Seniors STRAIGHT Talk

Are you reluctant to ASK because you fear rejection? Have you asked and been rejected? That's happened to all of us at one time or another. Mark Victor Hansen coauthor of The Chicken Soup for The Soul books series ultimately turned into huge worldwide success setting record book sales of over 500M and more than 100 licensed products. But it wasn't an easy journey. The book was turned down by publishers 144 times until one publisher finally agreed to take it on. Through all those failures, it was wisdom received from Ross Perot that became the backbone of their future success. That within each rejection lies an opportunity to learn, refine, and improve your story and the way you tell it. That could be a guiding mantra for any of us. It takes practice, determination, grit and the willingness to ASK. Ask is the basis of the learning, refinement and opportunities to improve your story and way you tell it. In his book ASK: The Bridge from Your Dreams to Your Destiny, cowritten with wife Crystal Dwyer Hansen he tells us that your dreams can become your destiny when you learn the secret art of asking! Hansen says, “You were born with a destiny. Your job is to discover it. Know exactly how to ask for what you want and get it.” There is an art and science to asking. A language that you have to master in order for the Universe to deliver your desires. Many older adults have untapped, buried, or undiscovered dreams or desires. They deserve to live a purposeful and fulfilled life in their Elderhood years. Mark Victor Hansen in his book ASK can show you the way.

The Medicare Enrollment period began October15 and continues until December 7th. For many of us the choices seem complicated, especially as we are bombarded with information, robocalls, and television commercials featuring high profile figures, actors, etc. The situation is ripe for people with less than honest intentions. Scammers seek to take advantage of the confusion and successfully dupe older adults out of millions of dollars each year. Where do you turn to get reliable information? Ari Parker has an extremely simple way of explaining it all. He breaks down the supplemental Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans in such simple terms, you'll wonder why it needs to be so complicated. Almost half of the 65 million people who have Medicare coverage also carry private insurance through Medicare Advantage Plans as an alternative to depending on government insurance alone. These plans are supposed to cover at least what Medicare covers which is up to 100 days of skilled nursing home care each year. However, these private plans can make their own decisions on how much nursing home care they are willing to cover.. But is that really clear when you' purchase a Medicare Advantage Plan? And while it all seems rosy when you purchase a plan, there are difficulties people encounter once they have to use the plan benefits. Here's an example that may give you pause for thought when looking into a Medicare Advantage Plan. The plans have a practice of ending coverage for nursing home and rehabilitation services before the person is ready to return home. When people are covered by traditional Medicare, the facility determines when the patient is ready to return home. With Medicare Advantage plans, the plan decides. Therefore, when ending coverage for someone earlier than they are ready, the person and their family can be faced with serious decisions as to whether to take the chance to appeal the decision or remain in the setting possibly amassing thousands of dollars in medical bills. Whose interest does this serve? Certainly not the patient. This situation can be very stressful for a family already stressed with their loved one’s condition. The federal government pays Medicare Advantage a set amount on a monthly basis for each person enrolled in the plan, regardless of how much care the person needs or receives. One could not help but think that this model provides an incentive for insurance companies to deny access to services and payment in order to increase their profits. That most probably isn’t new news to anyone. Listen in to hear Ari discuss this situation and others so that you are making an informed decision about medical care for you or your loved one.

Weigh In.... ...What Does the International Day of Older Persons Mean to You? ...What are your beliefs about aging....About older people? ...Do You think we value and respect older adults in the US? ...How do you feel about growing older in our society? ...Do you think it's time that older adults receive dignity, respect, quality of life and quality of care? On December 4 1990 the United Nations General Assembly designated Oct 1st to be the International Day of Older Persons.The overarching theme for the United Nations International Day of Older Persons in 2022 is “Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World. In doing so, The United Nations is marking the International Day of Older Persons for encouraging countries to draw attention to and challenge negative stereotypes and misconceptions about older adults and aging, enabling older adults to continue their life's journey with purpose, quality of life, dignity and respect. According to the UN chief, Ending ageism and securing the rights of older persons is an ethical and practical imperative.. He urged the need to address this as a violation of human rights and called for greater legal guarantees of equality for older persons to prevent ageism from resulting in discriminatory policies, laws and treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledging that there is worldwide and widespread negative attitudes towards older adults and has called out these ageist attitudes, as it's widely known that these attitudes are detrimental to the older person's self-esteem, self-worth, physical and mental health. John Beard, the director of the World Health Organization, of Ageng and Life Course, stated in a news release that, “Most people are completely unaware of the subconscious stereotypes they hold about older people, He further states that when we can stop defining people by their age, we can have more prosperous, equitable and healthier societies.”

