AgingINnovation 2026 Annual Conference Peak Purpose: Redefining How We Live and Age.
Dementia Care That Sees the Whole Person.
Caring for people living with dementia starts with understanding, not managing.
At AgingINnovation 2026, explore sessions that move beyond “behaviors” and focus on connection, dignity, and proactive care.
Featured Sessions:
- Calm in the Moment: Coaching Teams Through Distressed Reactions: Reframe distress as communication, and learn how to prevent, respond, and coach teams through challenging moments with compassion and skill.
- Connecting Person-Centered Dementia Education to Behavior Change: Move beyond training to real-world impact with tools that translate education into observable, person-centered care.
- From Surface to Support: Flooring Design & Cognitive Aging: Discover how environment directly influences perception, movement, and safety for those living with dementia.
- Maximizing Memory Care Renovation with the EASE Tool: See how evidence-based design transforms outcomes and what works in real-world implementation.
Walk away with practical strategies to reduce distress, improve safety, and deepen connection in dementia care.
Explore dementia sessions that transform care from reactive to relationship-based.
Learn more and register today.
Brain Bytes.
Depression and Social Isolation in Older Adults: What Families and Caregivers Need to Know. Depression is not a normal part of aging, yet it often goes unrecognized because it may look different in older adults. Instead of expressing sadness, someone may show loss of interest in hobbies, irritability, unexplained physical complaints, or withdrawal from social activities.
Three common questions often come up for families, caregivers, and healthcare providers:
- How do I tell the difference between depression and normal aging?
- What are the warning signs of social isolation?
- What actually helps?
A useful way to think about mood is this: low mood is like bad weather that passes, while depression is a climate pattern that persists and affects many areas of life. Clinical depression is generally identified when symptoms last two weeks or more and cause significant distress. Social isolation is related but distinct. Being isolated does not automatically mean a person feels lonely, although isolation and loneliness are strongly linked to higher rates of depression in older adults.
The good news is that effective, even low-cost approaches exist. Evidence-based strategies include regular social engagement, physical activity, counseling or therapy, and routine medical evaluation when depressive symptoms appear.
A 2025 randomized controlled trial published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry found that structured telephone conversations, specifically wisdom-enhancement narrative therapy that helps older adults reflect on life experiences, resilience, and personal strengths, significantly reduced loneliness after four weeks. This approach outperformed both empathy-focused calls and ordinary social check-ins, making it especially useful for older adults with limited mobility.
For caregivers and care teams, the practical takeaway is simple: screen regularly for loneliness and depression, support caregiver mental health alongside the older adult’s, and create meaningful connections through phone calls, peer groups, community programs, or intergenerational activities.
Little things truly can make a difference.
To learn more, join us at AgingINnovation 2026 and discover what the World Health Organization and peer communities are doing to make aging better.
Culinary Corner.
The Stories We Serve: How Food Creates Connection and Belonging.
Food is one of the most powerful ways we connect. Long before recipes were written down, meals brought families together, celebrated milestones, and preserved traditions across generations.
In aging services, food is often viewed through nutrition, dietary requirements, and meal service. Those elements matter, but food also creates connection, identity, and a sense of home.
Every Recipe Has a Story.
Ask someone about a favorite meal, and you will often hear more than a description of food. You will hear about grandparents teaching them to bake, holiday traditions, family gatherings, or meals shared during meaningful moments.
Simple questions can spark meaningful conversations:
- What was your favorite meal growing up?
- Who taught you to cook?
- What dish reminds you of family gatherings?
- What food brings you comfort?
The answers often reveal far more than menu preferences. They reveal identity, culture, and cherished memories.
Creating a Sense of Home.
Home is not defined by a building. It is created through familiarity, comfort, and belonging.
The aroma of fresh bread, a favorite soup simmering on the stove, or a treasured family recipe can transform an ordinary day into a meaningful experience. When communities incorporate resident preferences, celebrate cultural traditions, and invite residents to participate in food-related decisions, dining becomes less about service and more about living.
Bringing People Together.
Food has a unique ability to build relationships. Sharing stories over coffee, preparing a favorite recipe together, or gathering around the table for conversation creates natural opportunities for connection among residents, families, and team members.
Some of the most meaningful moments in a community happen not during scheduled activities, but around a kitchen table.
This month, invite residents, families, and team members to contribute a favorite recipe and the story behind it.
Create a community recipe collection, feature a “Recipe of the Week,” or prepare one of the shared recipes for everyone to enjoy. You may discover that the stories are just as meaningful as the meals.
Food for Thought.
At its best, dining is about more than what is served on a plate. It honors personal history, celebrates individuality, and creates opportunities for connection.
Every meal offers an opportunity to learn someone’s story, and every story deserves a place at the table.
Because great dining is not simply about feeding people. It is about helping people feel known, valued, and at home
Living the Model…Real-World Experiences from GREEN HOUSE® Adopters.
A Small Message Can Make a Big Difference.
