Glowing Older Nancy Griffin and Katherine Lord

Heather Brooks, CAPS, SRES, is an aging specialist and community educator focused on helping older adults age in the right place. She shares her ‘secret sauce’ for aging well in community—including universal design, age friendly home modifications, respite care, age-tech, and access to crucial social determinants of health.

About Heather

Heather Brooks is the National Aging in Place Council (NAIPC) Housing Committee Chair and Founding Chapter Chair for NAIPC in SE Florida. She has spent nearly three decades in real estate, specializing in helping seniors "Modify or Move." She is Certified Aging In-Place Specialist (CAPS)Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist (CAPS) and Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) and SFR® certifications National Association of Home Builders National Association of Home Builders.

Heather is the founder of "How 2 Age Your Way" and "Step Up Housing", connecting communities and promoting affordable housing for seniors. She is actively involved in NAIPC and SE Florida's founding chapter chair. She has been featured on top podcasts like the NKBA Webinar Series, spoken at the International Builders Show and advocate for aging in place through education and neighborhood initiatives.

Key Takeaways


The nation’s housing infrastructure is insufficient to support the aging population. The average home is 44 years old and less than 5% of our
nation's housing units can accommodate individuals with mobility issues.
Sixty percent of falls happen at home, and one in four adults report taking a fall.
Key aging in place features include step free entries and access to a bedroom and full bathroom on the 1st floor. Important home modifications include installing grab bars, non-slip flooring surfaces, improved lighting, multi-level countertops and replacing doorknobs with lever handles.
Universal design goes beyond ADA requirements to design environments that are accessible and usable by all ages and all abilities, whether you have a wheelchair or a stroller.
Age-friendly communities are huge drivers of aging well. They encompass more than the home you live in. Social determinants of health like access to transportation, medical care and connections to family and
friends are crucial for healthy longevity.

There are 4,130 licensed adult day centers in the US servicing
237,000 people daily. The industry is experiencing huge growth as families recognize
the importance of taking breaks from caregiving. Adult daycare combats caregiver
burnout and is significantly less expensive than homecare.

Opening Season 18, renowned gerontologist, educator, and coach Barbara Waxman shares her “genesis story” of what called her to working in eldercare, shifting perspectives around ageism, and embracing a longevity mindset.

About Barbara

Barbara Waxman, the founder of The Odyssey Group, is a highly sought-after longevity and leadership advisor, coach, speaker and author. Barbara translates cutting edge research and collective wisdom in ways that enable others to understand how the dynamics of our aging world impact individuals, communities, companies, and the planet.

Barbara's leadership as a gerontologist in the coaching
field has culminated in the transformative coaching model Entrepreneurship Turned Inward™️ (ETI), the evidence based Seven Lifestyle Levers Assessment™️ and the Longevity Roadmap™️. Barbara is an Advisor to the Stanford Center on Longevity, Stanford Lifestyle Medicine and is a faculty member at Chip Conley's Modern Elder Academy. 

Key Takeaways


Longevity is aging’s aspiration partner. Rather than “aging,” which refers to the biological maturation of our cells, “longevity” encapsulates the spirit of living healthy, joyful, and robust lives. Even if we aren’t fans of aging, we can be fans of longevity.
Our expectations of aging are changing in real time. What used to be considered “old” is not anymore. Consider how your own trajectory and experiences has shifted your belief on what is “old.”
Consider the term “preferment” versus “retirement”. We can reach a stage where we do not want to be anchored by a paycheck or other responsibilities, so we get to create a constellation of activities in the ways we prefer to do them.  


Don’t confuse an easy life with a happy life. Full lives are not devoid of challenge, exhaustion, or pain. You can create happiness amid struggles through a positive mindset.

In our final episode of Season 17, Dr. Kerry Burnight offers listeners a chance to examine ageism through their own attitudes toward aging and her perspective on how the field of gerontology has shifted in the last few
decades. Gerontologist, professor, researcher, podcaster, and writer, Dr. Burnight is “America’s Gerontologist,” and provides relatable, digestible, and humor-filled insights on aging through articulating six core principles that support individuals to age well.