Jesse Fiedor's story is nothing short of miraculous an inspirational. Curing himself of an epilepsy so severe that he was given a prognosis of an early an untimely death, he went on to achieve his dream job, travelled the world, became a millionaire, wrote a book and is pursuing a feature film based on his life story. Living without purpose, a job, friends, education, or meaning he became suicidal. Ultimately this is a story about finding a faith, purpose, and will to live so strong that he cured himself of a crippling epilepsy. Jesse Fiedor is considered a medical miracle. I was proud to highlight his work on the NBC groundbreaking and iconic The Golden Girls particularly since I refer to it often. Golden Girls, a sitcom ahead of its time. NBC took a chance on a show celebrating single older women living together dealing with issues not often addressed on TV at that time. A topic that needs more attention to this day. The conversation during the second segment turned to his life, his miraculous cure from crippling epilepsy, his grit, unwavering determination, relentless spirit, in order to pursue his life long goals and dreams. Jesse's story inspired me as I hope it does you. I left the conversation feeling a renewed energy level and a mindset shift as I thought about the my own issues and challenges. It's a must listen for anyone who has disability or doubts, unfulfilled hopes or dreams.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, self-esteem is a confidence and satisfaction in oneself. It's a realistic respect or a favorable impression of oneself, a view of ones' accomplishments, capabilities, values and perceived success in the ability to live up to them. A healthy self-esteem reflects positively on our wellbeing. But, when we have low self-esteem, it can be destructive to our lives, our relationships, our health and wellbeing; it can be a painful existence. Sociologist Morris Rosenberg developed a self-esteem measure, (known by the acronym RSES) that's used widely in social science research. It uses a 0-30 scale where any score below 15 is indicative of problems with self-esteem. It's no secret that many of us suffer from low self-esteem. It's not only based on our own opinions and beliefs but can be an accumulation of our experiences and people who impact our lives, from our family to friends and professional relationships. Self-esteem can also suffer as we lose the roles we fulfilled throughout our lives, for example, when we leave our professions, our children leave our home, we lose a spouse, we lose a person we've been caring for, especially an older parent. Clarissa Burt understands the destructive impact poor self-esteem can have on well being. She embarked on a journey to examine the roots and devise an action plan so that anyone can rebuild their self-esteem in order to become the confident person they were meant to be. You deserve to Look good and Feel Good, Right Now!!. Whether or not you have a healthy self-esteem, I guarantee that merely listening to Clarissa Burt will have you experiencing an energy level that will have you feeling transformed.

What are resident’s rights? All nursing home residents have certain rights and protections under Federal and state law, the purpose of which is to ensure they provide necessary and needed care and services. The law requires that nursing homes “promote and protect the rights of each resident”, stressing individual dignity and self-determination. In addition, there are many states that also include residents’ rights in their state laws or regulations. October is an important month for Nursing Home Residents….it is Resident Rights Month. So what are residents rights in a nursing home? Prior to or upon the time of admission, the nursing home must tell you about these rights and explain them in writing in a language you understand. A resident or the resident's representative must acknowledge that these rights were explained, received and understood in writing. Litigating and winning cases throughout Arizona, Martin J. Solomon is an expert in this area. He's worked with thousands of families and has seen the upside and downsides of care situations. In this episode, Martin Solomon lays out what families and loved ones need to know from the time of hospitalization up to and including the nursing home stay. From hospitalization to the nursing home stay, family advocacy is critical to ensuring adequate care. The truth is, even in the best of circumstances, this is not always successful. If you have a loved one in a nursing home, is the nursing home acknowledge, celebrate or inform residents that October as Residents Rights Month? If not, feel free to contact the Administrator, social worker, or other important nursing home personnel and insist they inform residents and their families about nursing home resident rights month and inform them what those rights are.

