Miscellaneous
How do we build trust and meaningful relationships with older adults living with dementia while empowering them to make decisions in their daily lives? Join Jennifer and Max as we talk to 4 great guests – Carrie Chiusano, Kim O’Brien, Amy McDonough, and Len Fishman about their experiences educating leadership, frontline staff, family, and communities about dementia. We kick off the conversation with Carrie Chiusano. Carrie has 36 years of long-term care experience with Presbyterian SeniorCare Network, helping to shape and implement the Woodside Place philosophy of specialty care for persons living with dementia. Prior to being appointed Executive Director for the Presbyterian SeniorCare Network Dementia Care Center of Excellence in January 2016, Carrie served for five years as the Administrator for Woodside Place of Oakmont, which opened in 1991 and was one of the nation’s first dementia-specific residential community. Carrie is responsible for the integration of dementia care services across the various settings that comprise the Network as well as the family caregivers coping with the disease. Next, we talk to Kim O’Brien and Amy McDonough of United Active Living in Calgary, Alberta. Kim serves as president and CEO at United Active Living. Their communities provide independent living, assisted living, and memory care in an innovative integrated community. Prior to joining United Active Living, Kim served as the CEO of Horizon Housing Society, a non-profit charitable organization specializing in the development and operations of affordable housing in Calgary. While in this role, she was a strong voice locally and nationally for the lasting positive impacts from people having access to a safe, quality home and the opportunity to be a part of the community. Amy leads the United Minds program at United Active Living. In this role, Amy implements and leads the company’s integrated living and relationship-centered philosophy, educating and empowering front-line staff, managers, families, and residents to support those living with dementia. Before joining the team at United Active Living, Amy served as volunteer coordinator and memory care support at Convent Care Canada and as recreation therapist and co-lead of the Dementia Butterfly Model of Care Project at Intercare Southwood Care Center. Finally, we speak with Len Fishman. Len is a nationally recognized leader in the field of aging policy. He directs the Gerontology Institute at UMass Boston’s John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies. For 12 years he served as CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife, New England’s largest nonprofit provider of senior housing and health care. Prior to joining Hebrew SeniorLife, Fishman was president and CEO of LeadingAge, a coalition of 6,000 non-profit aging services organizations, in Washington, D.C. He served as commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services under Governor Christine Todd Whitman. Before that, he was a health care lawyer in NJ and PA. Continue the conversation in our LinkedIn group Shaping Dementia Environments: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9044567/ Learn more about Perkins Eastman insights: https://www.perkinseastman.com/white-papers/