A handwritten note or greeting card can make someone feel remembered, valued, and connected. Yet many older adults rarely receive cards or personal messages. That is why The Green House Cottages in Arkansas, with nine-plus communities, offers a simple way to brighten a resident’s day.
Through its e-Greeting service, family members and friends can send personalized messages directly to residents living in any of their Green House homes. Whether celebrating a birthday, sharing encouragement, or simply saying, “I’m thinking of you,” a message can create a meaningful moment of connection.
Submitting a greeting is easy. Visit the website for your loved one’s Green House cottage, such as Poplar Grove, Belle Meade, or another Green House home, and complete the e-Greeting form. Staff members personally deliver each message Monday through Friday.
Card designs are available for birthdays, holidays such as Easter and Christmas, get well wishes, thinking-of-you notes, and other special occasions.
A few kind words may seem small, but for the person receiving them, they can mean the world.
AgingIN Focus…Where National Awareness Meets AgingIN’s Work.
250 Years of Courage. The Future Needs More.
This July, America celebrates 250 years of independence.
It is a milestone worth honoring, not only because of where we have been, but because of the courage it took to imagine something better. The people who shaped our nation’s future challenged assumptions, questioned systems that no longer worked, and pursued a different path forward.
The aging services field needs that same spirit today.
For decades, leaders across our profession have worked to provide care and support for older adults. Yet many organizations continue to face workforce shortages, burnout, turnover, operational pressures, and systems that place routines above relationships.
The good news: change is possible.
Across the country, courageous leaders are investing in their people, embracing person-directed living, and creating cultures where older adults have greater autonomy and purpose, and where care teams feel empowered, respected, and supported.
Meaningful change rarely begins with a policy. It begins with a decision:
- A decision to listen differently.
- A decision to lead differently.
- A decision to build communities where people can truly thrive.
At AgingIN, we have spent decades working alongside organizations willing to take that step. Through leadership development, workforce education, operational consulting, culture change initiatives, research partnerships, and the AgingINsite Assessment, we help leaders turn vision into action and action into measurable results.
As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, we are reminded that progress has always belonged to those willing to challenge “the way we have always done it.”
The future of aging will be no different.
Ready to strengthen your culture, empower your workforce, and create a more person-directed future?
Learn more about AgingIN’s consulting, coaching, and education services at AgingINnovation.org.
Interested in connecting with organizations committed to person-directed care, workforce culture, and meaningful aging? Join AgingIN and become part of a growing movement advancing dignity, empowerment, and innovation in aging services.
Each month, AgingIN Focus highlights a national recognition or awareness effort and explores how person-directed values can move awareness into action.
Elevate Eldercare Podcasts: New Episodes Now Live!
Catch up on powerful conversations with host Susan Ryan, AgingIN CEO. Tune in every Wednesday for bold insights, honest dialogue, and fresh perspectives on transforming eldercare through the AgingIN model.
Eloy van Hal – 6/3/26
Eloy van Hal shares how dementia care can be transformed by shifting from institutional models to a human-centered approach that prioritizes normal daily life, small household living, and personal choice.
Drawing from his experience developing the Dementia Village concept in the Netherlands, he explains how reducing group sizes, fostering community engagement, trusting residents, and minimizing unnecessary medical interventions can improve quality of life for people living with dementia.
He also emphasizes staff training, family education, rethinking regulations, and a broader cultural shift toward dignity, autonomy, and acceptance, particularly around end-of-life care. His message is simple: better dementia care begins by seeing and supporting individuals as human beings first.
Leslie Eber – 6/10/26
What does compassionate leadership look like in elder care?
Susan Ryan speaks with Dr. Leslie Eber, Medical Director and President of Pulp Med, about person-centered care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and building cultures where residents and staff can thrive.
Drawing on her experience in post-acute and long-term care, Dr. Eber shares insights on dementia care, deprescribing, whole-person health, and the role relationships play in improving quality of life. The conversation offers a vision for aging rooted in empathy, respect, and honoring the stories and strengths of older adults.
Conference Promo Podcast with Kelly Tremblay – 6/17/26
What does it mean to not only live longer, but live better?
Susan Ryan talks with Dr. Kelly Tremblay, neuroscientist, audiologist, and global healthy aging advocate, about the shift from lifespan to healthspan and why it matters.
Dr. Tremblay previews the 2026 AgingIN Conference, where industry leaders, caregivers, innovators, and advocates will explore practical, science-backed strategies for healthy aging, longevity, technology, and community impact.
From the World Health Organization’s Integrated Care for Older People framework to emerging innovations that support independence and well-being, this conversation looks at ideas shaping the future of aging and what attendees can expect in Denver this August.
George Kutnerian – 6/24/26
What if assisted living was viewed not as a setting, but as home?
Susan Ryan speaks with George Kutnerian of WellPoint about the small house model and its potential to transform how we think about aging, housing, and care.