Like so many advocates, Nancy came to this space after caring for her parents in their advanced years. However, a family history steeped in loss from an early age prepared her than most. She was already well advised about knowing the important information, where to find said information and how to proceed in the difficult medical situations that arise. But what she was not necessarily prepared for was discovering systemic missteps that unintentionally occurred as her parents aged. In the process she was able to save her parents over $200,000/year, unraveling financial, legal, medical and homecare fraud and abuse. Nancy's view of her role of family caregiver is one worth hearing. She was able to apply the lessons she learned from her entrepreneurial father with her own corporate experience to approach the caregiving role like a CEO of a small business. No doubt the caregiving experience takes its emotional and psychological toll. Adopting a CEO mindset can be helpful in organizing all that needs to be done and remaining calm amidst the myriad of medical care and logistic decisions that need to be made. Nancy is not only an advocate but a role model for caregivers.

It's likely that when we hear the expression living our best selves we think of it in terms of our physical, mental and even spiritual well-being. According to Lauren Solomon it has a broader meaning. Lauren essentially took everything her mother taught her about clothing and design and made it a life's work. But she's also taken it to another level. She helps people understand that is not only about your image but it has a lot to do with how you feel about yourself and the response you receive from others. Self-confidence is certainly an important part of well-being. But this episode's story about well-being extends beyond Lauren's profession. Her story of how and where she worked took a turn in 2020, as it did for many of us.. Lauren has a family and older parents who needed her during the pandemic. Fortunately, the nature of her business allowed her to pick up and move across the country when her family needed her most. It was during this time that her mother's medical condition became a serious concern. Several specialists later, a condition she lived with for many years finally received the attention it needed. But it also meant her mother had to change basic habits: what she ate and how she ate. Habits are difficult to change, a habit as basic of how we eat takes painstaking work and the help of others. The remarkable story of where Lauren's mother is now, as compared to where she was prior to discovering and understanding her condition, and making the needed changes, is a prime example of what's possible with the commitment to do the work in order to sustain Healthy Aging at any age.

The horrific bicycle accident that almost killed Ron gold 11 years ago changed the course of his life. The out of control car that hit Ron while riding his bicycle left him in a coma for a period of time and in intensive care for 2 months. Once out of the coma and stable enough to leave the hospital, he was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital where he remained until he completed the in-patient rehabilitation course of treatment. Of course, Ron had continuing physical and medical needs and challenges, many of which were extensive. What Ron and his wife discovered was that the guidelines in the traditional home health care system were limiting his ability to have his needs met in the most expeditious and financially expedient fashion. This prompted Ron and his wife to develop a system that bypasses some of the guidelines that traditional home health care agencies need to follow. Ron found a solution that changes how families hire home health aides. As someone who needs home care himself each day, Ron’s answer was to create LeanOnWe, a managed marketplace that allows families to find, employ, and manage experienced and highly recommended caregivers outside of the traditional home health care system.Ron and his wife, Betsy, conceived of the idea, and then brought on the team to execute it. He raised the initial funding and developed the marketing channels and industry partners. Today LeanOnWe successfully serves families in New York and New Jersey, and is broadening their reach by partnering with other companies who help provide care for people in need.

If you're anything like Jerry Strayve and have had a passion for telling stories, you have a book inside of you, likely more than one. Jerry regaled in telling stories to his children from the time they were young. As much as his young children enjoyed their father's colorful stories, Jerry found a joy in letting his imagination wander in order to weave these tales. He found that the stories which captaivated his children's attention fueled his own imagination. The more his children soaked up these tales, Jerry's thirst for telling them grew. In his adult years, Jerry came to the realization that his stories could be told in a way that could serve the common good. His characters could reflect his own journey but also provide a social commentary that could open up people's eyes to issues and points of view that they may have not previously considered. The stories and characters in Jerry's novels are both complicated and compelling. He's developed an audience that craves his stories just as his children did when they were young. Jerry's success as a novelist is a valauble lesson to us all. He encourages all of us to share our stories and experiences. It can enrich our own lives, serve as a legacy, but also enrich the lives of others.

