AgingINnovation in Action
The future of aging services is being built through action, not theory. Explore how organizations are applying new models, refining leadership approaches, and creating environments that better reflect how people want to live. Read more to see how these ideas come to life and explore upcoming events.
AgingINnovation 2026 Annual Conference…Peak Purpose: Redefining How We Live and Age.
Why attend AgingINnovation 2026? Because this is where you’ll see what works.
At AgingIN’s annual conference, you will:
- Hear from leaders shaping the future of aging services
- Engage in interactive, real-world learning
- Connect with peers across the field
- Explore new models through hands-on experiences
- Walk away with strategies you can apply immediately
Join us August 10-13 in Denver, Colorado. Learn more and register here
AgingIN Events…Upcoming Opportunities to Learn and Connect.
Scaling Digital Inclusion for Older Adults: Insights from OATS from AARP Webinar
May 12 | 2:00 pm-4:00 pm EST
Join AgingIN for a webinar featuring OATS from AARP and discover how its Senior Planet program scaled from a community-based effort into a national network helping older adults connect and thrive online.
Register here
Webinar: “Person-Centered Mobility for the 21st Century”
May 20 | 2:00 pm-3:00 pm EST
Join Guldmann North America and Brightview Senior Living to explore how person-directed mobility and technology can support safer movement, promote wellness, and expand daily participation. Learn how these approaches can improve outcomes for both individuals and care teams.
Register here
External Webinar: “Person-Centered Care: Isn’t That What We Have Always Done?”- AETCC Spotlight Series
June 3 | 1:00 pm EST | Susan Ryan Presenting
Join this session to examine what person-centered care truly means and how it differs from traditional approaches in aging services. Explore the role of leadership, operations, and environment in building practices that support choice, dignity, and daily life.
Register here
Brain Bytes.
Is vision loss a normal part of aging? Not exactly. While changes like needing reading glasses or increased glare are common, significant vision loss is not inevitable. Conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration become more likely with age, but their development depends on factors like genetics, overall health, and lifestyle.
Vision also plays a role in brain health. When sight is impaired, the brain works harder to interpret what it sees, increasing cognitive load. Research, including findings from The Lancet Commission, identifies vision impairment as a modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline, and studies show an association between cataract surgery and lower dementia risk. This does not mean cataracts cause dementia, but it highlights the importance of clear visual input.
Cataracts do not need to “ripen” before treatment. So, how often should you have your vision checked? Sudden changes should be evaluated right away, as they can signal something serious. Otherwise, most adults should have an exam every one to two years, with annual visits recommended after age 65 or for those with conditions like diabetes or hypertension. These visits can help catch both eye and broader health issues early.
To learn more about vision and brain health, and the World Health Organization’s recommendations for healthy aging, join us at the Longevity Summit, August 10, 2026.
Register here
Additional helpful links:
- Cataract Extraction and the Risk of Dementia – PMC
- Risk Factors for Dementia
- Eye Conditions, Care & Healthy Vision – NEI
Culinary Corner: Fresh Flavors for May.
May is a natural time to refresh menus with lighter, seasonal ingredients. Spring produce, such as asparagus, strawberries, peas, and leafy greens, adds color and variety, while simple techniques, like roasting or using fresh herbs, can enhance flavor without adding complexity in the kitchen.
This is also an opportunity to support person-directed dining. Flexible options, such as build-your-own salads or grain bowls, allow individuals to choose what aligns with their preferences and can improve both intake and satisfaction. Seasonal desserts can follow the same approach. Fresh berries paired with yogurt or light toppings offer a balanced option that still feels complete.
Focusing on seasonality and choice helps create dining experiences that reflect both the time of year and the people being served.
Education: Where Great Teams Begin.
Communication & Nursing Leadership that Transform Care.
Strong teams are built through consistent communication and clear leadership. AgingIN’s Communicating for Success and Role of the Nurse programs focus on the skills that support collaboration, strengthen team dynamics, and shape how care is experienced each day in small house homes.
These programs are designed for long-term impact. Through a train-the-trainer approach, organizations build internal capacity to sustain and strengthen these practices over time. From improving communication across teams to supporting nurses in leading culture and influencing daily practice, the focus stays on practical application in real settings.
Click here to learn more about the Role of the Nurse and Registration in June.
Click here to learn more about Communicating for Success and Registration.
Living the Model…Real-World Experiences from GREEN HOUSE® Adopters.
Hands-on learning, lasting impact: ThriveMore’s Skills Fair strengthens clinical competencies and confidence.
At ThriveMore’s Taylor Glen community, a recent Skills Fair created space for clinical team members to practice, refine, and build confidence in essential skills. Over three days, staff engaged in hands-on learning across areas such as vital signs, manual blood pressure, wound care, catheter care, and safe transfers. More than a refresher, the experience provided a setting to ask questions, test approaches, and apply knowledge in real time. As Shannon Sears, Executive Vice President of Quality, Safety, Risk, and Compliance, noted, it offered an opportunity to move beyond theory and into practice.
The Skills Fair also reinforced the importance of foundational techniques. For some, it introduced new areas of practice. For others, it brought renewed focus to skills not used regularly but still critical in real-world situations. Beyond the technical focus, the experience supported confidence and engagement among team members, outcomes that directly influence both team dynamics and the quality of daily life.
The timing aligns with Taylor Glen’s recent opening of its first Green House home. As ThriveMore expands its small house model, continued investment in hands-on learning helps ensure teams are prepared to deliver person-directed care in practice.
