The ChangingAging Blogstream uses social media tools to help those of us who believe in a better old age communicate our message to audiences who are important to us. In the past large companies controlled the media channels and presented a uniformly declinist view of aging. Now, blogging gives us the power to create our own stories, share ideas and connect with like-minded people who care about changing aging.
How The ChangingAging Blogstream Works
Each time a member posts a blog update, it enters the ChangingAging Blogstream. Imagine a river of great pro-aging content generated by the streams of many like-minded people and organizations.
Keeping a blog going requires having fresh, interesting content every day. Not everyone feels like they have a unique message for readers every day. Don’t worry – the Blogstream is a rich collection of content that you can dip into for your blog. In return, you allow others to use your content on their blog. It’s called cooperation!
Joining makes blogging easy, fun and effective. Whether you’re a veteran blogger or newbie, joining the ChangingAging Blogstream will connect you with a growing movement of like-minded individuals and give you access to a broader audience. Use the Blogstream to update your blog with fresh content relevant to your audience. Take advantage of Social Media Skill Building with professional bloggers. Maximize your social networking impact with built-in integration with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The Team
Dr. Bill Thomas — Founder
“What we need is a radical reinterpretation of longevity that makes elders (and their needs) central to our collective pursuit of happiness and well-being.” – Dr. Bill Thomas (read full article)
Bill is a visionary leader in the online Changing Aging movement and a world-renowned authority on geriatric medicine and eldercare. Bill is founder of two movements to reshape long-term care globally – The Eden Alternative and Green House Project.
Bill’s Eden Alternative philosophy put forward a radical critique of long-term care and offered a creative way to “change the culture” of nursing homes by bringing growth and laughter into the lives of elders. Now a global non-profit, the Eden Alternative has affiliates in Japan, Australia, Scandinavia, Europe, Canada, the United Kingdom and all 50 states. Bill continues to serve as president.
A self-described “nursing-home abolitionist”, Bill recognized that America’s nursing home buildings are “aging faster than the people living inside them.” This led him to imagine a radical alternative to nursing homes that became known as the Green House® Project. The model creates small, intentional communities where 7-10 elders and staff focus on living full and vibrant lives. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded $15 million to support rapid replication of the model in all 50 states.
Recipient of numerous awards, including the Ashoka Fellowship, America’s Award, Heinz Award and Giraffe Award, Bill is also a professor at UMBC’s Erickson School of Aging, a musician, author of six books and an insatiable social media consumer and blogger.
Kavan Peterson – Co-Founder
“I think aging is integral to human development and growth, yet much feared and little understood. By nearly every measurement, the second half of life brings more happiness, fulfillment and satisfaction than the “glory days” of youth. Instead of embracing the many virtues of aging, society teaches us to value only the most superficial dimensions — our ability to look and act youthful. The consequences of this outlook are stupendously wasteful and harmful to both individuals and society at large.” — Kavan Peterson
Kavan Peterson is a co-founder of ChangingAging.org, a multi-blog network committed to challenging conventional views on aging and using social media to promote the equality, sustainability, health and well being of people of all ages.
Combining careers as a national journalist and social media entrepreneur, Kavan focuses on the power of user-generated content to communicate pro-aging ideas and build movements. He has developed strategies for organizations to understand and engage in social media communications that build purpose, engage audiences and make change.
As a reporter for Stateline.org in Washington, D.C., and contributor to NPR, Kavan specialized in social justice reporting on aging, gay rights, education reform, immigration and the death penalty. Kavan is also founder of KPG Communications, a social media consulting and production company working with higher education, non-profit and for-profit organizations.
A writer, blogger and videographer, Kavan enjoys exploring caves, mountain tops and vintage motorcycles, and splits time between his home in Baltimore and Missoula, Montana, with his wife and daughter.