When Dr. Mike Wasserman proposed a conversation with Martha Deaver on SeniorsSTRAIGHTTalk I jumped on the idea. What a treat!!!! A lively conversation between Dr. Mike Wasserman and Martha Deaver, both of whom have been guests on SeniorsSTRAIGHTTalk in the past. They are two of the most outspoken and effective advocates for improving our nations nursing homes: an industry plagued with reports of substandard care for the over one million residents residing in the over 15,000 U.S. Nursing Homes. Having them together was a conversation you won't want to miss. The story that led Martha Deaver to become an advocate for nursing home residents is, like many others, rooted in a terrible experience with 2 nursing homes in Little Rock Arkansas where her mother and mother-in=law were residents. The story is both tragic but, unfortunately, all too familiar. Dr. Mike Wasserman has achieved a sort of celebrity status over the past two years. His passion for what he saw as the tragedy of how COVID 19 ravaged nursing homes gnawed at his insides and his Twitter finger. From then until now he hasn't stopped speaking out about the inequality and injustices in treatment and care of nursing home residents and healthcare workers. This has gained him national recognition. He's taken his advocacy to the steps of the government, working with our nations legislators and is respected voice with selected individuals at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Mrs. Deaver talks about what she knows about the failure of the nursing home industry, and the many nursing home tragedies she hears about every day from the many families who seek out her wise counsel. These ills that have been known by Federal Government agencies for decades. As a matter of fact, she has been an adviser to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Office of Inspector General (OIG). She explains how after her extensive investigative work with nursing home complaints, at her insistence they were added to the website of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services so that people seeking information about nursing homes would be able to see beyond the annual nursing home oversight survey to find more information about complaints lodged against them. While investigative reporters continue to pursue and report on nursing home ills, and leaders and advocacy groups continue to push for the necessary legislative changes that lead to reform, change in how nursing homes deliver care is slow going. Nevertheless, Martha Deaver and Mike Wasserman keep pushing. They remain vocal and committed to change. As we all know, even small changes can make a big difference. ` But they are not stopping with small changes. They relentlessly call out, fight for, knock on every door, and talk to every person in the position for effecting change in order to make nursing homes the living environment that should and can be!!!!! .

J.R. Strayve, Jr. was born to a nomadic military family, attending nine schools before entering college. Following service in the United States Marine Corps, he raised a family. Jerry lived with a gnawing feeling inside that there was something different about him. Never knowing what that was, or why, he proceeded to pursue what was considered to be the American Dream. He achieved all he desired, or so he thought, marriage to a college sweetheart, children, a house with a picket fence. Along with the American Dream life, he describes caring for a daughter with disabilities who they were told would essentially be a vegetable and should be institutionalized. The family forged on together, their special needs daughter was special beyond her own personal limitations. In their special needs daughter, the Strayve family found a commitment that bound them together for thirty years. But through the years, Jerry's difference' that laid dormant inside him, needed to be set free. Jerry reveals the effect of denying who he was his entire life, the effect on him personally, psychologically and emotionally. When he finally acknowledged his identity the life he knew, and some of the people in it, and the relationships he cherished changed. He describes the challenges he's faced In search of pursuing a place in his new life. Jerry Strayve wears his heart on his sleeve, his openness and transparency is a testament to his bravery and courage to leave the life he always wanted to the life he desperately needed.

Mitzi Perdue is an extraordinarily engaging, remarkable woman and thought leader. Her personal story is nothing short of inspirational. Perdue was inspired by an employee with an IQ of over 200, who she believes had a fear of failure that stopped him from achieving his life-long goal. After what was diagnosed as a life threatening heart ailment, Mitzi secured treatment which helped her employee get on the road to recovery. But as she tells the story, despite having a long life ahead, he never pursued or realized his life-long dream. Mitzi saw her tenant rice farmer's inability to pursue his goals as rooted in fear-of-failure. Realizing that her debilitating lisp prevented her from pursuing her own lifelong dream, she was determined not to follow the same path of the tenant rice farmer. She embarked on a journey of rigorous speech therapy until she achieved her broadcasting career goal; from there she went on to become a motivational public speaker. Mitzi is also a staunch and outspoken advocate to end human trafficking, an issue with far reaching implications for both society and the trafficked individual. Her latest blog in Psychology Today entitled: Nursing Homes: A Growing Target for Labor Traffickers, is an interview of SeniorsSTRAIGHTTalk host: Phyllis Ayman. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/end-human-trafficking/202207/nursing-homes-growing-target-labor-traffickers Perdue's most recent written work, ‘Relentless’ is a biography of Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul books. The book has been said by the Business Guru and Financier Somers White, “The GREATEST self-help book I have ever read. A BLUEPRINT for HOW TO MAKE ONE’S CAREER GO FASTER AND FARTHER.” It has been nominated for several awards, both in the United States and abroad and has also been translated into Ukrainian. When you text: DONATE to 55312 you will receive a free copy of Relentless. Royalties will go to Razom, the Ukrainian relief organization with 125,000 volunteer members, mostly Ukrainian Americans.