 

About Kerry

Dr. Kerry Burnight is a gerontologist on a mission to make
older better. She served as a Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at the University of California, Irvine for 17 years. She is the co-founder of the nation’s first Elder Abuse Forensic Center, where her team of law enforcement officers, physicians, attorneys, and social workers have served over 2000 older adults.

Her research focuses on the two ends of the spectrum of the aging experience: wellness and purpose at the one end and loneliness and elder abuse at the other end. As a society, and as individuals, there is so much we can do to improve older lives. Burnight founded the national non-profit Ageless Alliance and serves on executive advisory boards for companies innovating in the aging space. She is currently writing a book and was recognized for her
work by the U.S. Department of Justice and has appeared on the Dr. Phil Show, The Doctors, Money Matters, and Headline News.

Key Takeaways


Our health spans are a key component
of aging, and there’s lots of variability among the adult population.
“Othering” older people is harmful. We
are, as a society, starting to acknowledge that intergenerational connection is both necessary to our health and is an antidote to ageism.
Getting older is inevitable, growing older is not. It takes effort to continually grow and you have to think about what kind of older person you want to be and what will it require to get there.
We are all – at least – somewhat ageist. Internalized ageism is really dangerous. We must start looking at our own ageist thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Six Principles of Aging:


A: Acceptance (Accept Yourself)
B: Be that Friend (the one who brings over soup,
gives the best hug.)
C: Challenge Yourself
D: Decide to Give (Recognize what you have to
give, and give it.)
E: Educate to Navigate (Learn about resources to
help you navigate your aging journey)
F: Focus on Interdependence (Humans are
naturally interdependent; don’t silo yourself, especially as you age!)

Harry R. Moody on 50 years in the field of aging and making the world a better place

Harry “Rick” Moody, Ph.D., shares his opinions on positive aging, climate change, and the importance of finding meaning and purpose in later life. Gerontologist, professor, executive, speaker, writer, and activist, he is Distinguished Visiting Professor at Fielding Graduate University’s Creativity and Wisdom Program and author of the hallmark textbook Aging: Concepts & Controversies, in its 10th edition.

About Dr. Moody

Harry R. Moody is a graduate of Yale University and received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Columbia University. He has taught philosophy at Columbia University, Hunter College, New York University, and the University of California at Santa Cruz.  He recently retired as Vice President and Director of Academic Affairs for AARP in Washington, DC.  He is currently Visiting Professor at Tohoku University in Japan, and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Fielding Graduate University’s Creativity and Wisdom Program.

Dr. Moody previously served as Executive Director of the Brookdale Center on Aging at Hunter College and Chairman of the Board of Elderhostel (now Road Scholar). Moody is the author of over 100 scholarly articles, as well as a number of books including: Abundance of Life: Human Development Policies for an Aging Society (Columbia University Press, 1988) and Ethics in an Aging Society (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992).

His most recent book, The Five Stages of the Soul, was published by Doubleday Anchor Books and has been translated into seven languages worldwide.  He is the editor of the Climate Change in an Aging Society and Human Values in Aging newsletters. In 2011 he received the Lifetime Achievement
Award from the American Society on Aging and in 2008 he was named by Utne Reader Magazine as one of “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World.”

Key Takeaways


Internalized ageism contributes to self-limiting beliefs, like: “I'm too old to play tennis anymore.” “I'm too old to learn to play an instrument,” You are never too old to learn.
There are small things we can do for climate change that add up when you connect with other people doing small things. Begin where you are.
Think globally, act locally. It is a false narrative to think you either act as an individual or act politically. You can and should do both because one reinforces the other.
Positive aging begins by changing the way you think. Begin by believing there is always something you can do to make a difference in your own life and the lives of others.
Aging is diminished reserve capacity. But that means reserve capacity. Decrement with compensation means recognizing there will be limitations and then finding an alternative (Ex: you can’t run anymore, so you walk.) Look for opportunities, find them and act on them.
Dreaming is a natural organic function of humans and all mammals. Dreams show us what we already know, but do not yet see.
The young and old are the most vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation. Successful intergenerational connections require reciprocity and mentoring in both directions.

