AGE-u-cate® appreciates learning about organizations out there improving the lives of elders.  I had the pleasure to meet Jared Bloomfield, the National Field Manager with Wish of a Lifetime at AARP.  We connected after attending the Pioneer Network Symposium "Envisioning the Future Finding Meaning and Purpose" held on September 22. 

Wish of Lifetime, a charitable affiliate of the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP), sponsored one of the sessions at the symposium called, " A New Look at Community Commitment: It’s All About Making Connections”.  I was captivated and inspired by the presenters in this session:  Mary Knapp, Annie Dunlap, and Kelly Klund who all shared the ways that their respective organizations are creating meaningful engagement opportunities for the elders they serve.  

Wish of a Lifetime's mission is to shift the way society views and values our oldest generations by fulfilling seniors’ dreams and sharing their stories to inspire those of all ages.  They are working hard to connect elders with amazing opportunities to fulfill a dream.  

Become a Wish Nominator

"Wish of a Lifetime" has a Wish Team that reviews nominations submitted via their website.  Jared shared that they have the capacity to accept more nominations!  It seems that the pandemic has hijacked time that aging services staff might otherwise spend submitting an application on behalf of an elder, but Jared assured me that submitting an application is easy and worth it!  A link to their website and nomination portal is below.

It has been said many times that the older generation has suffered the most from the effects of the pandemic because of the extended isolation and loneliness they have endured, so I jumped when I heard about this opportunity to share the call for nominations.  To inspire motivation- read this story: Joy Takes Art Lessons.

Everything has changed for Joy because of one wish.  Please visit Wish of a Lifetime Nomination to learn how you can submit an application today. Learn more about Wish of a Lifetime here. 

AGE-u-cate will be keeping an eye on the good work of "Wish of a Lifetime", because we share a mission to improve the quality of life for elders through our engaging life enrichment programs Compassionate Touch, Reading2Connect, Ageless Grace, and Flashback.  

 

 

 

Marketing Team - are you ready for 2022? I suspect you are either shaking your head in agreement or feeling stuck in planning what to do next.

Senior living providers have had a plateful of challenges to address, and one that ranks high on the priority list is to rebuild census.

Let’s talk about how to differentiate yourself from the crowd, build quality relationships that result in move-ins, and create an ongoing stream of referrals.

I started in the aging and caregiver space over 27 years ago as a family caregiver.  Almost three decades later what I needed most then is exactly the same as what study after study supports is desperately needed now - education!  

Be Your Community Resource

I talked in my last blog about the importance of community collaboration - that is, a care community's collaboration within their geographic region. For example, working with a local Dementia-Friendly Initiative, Alzheimer's Association or Parkinson's Foundation, or others working hard to build widespread awareness of critical aging issues. This helps to expand community relationships, build awareness and develop connections with referrals, and all the while contributing to the greater good.

The need today for effective dementia education is through the roof!

Marketing team - add to your toolbox a "Wow" experience to help people better understand life with dementia.

2022 will be a year for:

• A game-changing referral source strategy.
• Families and professionals seeking out in-person activities, conferences, education, etc.
• Senior care providers to offer something different that will help engage and connect with their referral sources in more meaningful ways.
• Communities to invest in programs, activities, and events that will engage people and set them apart from their competition.

Become a Dementia® Live Coach

AGE-u-cate®️ Training Institute's highly acclaimed Dementia Live®️ Simulation Experience is the game-changer. It's what people talk about a year after they've gone through the experience. It offers the care community representative the opportunity to speak one-on-one with participants, build a meaningful relationship, and in the process, provide one of the most powerful dementia education experiences available today.

As much as your staff needs Dementia Live®, your community does as well. This program offers the benefits of flexibility, practical tools, and resources to allow senior care providers to use as staff training AND community outreach education. And if in-person is not an option, the program includes an online option!

"Dementia Live is hands-down, our most valuable census building tool. Beyond its incredible educational value, it's our #1 marketing investment." ED, Texas.

AGE-u-cate is on a global mission to ignite change!  Want to join us?  

If you want to learn more about having Dementia Live® in your sales toolbox, contact us today!

Let's be honest. 2021 felt like we had our foot on the gas AND brake at the same time. Make plans, cancel plans, make plans, reschedule plans. Make PLANS? Uh, let's wait and see. Sound familiar?  

This is GOOD NEWS!

What feels abundant right now is trauma, stress, and burnout.  Heading up an Aging Services organization during this time has been no easy task.  At AGE-u-cate, we have tried to offer nuggets of support and encouragement to help infuse some hope in what feels like a long nightmare. 

With so much out of our control these days, there is something we can control, and that is how we relate to each other.  Kindness should always be a part of a leadership philosophy, but when we feel pushed to the edge, kindness might take a backseat.

Kindness can be defined as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate.  Seems like a fairly simple and straightforward way to interact with others.  In fact, ABC news reported last year on research that informs us that being kind pays off.  Being kind makes us feel better and healthier, and is wired into our survival.  Oxford anthropologist Oliver Curry believes that we are kind because under the right circumstances we all benefit from kindness.

 

When you explore why we humans like to read, you find statements such as,

Aging Services providers are scrambling to find new and dynamic ways to replenish their depleted workforce.  Creative messaging and incentives are being deployed to entice prospects, but these efforts are for naught if turnover continues at the pace this industry has experienced.  A laser focus on employee retention is imperative.