After leaving military service, former Marine Corp Lt. Col. Ted Blickwedel became a social worker who worked with veterans living with PTSD. We met Blickwedel last week as he described stepping out of his role as a social worker into one he never expected: one of a whistleblower. In his book, Broken Promises, he described counselors being pressured for increased productivity resulting in their own stress and burnout, while the ramifications reduced quality of care received by veterans at the VA. In this episode, Blickwedel's expertise as a counselor is on display. It's clear there's a range of evidenced based treatment interventions that can be effective for veterans experiencing symptoms associated with PTSD. Not only do these techniques go a long way in ameliorating the symptoms associated with PTSD, improvements could impact improved personal relationships, whether they be friend or familial, as well as improve overall functioning. Beyond veterans, it's brought to light that these techniques are universally accepted for improving symptoms associated with many of the emotional and psychological challenges in people's lives. Jerry Strayve, co-author of 'Broken Promises' brings a perspective more aligned with those of us who do not have up close and personal experience with veterans who have experienced PTSD. Strayve was open, and indeed displayed his own vulnerability, when describing the impact of these interviews on him personally. His impressions of veterans who have successfully completed programs addressing their PTSD punctuates the point that quality of care for veterans, and especially those with PTSD, is a moral imperative.

Retired Marine Corps Lt. Col. Ted Blickwedel, became a licensed clinical social worker after retiring from the military where he provided mental health counseling to fellow veterans. He never expected to experience the callous approach to providing service to veterans at the hands of the Veterans Administration where quantity was prioritized over quality care, this by increasing counselor workloads at the expense of the quality of mental health service offered to veterans living with PTSD. Lt. Col Blickwedel never intended to be a whistleblower. Once speaking truth to power, he was at the receiving end of retaliation, isolation, gaslighting, mobbing, false accusations, character assassination. His relentless and tireless pursuit of speaking truth to power has been successful and has led to the expectation that Congressional legislation will pass at the end of this fiscal year. This legislation will hold the VA leadership accountable to prevent this situation from continuing to occur. When Former Marine Captain Jerome R. Strayve, Jr. Jerry was reunited with Lt. Col.Blickwedel 42 years after they were together at training camp, said upon the meeting: When Ted came to me with his story, I was aghast. Not in disbelief of the veracity of what had happened, but that it had happened again! Having experienced the military's medical community's callous lack of compassion for active-duty personnel and their families, I felt compelled, honored, and driven to help Ted write his shocking story. The collaboration between Blickwedel and Strayve led to the June 15, 2022 release of their book, Broken Promises, written to create awareness and advocacy for veterans and the counselors. The desired outcome of the book is to work cooperatively with the Veterans Administration to enact policies and procedures that will ensure quality mental health services for veterans as well as to protect the mental and physical well-being of their counselors. Broken Promises: www.vabreakingpromises.com

A conversation with David Corbin is truly like none other. His insights and analysis of every situation are truly unique; any opportunity to hear him is one not to be missed. During this episode I benefitted from a real time assessment of my own frustrations as a consultant in the nursing home sector, I know his analysis, insight and feedback will be valuable for every listener no matter their background or area of business. David is like a beacon of light for entrepreneurs. His fundamental concept about facing the issues in order to correct course are integral to his concept of illuminating the negative in order to reach entrepreneurial goals is the guiding principle in his book: Illuminate: Harnessing the Power of Negative Thinking. Otherwise, you may be embarking on what could be considered Brand Slaughter. The prevailing thinking in business is not to go looking for problems where there aren't any that seem readily apparent. But it would be naive to think that there aren't always areas that can be improved upon. Without facing and illuminating the negative, it could be considered akin to an ostrich mentality, digging your head in the sand hoping that whatever is happening will soon pass. Corbin is a consummate innovator and inventor who applies provocative thinking to his unique approach to the entrepreneurial experience. His ideas are outside the mainstream of traditional thinking having a positive attitude and having faith against all odds. You may ask, why highlight this principle on SeniorsSTRAIGHTTalk? I think we can all benefit from applying the principle of Illumination to our complicated lives and relationships both personally and professionally.

