One day you will do things for me that you hate. That is what it means to be family. ~ Jonathan Safran Foer   Aging in Place    I’ve struggled with whether to post this personal experience because in some ways it feels like a betrayal; and I was also concerned about how it might be received by others. What won out was my commitment to be part of the solution—and so here is my story: Aging in Place: A Most Personal Story My mother passed away in October of 2017 at the age of 90. She had open heart surgery when she was 84. At that time, she lived with her brother (76) and sister ..read more

When you’re fearful of aging, you don’t step into your full power and potential. ~ Bonnie Marcus   Aging in Place Granted this piece is from 2015 (I’d hope society is moving beyond this kind of internalized ageism), but the gerontophobia and disparaging condemnation of aging was astounding. Not surprising for the time, but nonetheless cringe worthy. It just shows how much work there is still to be done to right the ship. For years now, especially in the Assisted Living industry which has a vested interest in casting shade on the term “aging in place,” there has been concerted effort to d ..read more

The reason why ChatGPT is so exciting is it’s the exact right form factor for demonstrating how AI could become a useful assistant for nearly every type of work. We’ve gone from theoretical to practical overnight. ~ Aaron Levie   Aging in Place Asking ChatGPT about aging in place produces some useful answers. For example here are two simple questions I asked ChatGPT about aging in place: How can ai work with aging in place? ChatGPT AI can play a significant role in supporting aging in place initiatives by providing personalized assistance, monitoring health and safety, and enhancing over ..read more

Systems thinking often involves moving from observing events or data, to identifying patterns of behavior overtime, to surfacing the underlying structures that drive those events and patterns. ~ Michael Goodman / thesystemsthinker.com   Aging in Place The underlying assumption with “aging in place” is that older people are capable of remaining home by choice. Along with this idea is the notion that human development occurs throughout the life-span and not limited solely to youth (aka Critical Gerontology Theory). But to embrace this concept our society must change its view of what it mea ..read more

Science and technology revolutionize our lives, but memory, tradition and myth frame our response. ~ Arthur Schlesinger (Historian)   Aging in place Lately I’ve been thinking about how in the past specialized knowledge once set the professional apart and how they could capitalize on that (charge high fees). But in the era of ai and ChatGpt, all bets are off. And this includes the field of Aging in Place design and remodeling. I prompted ChatGPT with this: You are an aging in place specialist and have done a home assessment for aging in place, show me your plan please. ChatGPT Certainly ..read more

Children make the world a little softer, a little warmer, a little kinder. ~Unknown   Aging in Place Received an email message from my friend and Mentor Rick Harry Moody, PhD notifying me about an upcoming Zoom event on aging in place titled “Should I stay or should I go?” I always like getting Rick’s messages because within them are frequently gems of gerontological interest worth mining. This morning was no exception: Some time we should talk about the aging-in-place experience of me and my wife, Elizabeth.  (edited)_________________________________________ After all, we moved fro ..read more

Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson   Aging in Place Who am I to argue with Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882), or “Waldo” as his friends used to call him. He was after all, one of the most brilliant thinkers of the mid-nineteenth century. The American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement had much wisdom to share on a litany of topics. However, he’s only partially correct about peace being an inside job (note opening quote). Granted, Waldo didn’t have today’s technology to think about ..read more

The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes. – Frank Lloyd Wright   Aging in Place I once wrote that inspiration is like rain, it falls on everyone; some shield themselves with an umbrella, failing to take heed; still others run in doors, avoidance all together—then there are those who walk freely amongst the pour, sensing every drop and giving reverence. The word “inspiration” comes from the ancients who believed that a breath of divinity is received from the gods by some deserving soul. The key word here is, “deserving.” Diane and Jay Plesset are just such deserving souls, as th ..read more

I often hear people say that a person suffering from Alzheimer’s is not the person they knew. I wonder to myself – Who are they then? –Bob DeMarco   Aging in Place The Present-absence and the long-good-bye of Alzheimer’s disease is heart-breaking. I sat with my once brilliant friend, Frances Gabe, holding her hand and longing for the excursions into the deep end of ideas that we once shared. But that is in the past; to quote Chuck Heston quoting Shakespeare in his statement, they bade farewell and “melted into air, into thin air.” The unraveling of a life in the mind ..read more

He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator. -Francis Bacon Aging in Place Jean was 91 at the time of this post. I know she would not have minded my telling you her age—she was proud of it. She was a walking endorsement of “Successful Aging.” And just what is SUCCESSFUL AGING? The most accessible definition comes from the book by John Rowe, MD and Robert Kahn, PhD based on the Longitudinal MacArthur Foundation Study. The components of successful aging include: Good health, low risk of disease and disability. High mental and physical functionin ..read more