AgingIN Focus…Where National Awareness Meets AgingIN’s Work.
Older Americans Month: Start real change with AgingINsite.
Every organization is working to improve, but without a clear baseline, progress can stall. The AgingINsite Assessment provides that starting point by evaluating culture, gathering insight from teams, and identifying both strengths and gaps. The result is a practical, customized roadmap designed to support real change. This Older Americans Month is an opportunity to invest in understanding your organization and define what comes next.
Learn more here
Mother’s Day: Honoring mothers by transforming the culture of care.
Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the mothers, grandmothers, and caregivers who have shaped our lives. In aging services, it is also a moment to reflect on: Are we creating a culture that truly honors who they are? Today’s residents, many of them mothers, deserve more than routine care. They deserve choice, meaningful relationships, and daily experiences that reflect who they have been and who they are today. That is the foundation of person-directed living.
Creating that environment requires a shift in leadership and daily practice. AgingIN’s Person-Directed Living Certificate and Leading Empowered Cultures programs support that shift by helping organizations move beyond task-based care and build a more aligned culture. Honoring mothers means creating environments where individuals are known and valued every day, and this Mother’s Day is an opportunity to take the next step.
Learn more here
National Nurses Week: Leadership in practice.
National Nurses Week, May 6 to 12, highlights the role nurses play in shaping how care is experienced every day. At AgingIN, nurses are seen as essential leaders in advancing more age-friendly approaches and improving outcomes across communities. As the need for skilled professionals continues to grow, so does the opportunity to expand your impact.
If you are looking to grow in this space, AgingIN’s Role of the Nurse course is designed to deepen your understanding, strengthen your skills, and support your development as a leader in aging services.
Learn more here
National Nursing Home Week: Changing the experience.
National Nursing Home Week, May 10 to 16, focuses on the moments that define daily life in aging services. This year’s theme, “Moments in Bloom,” points to something simple but important. Small, consistent actions shape how people experience care, work, and connection. Those moments reflect the culture behind them.
When organizations prioritize person-directed living, support their teams, and invest in learning, those moments begin to take shape in meaningful ways. AgingIN partners with organizations to strengthen culture and support lasting change.
Learn more here
Elevate Eldercare Podcasts.
The Elevate Eldercare podcast brings together leaders across aging services to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the field.
Hosted by AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan, new episodes release every Wednesday, featuring conversations that examine person-directed living, innovation, and system change.
Recent Episodes Now Live!
Catch up on recent conversations and tune in each week for perspectives on transforming eldercare:
- 4/1/26 | Beverly Gianna on her transition to long-term care ombudsman
- 4/8/26 | Sue Paul on rethinking dementia care through brain health
- 4/15/26 | Mohammad Mahoor on AI and emotional well-being
- 4/22/26 | Tom Kamber on technology access and Senior Planet
- 4/29/26 | Al Power and Jennifer Carson on dementia care and reducing antipsychotic use
Listen here: Elevate Eldercare Podcast
State of Change…Advancing Person-Directed Living Across the State.
Be heard: A message worth sharing.
A message from Troy Culbertson, Board President, Missouri Coalition Celebrating Care Continuum Change (MC5):
“One of the great gifts of healthcare is the opportunity to witness care and services done well, often quietly and without recognition. Across the country, leaders are reimagining how we provide care for our senior population, and the heart behind that work is inspiring. From meaningful QAPI improvements in Michigan, to Maine’s forward-thinking VBP program and Florida’s embodiment of culture-change principles, we see proof that transformation is not only possible, but already happening.
What unites this work is a shared understanding: every human being has innate value. This belief transcends geography, funding source, or organizational structure. At its core, it is about honoring humanity and allowing that belief to shape how we lead, serve, and care.
In Hardwiring Excellence, Quint Studer highlights a truth that resonates deeply in long-term care: great leaders understand that people want to feel purpose, feel valued, and know their work makes a difference. I have held tightly to these principles throughout my 36 years in long-term care, and they have proven true time and again.
We work in a noble profession. We walk alongside individuals and families during vulnerable seasons of life and have the privilege of teaching others to care well–to see the person before the task and choose relationship over routine. As many transition into roles of mentor and guide, there is a profound opportunity to shape both care and the people who provide it.
At the AgingIN conference last year, one of the first guest speakers embodied this beautifully. Bob Chapman, author of Everybody Matters, was an unwavering believer in the inherent worth of every person. He did not see employees as titles or positions, but as sons and daughters, mothers and fathers–people deeply loved by someone. He spoke earnestly about the responsibility leaders carry, reminding us that how we lead directly affects how people live their lives. To him, leadership was not about authority or outcomes alone, but stewardship of the human spirit.
After Bob’s passing earlier this year, a story shared by a friend has stayed with me. In a senior-level preaching course, a student named Ryan delivered a sermon that was theologically sound, deeply moving, and beautifully constructed. He spoke softly, barely above a whisper, yet his message was compelling and profound, and the room felt the weight of it.
When Ryan finished, the professor affirmed the theology, praised the storytelling, and acknowledged the strength of the message. Then he leaned forward and said with urgency, “Ryan, you are speaking about the indelible Word of God. You have something everyone needs to hear. Be heard.”
That message applies to us. What we believe matters. The culture-change movement and the principles championed by Pioneer Network and AgingIN are not optional; they are essential. We carry a message rooted in dignity, value, purpose, and relationship.
Let us not whisper it. Let us speak boldly, live courageously, and lead with conviction…because we have a message that needs to be heard.”