Elder Co-Housing: Aging in Community
Dene Peterson & Neshama Abraham-Paiss
Thursday, August 3
1:15pm-2:45pm

A shift to models of "aging in community" is underway, as Baby Boomers and the "young old" begin thinking in earnest about where they want to live out their lives. The Elder Cohousing option balances privacy and community within small, non-institutional neighborhoods. This session will explore the challenges of developing these communities, particularly the question of how long-term care services can be provided in the context of broader community-wide services, all according to person-directed principles.

Kicked-Up Community Meetings:
Family Involvement
Beth Irtz
Thursday, August 3
3:15pm-4:45pm

This session will provide the audience with the tools and understanding needed to start community meetings or give existing community meetings a jump start. Elders, residents, family members and staff from Philadelphia nursing homes will participate in this session. We will “let freedom ring” with song, prayer, humor and discussion. Come join the community circle and be inspired to start or enhance your community meetings and increase family involvement in your culture change journey.

Staying Home: What Elders Really Want
Ron Bruno, Susan McWhinney-Morse, Zev Paiss
& Bill Thomas
Thursday, August 3
3:15pm-4:45pm

We all hope to grow older in a community where we are known and where assistance is available, if needed. This session explores two options gaining popularity with elders-- naturally occurring retirement communities and intentional communities--both with the goal of being what elders really want. Dr. Bill Thomas will serve as a discussant for this provocative session comparing naturally-occurring and intentional communities, identifying the key elements of aging in community and exploring the ways in which assistance can be rendered in such communities.

Designing Space for Relationships
Amy Carpenter & Rosalyn Cama
Friday, August 4
11:00am-12:30pm

The Center for Health Design and SAGE will partner on this interactive session to explore the ways in which design of the physical environment affects the quality of the lived experience in long-term care settings. Findings from the Center’s Pebble Project research initiative will be described, along with SAGE's efforts to understand the ways in which organizations can progress toward a household design.

Joining the Circle of Champions
Barry Barkan
Friday, August 4
11:00am-12:30am

The ringing of the Liberty Bell was an opening toll for the long struggle for human rights which continues today in places where elders live. The field has shifted to transforming the culture in which all the stakeholders need liberation. The path of the Champion is for elders, managers, direct care workers, family members and members of the broader community as well. In our session we will introduce the way of the champion as a path to bring healing and renewal to ourselves and our organizations, learn some basic skills to lead community building meetings among elders and staff, and explore cultural strategies for successfully meeting operational challenges.

The Citizen Voice
Richard Taylor, Bill Keane and to be announced discussants
Friday, August 4
2:00pm-3:30pm

All of us must work on our personal journeys with aging and disability, but the voices of today’s elders must be given greater soundings and prominence in forums like this. A panel of elder American citizens, each living unique lives with challenges and disabilities, will share their thoughts and responses to the theme of this conference. Learn from these real pioneers how they live their lives each day; what “freedom”; “person-directed” and “interdependence” mean to them now; and how professionals and providers can shape their organizations and systems to be truly inclusive and responsive to the elders’ individual pursuits of happiness.