Robert Peterson's journey with his mother's poor nursing home care is unfortunate one that is familiar to thousands of nursing home residents and their families. It's one I've not only heard countless times, but one that I've witnessed. His mother, a frail, thin, woman with advancing dementia was at the receiving end of poor care, inadequate staff training, neglect and abuse at not only one, but two nursing homes. The second nursing home found the staff abandoning the patients altogether. Towards the end of this interview, you can the hear the sadness and the drain on Robert Peterson's heart strings as he fights back the tears. The story of Robert Peterson's mother is unfortunately not unique. In December of 2021, the New York Times published an investigative piece 'How Nursing Homes Worst Offenders Are Hidden From the Public The article's subtitle was: Thousands of problems identified by state inspectors were never publicly disclosed because of a secretive appeals process, a New York Times investigation found. This begs the question about the ability of the government oversight process to accurately inspect nursing homes and cite them for deficiencies. By not reporting bad actors and the situations that occur in these nursing homes, the government is essentially duping the public, Families and loved ones visit the government website to look up the information when trying to determine the appropriate place for their loved one to receive care. How can they make an informed decision if they don't have the entire picture. Who is to blame? Whatever the reason, the only people suffering are residents and their families. There have been numerous investigative reports and Government Studies exposing the nursing ills that are harmful to residents. . Robert's mother's story is heart wrenching. No one should have to endure this level of pain, not a son, and not any older adult. Do you have a story you'd like to share about nursing home care on SeniorsSTRAIGHTTalk?. Email: phyllis@seniorsstraighttalk.com

The story that led Martha Deaver to become an advocate for nursing home residents is, like many others, rooted in a terrible experience with 2 nursing homes in Little Rock Arkansas where her mother and mother-in=law were residents. The story is both tragic but, unfortunately, all too familiar. She ultimately shared the horrific story with a journalist who published it in Ladies Home Journal. She went on to supply detailed information and data to the director of an organization that provides information on health care issues to Consumer Reports. This resulted in Consumer Reports publishing one of the most in-depth looks at America's nursing homes to date entitled: The Crisis in America's Nursing Homes. Mrs. Deaver talks about what she knows about the failure of the nursing home industry, nursing home tragedies and ills that have been known by Federal Government agencies for decades. As a matter of fact, she has been an adviser to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Office of Inspector General (OIG). She explains how after her extensive investigative work with nursing home complaints, at her insistence they were added to the website of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services so that people seeking information about nursing homes would be able to see beyond the annual nursing home oversight survey to find more information about complaints lodged against them. In 2013 she worked with Jeff Lowenstein with the Centers for Public Integrity on a 2 year project where data from every nursing home in the country became the basis of the largest in-depth investigation into the importance of adequate staffing in our nations nursing homes. She's been recognized by the Governor of Arkansas, who said,, “She is an advocate in the best sense of the word, tirelessly supporting and defending others.” and was honored by RBI director Robert Mueller III, with the 2010 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for the state of Arkansas. Mrs. Deaver's passion is palpable. You can hear it as she speaks about the unspeakable tragedies experienced by U.S. Nursing Home Residents. Mrs. Deaver is not only seeking to find out and call out the negative, but seeks to find the positive in the health care workers that provide the direct care to resident. She created the AANHR's first national Nursing Assistant Recognition Award to recognize nursing assistants from across the state of Arkansas. She also developed the first program acknowledging National Residents Rights Week and has chaired both events for the past five years. Today, Mrs. Deaver is the president of the Arkansas Advocates for Nursing Home Residents (AANHR), an organization dedicated to protecting residents in nursing homes from abuse and seeking prosecution for those who victimize nursing home residents.

