I need some help from ChangingAging readers to put together a list of the most dynamic, leading-edge thought leaders across the spectrum of aging services. Who are the most amazing speakers you’ve seen at recent conferences? What are the most innovative ideas you’ve heard about lately?
Please share your suggestions either in the comments section or email me directly at Editor@ChangingAging.org. Don’t be shy — if YOU are a dynamic thinker and speaker send us examples of your work.
In particular, Bill Thomas and I have been talking about the need to build more synergy between the culture change movement and the broader field of aging services. We think there’s great potential to amplify voices and ideas coming out of culture change and person-centered movements and in turn introduce new ideas from outside our circles.
We were recently discussing this and thought how great it would be if there was a TED-like conference focused exclusively on aging, and in particular, person-centered approaches to aging and aging services. TED events have proven to be powerful forces in disseminating and promoting new ideas.
A great place to beging a talent search for “TED-worthy” ideas is right here at ChangingAging. I know many readers participate in aging services conferences and are exposed to many great speakers and thinkers. You can be our eyes and ears.
Let me know what you think. Definitely send videos and stories of potential thought leaders and I’ll reach out to solicit guest-blog posts.
For example, my first recommendation to Bill was Teepa Snow, an extraordinary speaker and expert on dementia care. I had the privilege to livestream broadcast Teepa’s keynote address at the 2012 Green House Project Annual Meeting. Take a look and you’ll see what I mean:
I’d like to see the CareSolver team (http://www.caresolver.com). I think that they’ve developed an extremely neat solution to help caregivers not only manage the day-to-day of caring for an aging Loved One, but to really improve the quality of care that they deliver! Definitely consider including them!
I would like to see the inclusion of a thought leader representing educational gerontology, such as Harry R. Moody (my mentor).
I have had the pleasure of hearing, working with and being inspired and energized by Dr. David Gobble, nationally-renowned brain health expert, Director of Masterpiece Living Academy and Director Emeritus of Fischer Institute of Wellness & Gerontology.
Kavan, you’re going to TEDMED right? http://www.tedmed.com/ I’d apply for a scholarship if they still had any…
Dr. John Zeisel; Penny Garner and her SPECAL CARE approach (England), pick up “Contented Dementia” by Oliver James if you haven’t read it; Dr. Pauline Boss; John Shoesmith, architect; Nora Gibson, MSW, Executive Director, Full Life (Seattle).
I’ll second the vote for Pauline Boss – her work on ambiguous loss is terrific!
Wow, I needed the refresher from Teepa! It’s been too long since I saw that one. I’ll need to be conscious about this request and hope I can help out with it… Nancy Fox is an obvious first choice for me, she’s been at this challenge for a while and can speak to a variety of subjects with sincerity and ease at the same time. I’ll keep an eye out.
The idea of a TED-like event is tantalizing too. Perhaps it could be tied into an existing gathering (conference) as a pre-post event.
In following the lead of a few other posts I will mention my work. I have presented at a few conferences in the U.S. My research is on representations of aging female sexuality, especially in literature, film, visual art, television; i.e. popular culture. While my focus is on black females, representations of aging and sexuality from feminist perspectives in general inform my research. I rarely run across anyone who is doing this work in the United States.
Anne Basting. Check out her Penelope Project, Time Slips program, and the “Culture Change” initiatives of the UWM’s Center on Age and Community (she’s been the Center’s Director for many years) : http://cac.obiki.org/focus/culture_change.html.
More on the Penelope Project: http://www.thepenelopeproject.com/.
Hi Kavan: Though it is probably wrong to suggest oneself, I can’t think of anyone who looks at the spiritual and transformational possibilities of aging as profoundly as I do (see The Three Secrets of Aging; Bedtime Stories for Elders: What Fairy Tales Can Teach Us about the New Aging; and What Aging Men Want: The Odyssey as a Parable of Male Aging). Aging changes us at every level and offers opportunities for real growth unparalleled in the human life cycle – if we pay attention and use the material life gives us. Please take a look. Thanks!
Louis Tenenbaum: International Aging in Community thought leader. More at http://www.louistenenbaum.com/. Here is a good example of his writing and he’s a dynamic speaker too: http://www.louistenenbaum.com/embrace-complexity/
Me: Steve Moran, Publisher of seniorhousingforum.net This article is a good example of the kinds of things I like to tackle:
http://seniorhousingforum.net/blog/2012/12/16/let-us-entertain-you-to-death/
Tim Carpenter, Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit EngAGE, Inc. http://www.engagedaging.org
Emilio Pardo, Chief Brand Officer for AARP…. AMAZING!
http://www.aarp.org/about-aarp/executive-team/info-2009/Emilio_Pardo.html