by Kay Kallander, former Vice President for Strategic Planning, ABHOW (retired) Larry Minnix, former President and CEO of the national LeadingAge organization, asked the question to leaders in the field of senior services, “What keeps you up at night?” He was surprised by the universal response: “Where are the leaders of tomorrow going to come from?” Read More…
For this anniversary issue, we connected with some of our long-time members to learn how the industry has changed since the founding of LeadingAge California in 1961. Laverne Joseph, President and CEO (retired), Retirement Housing Foundation (RHF) My involvement with the association goes back to when I came from Chicago to Long Beach in 1987. Read More…
by Jerry W. Brown, Senior Director, Covia Affordable Communities – a Front Porch Partner I have a great passion for the work we all do serving aging adults in the many settings available to them through our LeadingAge California association. On a more personal level, as a gay man, I have a greater passion for Read More…
by Anne Burns-Johnson, former CEO of LeadingAge California, 2001-2009 As my mother-in-law descended into dementia, her strategic stock phrase, used in many situations, was “It is the same, but different.” So on this occasion of LeadingAge California celebrating its 60th anniversary, I feel I can repeat that comment. “It is the same, but different.” Sixty years ago, there Read More…
by Joanne Handy, Immediate Past President and CEO of LeadingAge California Early in my career as a provider, my boss sent me to a Policy Committee of the state provider association. I had a clinical background and was in my first supervisory position, so I had no idea why she wanted me to go to Read More…
by Melanie Ripley, Vice President of Membership, LeadingAge California We begin life with the most crucial of needs: attachment to a caregiver, the desire to be loved, and the need to find our place in society. The fundamental desire to survive, by feeling safe in a bond with responsive adults, is an aspect of the taxonomy Read More…
by Jeannee Parker Martin, President and CEO, LeadingAge California Finally, the NEXT NORMAL is here. From a year bound by COVID-19, we are coming out of a dense coastal fog – one where masks were ubiquitous, and gatherings and short visits to see loved ones are prohibited. Our conversation has moved to “are you vaccinated?” Read More…
from COVIA When Governor Gavin Newsom’s stay at home order went into effect in March of 2020, no one knew what to expect. Just before those orders shut down its headquarters in Walnut Creek, Covia had established a COVID-19 Task Force to coordinate its response. Drawing from all business lines as well as key operational Read More…
by JEANNEE PARKER MARTIN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, LEADINGAGE CALIFORNIA One year into the pandemic, work culture has forever changed. COVID-19 exposed significant and systemic disparities in workforce in housing, care and services for older adults, including wage gaps, inequities in the ability to work during a crisis, and chronic staffing shortages. Growing the workforce remains a critical Read More…
by AIMEE LEEPER, COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING OFFICER, CRA PARTNERS/SENIOR CRIMESTOPPERS Stories about the financial exploitation of elders that make news are ones where the victim has name recognition. Recently we’ve heard much about Marvel icon Stan Lee becoming the target of financial predators. No less tragic are the abuses that occur to those with less Read More…