Matt Thornhill had a successful consulting business dedicated to researching and understanding the needs of the boomer generation. He came to realize there was an essential unmet need for the middle-income sector of that demographic and upon leaving his consulting practice, he decided to pursue a solution. The result, Cozy Home Communities. In this episode, Matt describes this innovative concept as one part of the living solution for older adults: These homes designed close to one another, with appropriate social distancing, allows neighbors to help neighbors and offers a new approach to living for a new stage of life: Imagine living in your own house in a small neighborhood where your NEIGHBORS ARE YOUR FRIENDS. Friends with whom you share common interests, backgrounds or stories with the added bonus that your neighbors, or friends, have agreed to help each other when the need arises. Not only for their neighbors but also for the community. Knowing your neighbors is not a trite expression, it's not about casually passing someone and saying, good morning or good afternoon. It's about really getting to know your neighbor, about finding people with whom you have an affinity at this stage of life. Have you arrived at the time in your life when your relationships are more important to you than the accumulation of things? The importance of relationships and connection is not only documented in literature, but something we all experienced since the outbreak of COVID in 2020. Rather than living alone in your existing home surrounded by things, Cozy Home Communities ™ gives you the opportunity to live amongst people with common interests and stories, where you can form lasting relationships with peers you see daily. Learn more about the design of each stand-alone individual home and how a group of homes is clustered into a “pocket” neighborhood. A group of neighborhoods in close proximity, with a central common area creates a colony. A Cozy Home Community™ consists of multiple Colonies. This seems like a perfect solution for this level of the market. Learn when the first communities are breaking ground and when, or if, a Cozy Home Community ™ may be coming to an area where you live.

According to Matt Thornhill, When we as older adults change how we think, feel, and and act about getting older we can change the culture around aging. It's no secret that we live in an ageist society and whether we know it or not, contribute to perpetuating ageist attitudes. In doing so, we continue to perpetuate the last bastion of the isms...ageism. Central to the issue is that though we may feel lovingly about the older adults in our families or amongst our friends, as a society we don't feel the same way towards the older adults in our communities. They are not valued as they are in other cultures where elders are viewed with respect and sought out for their wisdom. How can we turn around these negative attitudes towards older adults? I agree with Matt Thornhill. We must embrace our elder hood years, embrace our longevity journey. This involves changing our mindset about how we see ourselves. I'm sure we can all identify words or phrases we have heard that reflect ageist attitudes. We see and hear them all around us but we probably don't realize the things we say or think about ourselves. Stigmatizing societal attitudes become internalized long before we reach the senior years of our lives. When we describe ourselves or refer to ourselves as old, we are merely reinforcing a stereotype. However, irrespective of a person's age, old can be thought of as a mind state or mindset. One way to counteract this mindset is by choosing to live an engaged life. This must be a purposeful and intentional choice, a choice to live every day to the highest potential or ability at any point in time. People who live in this way are not in denying the reality of the end of life, but rather realized that life is meant to be lived. We are the ship in our life’s journey. It is our attitude that is the driving force steering our ship. We have to remain intentional and mindful, caring for and tending to our attitude. If not, we allow ourselves to fall prey to the pitfalls of life, as with a ship that strays off course when encountering rough waters, we will drift into a kind of holding pattern letting the water and waves take us where they will. This is an act of surrendering. Embrace your elder hood years. Join the movement at: openlygray.org. For 40 years, Matt Thornhill has been studying consumer behavior and trends, first as an advertising executive on Madison Avenue, then as an interactive marketing pioneer and for the last 20 years as a futurist and the nation’s leading authority on Boomer consumers. He has advised companies and organizations across the globe, including Walmart, Google, AARP, Proctor & Gamble, Verizon, and the Social Security Administration, and he’s delivered memorable keynote addresses at national conferences and company events across dozens of industry sectors. Matt has provided commentary on NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, CNN, CNBC, and PBS. He’s appeared in articles in The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and countless magazines. A serial entrepreneur, Matt has left his think tank and consulting to create and build a new type of community of smaller homes for middle-income Boomers at this stage of life called: Cozy Home Community, which addresses the largely unmet need of affordable housing and community living that encourages social connections with neighbors helping neighbors. You can find more information about these communities at cozyhomecommunity.com. Matt has also launched the Openly Gray movement, a nonprofit fighting age discrimination by encouraging older adults themselves to change how they think, feel, and act about growing older. Change our attitude, change the culture around aging. Join the movement at: openlygray.org