To subscribe to Human Values in Aging and Climate Change in an Aging Society, email hrmoody@yahoo.com.

Kirsten Jacobs, MSW, Senior Director of Shared Learning at LeadingAge, shares insights on ageism, diversity, and leadership from her 20+ years in senior living. She talks about the importance of supporting peer-to-peer learning, promoting diversity at the top, and calling out the web of ageism, ableism, and other “isms”, standing in the way of aging well.

About Kirsten

With over 20 years of experience in older adult housing, services, and long-term care management, Kirsten credits her four late grandparents for her commitment to the field. Her undergraduate thesis project, dedicated to sharing art with older adults, set the stage for an ongoing interest in dementia and holistic wellbeing. Kirsten has held various positions—including administrator and executive director. Currently, she serves on the knowledge team at LeadingAge, a national association of elder-serving organizations.

As Senior Director, Shared Learning Initiatives, Kirsten leads and manages the organization’s wellness and dementia education strategy and other shared learning activities. Kirsten also guides a diverse set of education initiatives to advance LeadingAge’s ageism work and strategic focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

 Kirsten earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) and gerontology certificate from Portland State University (Portland, OR) and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in arts administration and a minor in studio art from Scripps College (Claremont, CA).

Kirsten lives in her hometown of Portland, OR with her spouse, two kiddos, and goofy dog.

Key Takeaways


LeadingAge’s shared learning approach creates opportunities for senior living providers to learn from each other. There is always wisdom in the room, whether virtual or physical.
LeadingAge’s LTSS Center at UMass Leaders of Color Network provides career path support and mentorship for persons of color in senior living and aging services.
Ageism starts with a youth-obsessed culture that reinforces the message that young is good and old is bad, starting with children's books and movies. By the time we are older, we have these really internalized negative feelings of what it means to grow old.
Discrimination is layered. It' difficult to look at one “ism” without acknowledging other layers of oppression compounded with the experience of aging. The web of ageism and ableism is so intertwined it's impossible to separate.
Leading Age Leadership Summit April 15th - 17th in Washington, DC. will address the implications of changing demographics and how to better support people in the experience of growing older.

The CEO of The Chopra Foundation shares global mental health and wellness initiatives, the importance of intentional intergenerational living and the seven principles of healthy living.

About Poonacha

Poonacha Machaiah is the CEO of The Chopra Foundation,
dedicated to improving health, social, and planetary wellbeing—co-founder and CEO of Seva.Love the metaverse platform for wellbeing and ChopraX, a venture studio backing transformative entrepreneurs reimagining the future of health and wellbeing, along with world-renowned mind-body medicine pioneer and New York Times best-selling author Deepak Chopra, MD.

He has co-founded initiatives such as NeverAlone® to address mental well-being and suicide prevention. Co-founded CIRCA®, an anxiety management platform, along with Srini Pillay, MD - Harvard-trained psychiatrist and brain researcher. He is also the founder of Cyberhuman.AI, the personal AI digital wellbeing twin. 

He is on the board of transformative companies such as The Healing Company, Beacon Media, Limitless Minds, and Reulay. He has also held senior management positions at Nortel, Iridium, Motorola, and Sasken. He holds an MBA from the College of William and Mary and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering.

Key Takeaways

The three core focus areas of The Chopra Foundation are Mental Health, Longevity (healthspan versus lifespan) and Conscious Leadership.

Mental health is a silent pandemic. The second leading cause of death among young adults is death by suicide. It is a “bookend” problem—effecting the very young and very old.

The science behind equine therapy is solid. The goal of the Healing Power of Horses initiative, in partnership with Stella McCartney, is to create a global network of equine therapy and therapists.

Intergenerational living needs to be integrated into the design of cities and communities. Combining the wisdom of age and the biology of youth is peak living.

Seva.Love is the global metaverse for wellbeing platform offering a next generation meditation experience.

The Chopra Center’s Seven Principles for Healthy Living: 1. Nourish your body, 2. Integrate movement, 3. Manage negative emotions, 4. Develop a mind-body practice, 5. Prioritize sleep, 6. Connect with community, and 7. Connect with nature.