Drawing on decades of experience, George shares how neighborhood-based homes can provide greater dignity, autonomy, meaningful relationships, and community connection while remaining scalable and accessible.
The conversation explores affordability, technology, and policy, while challenging outdated assumptions about aging services. It is an inspiring look at how a housing-first mindset can create more person-centered experiences for older adults.
Tune in every Wednesday for bold conversations, honest dialogue, and fresh perspectives on transforming eldercare through the AgingIN model.
Innovation in Practice…How Today’s Partners Are Solving Real-World Challenges.
Sponsor Spotlight: Parker Health Group.
Exploring What It Means to Live Longer, Living Better.
For more than 120 years, Parker Health Group has helped people navigate aging with dignity, purpose, and possibility.
As a leading not-for-profit aging services organization, Parker serves older adults and families through skilled nursing, assisted living, memory support, rehabilitation, adult day services, care navigation, counseling, physician services, and wellness programs.
Parker’s vision is simple: We Make Aging Part of Life. Its mission is to discover ways to make aging manageable, relatable, and enriching for all. This commitment drives Parker to explore new ideas, foster meaningful connections, and challenge traditional assumptions about growing older.
That spirit of discovery makes Parker’s sponsorship of the Longevity Summit a natural fit. As conversations about longevity evolve, Parker is proud to support a forum that brings together leaders from aging services, healthcare, science, and innovation to explore how people can not only live longer, but live better.
Parker looks forward to learning alongside innovators, researchers, and practitioners as we work together to advance ideas that strengthen health, well-being, and quality of life across the lifespan.
To learn more about Parker Health Group, visit:www.parkerlife.org.
State of Change…Advancing Person-Directed Living Across the States.
Florida Pioneer Network was formed in 2001 and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The coalition began under the auspices of the Winter Park Health Foundation after learning about the national nonprofit Pioneer Network.
Pioneer Network helped Florida Pioneer Network create educational programs to spread culture change and person-directed living to care communities, long-term care ombudsmen, and surveyors across Florida.
The national Pioneer Network conference also helped Steering Committee members learn what was happening in other states and connect with like-minded colleagues. In 2003, Winter Park Health Foundation awarded a grant to Senior Resource Alliance, the Area Agency on Aging of Central Florida, to serve as Florida Pioneer Network’s fiscal agent and help develop its initiatives. Senior Resource Alliance has served as fiscal agent ever since.
Over the years, Florida Pioneer Network has:
- Conducted educational programs
- Published a newsletter
- Advocated for changes in state regulations for nursing homes and assisted living communities
- Implemented a “Best Practices in Person-Directed Care Showcase”
- Participated in grant-funded projects with the national Pioneer Network focused on consumers and providers
- Received funding from the Civil Monetary Penalty Investment Fund and RRF Foundation for Aging to develop learning collaboratives with nursing homes across Florida focused on person-directed practices
In 2021, Florida Pioneer Network began offering virtual conversations that gave aging services communities the opportunity to explore successes and challenges in making person-directed living a reality for residents, elders, and staff.
The practices came from Pioneer Network’s Artifacts of Culture Change self-assessment tools for nursing homes and assisted living communities. These tools are available at https://aginginnovation.org under Pioneer Network Tools & Resources, Artifacts of Culture Change 2.0.
In 2025, Florida Pioneer Network was invited by the Florida Long-term Care Ombudsman Program to contribute a monthly newsletter column. The coalition also began developing a definition of a Cultural Transformation Champion.
Champions may include individuals within the ombudsman program, provider associations, consumer organizations, advocacy organizations, and other groups who understand person-directed principles and advocate for their inclusion within their organizations.
The goal is to increase the spread of cultural transformation and person-directed practices across the state.
Beginning in 2025 and continuing in 2026, Florida Pioneer Network has also partnered with LeadingAge Southeast and sister coalitions in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi to present topic-focused webinars led by subject matter experts. These are followed by Elder Conversations webinars, where residents from aging services communities share their perspectives on the topic.
To learn more about Florida Pioneer Network and upcoming webinars, visit:https://www.floridapioneernetwork.org/.
Interested in joining an existing coalition or starting a coalition in your state? Visit: National Coordinating Center for State Coalitions.
WHO Longevity Pre-Con Summit.
The future of aging is being rewritten, and you are invited to be part of it.
Join us in Denver on August 10 for the AgingIN Longevity Summit: Living Longer, Living Better, a one-day pre-conference event focused on closing the gap between how long we live and how well we live.
The Summit convenes global thought leaders, scientists, and care innovators to explore healthy aging, longevity, and real-world strategies that organizations can use now.
The event opens with Dr. Shelly Chadha of the World Health Organization, who will bring a global perspective on healthy aging and share open-source frameworks and resources that can help translate the WHO’s vision into on-the-ground impact.
Do not miss this opportunity to walk away with clear, actionable strategies to embed healthspan principles into your organization.
Register now and arrive early to help shape what aging can and should look like.