKE WELL TO AGING EXPERIENCE.

STUDENTS TAKE WELL TO AGING EXPERIENCE. If three first-semester nursing students from California State University, Sacramento who recently volunteered at an Eskaton assisted living and memory care community are an indication, the future of aging services is in good hands.

The students’ follow-up letter to Eskaton acknowledges the quality of aging services today. But just as importantly, these future nurses’ enthusiasm offers encouragement for how we are inspiring a new workforce.

Their letter begins: “THANK YOU for the wonderful opportunity you gave to me and my friends today. Volunteering at Eskaton was not only fun, interesting and sometimes even challenging, but it was also a great learning experience for us first semester nursing students.”

About their staff guide, the volunteers wrote: “She really took her time with the Eskaton residents and provided a nurturing environment that made it feel like it was an Eskaton family. We really felt the caring energy radiate from her.”

The students’ letter concludes: “Your staff and residents have made our volunteer opportunity at Eskaton an unforgettable experience, and we are looking forward to coming back for the summer.”

“Welcome home to Eskaton.” And, “Welcome home to a new aging experience and great learning opportunity.”