Episode 96

full
Published on:

10th Jan 2020

Shifting the Mindset of Senior Living with Jill Vitale-Aussem

In this episode, I chat with Jill Vitale-Aussem. Jill is the author of Disrupting the Status Quo of Senior Living: A Mindshift and the President and CEO of The Eden Alternative. Jill has a deep passion about impacting the field of elder care with honesty and authenticity about the mistakes she’s made and what she’s learned along the way. The fact that she loves to do public speaking and writing helps bring her ideas to people. Negative views of aging are all around us (and in our own heads). It is causing incredible harm to each of us and our society. There are some simple things we can do to change that! It starts with each of us. If you are in need of a little direction for yourself or your loved ones, this is the episode for you. Be sure to rate and subscribe, and enjoy the show!

Jill Vitale-Aussem

LINKEDIN

I've always had a rebellious streak and a tendency to push back against the status quo. While this didn't always serve me well in my teen years, I realize this is what drew me to this work and helps me to be successful in changing the way we view aging and the way we care for and support older people.

Jill joined the Eden Alternative at the 9th Eden Alternative International Conference in May 2018.  Formerly at Christian Living Communities as Executive Director of Clermont Park Retirement Community,  she led the community through a $75 million redevelopment project and complete cultural transformation using the principles of the Eden Alternative. In her role as COO, Jill was responsible for guiding the operations of multiple communities and achieving excellence through the use of person-directed principles and practices. Jill earned a Master of Management in Hospitality degree from Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Alfred University. She is a licensed nursing home administrator, certified assisted living administrator, LeadingAge Leadership Academy Fellow, Eden Alternative Path to Mastery Guide, and a Certified Eden Educator. She has been involved with the Eden Alternative since 2007. Jill is passionate about creating community cultures of innovation, possibilities, inclusivity, growth and empowerment and writes and speaks nationally on the topics of culture, leadership and ageism.



Seniors.jpg

Disrupting the Status Quo of Senior Living: A Mindshift

With 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 each day, the need for senior living is growing at a steep rate, and the aging services field has been hard at work preparing for these new customers. Current practices aim to bring the kind of comfort and amenities enjoyed at hotels and resorts to the settings we create for older adults to live in. But what if these efforts are misdirected?

Interweaving research on aging, ideas from influential thinkers in the aging services field, and the author’s own experiences managing and operating senior living communities, Disrupting the Status Quo of Senior Living: A Mindshift challenges readers to question long-accepted practices, examine their own biases, and work toward creating vibrant cultures of possibility and growth for elders.

Shining a light on her own professional field, Jill Vitale-Aussem exposes the errors of current thinking and demonstrates how a shift in perspective can effect real cultural transformation. Her book delves into society’s inherent biases about growing older—where ageism, paternalism, and ableism abound—and provokes readers to examine how a youth-obsessed culture unconsciously impacts even the most well-meaning senior living policies, practices, and organizations. Deconstructing the popular hospitality model, for example, Vitale-Aussem explains how it can actually undermine feelings of purpose and independence. In its place, she proposes better ways to create opportunities for older people to exercise choice, autonomy, and self-efficacy.

Filled with empowering stories of elders who find purpose and belonging within their senior residences, Disrupting the Status Quo of Senior Living builds on AARP’s disrupt aging work and demonstrates that to truly transform senior living, we must dig deeper and create communities that promote the potential and value of the people who live and work in these settings.



Eden-Alt.png

THE EDEN ALTERNATIVE® IS AN INTERNATIONAL, NON-PROFIT 501(C)3 ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO CREATING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ELDERS AND THEIR CARE PARTNERS, WHEREVER THEY MAY LIVE.

 

In a culture that typically views aging as a period of decline, the Eden Alternative philosophy asserts that no matter how old we are or what challenges we live with, life is about continuing to grow.  Building on this new paradigm, it affirms that care is not a one-way street, but rather a collaborative partnership. All caregivers and care receivers are described as “care partners,” each an active participant in the balance of giving and receiving.  Together, care partner teams strive to enhance well-being by eliminating the three plagues of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom.

Focused on changing the culture of care since the early 1990’s, this approach to person-directed care initially came to life in nursing homes and has since expanded its reach to all care settings, including home care and residential care for people living with different abilities.  The Eden Alternative firmly believes that culture change unfolds one relationship at a time, and that deep change can only take root when the entire continuum of care is involved.  Through education, consultation, and outreach, it currently offers three applications of its principles and practices to support the unique needs of various living environments, ranging from the nursing home to the neighborhood street.


THIS EPISODE WAS PRESENTED BY


Amy Irvine

AND IN COLLABORATION WITH

The Seneca Lake Wine Trail

Amy.jpg

AMY IRVINE

ROOTED PLANNING GROUP

10 EAST MARKET STREET

CORNING NY 14830

WWW.ROOTEDPG.COM

EMAIL: AMY@ROOTEDPG.COM


Show artwork for Money Roots

About the Podcast

Money Roots
Money Roots with Amy Irvine
Welcome to "Money Roots," the podcast where personal finance becomes personal. Join host Amy Irvine, CEO of Rooted Planning Group, as she demystifies the world of finance and makes it approachable for everyone, from beginners to financial experts.

In each episode, Amy and her guests dig deep into the financial soil, planting the seeds of financial knowledge and helping you nurture your financial future. Whether you're looking to build a solid budget, invest wisely, or plan for retirement, "Money Roots" has you covered.

Get ready to explore practical advice, inspiring stories, and expert insights that will empower you to take control of your financial destiny. It's time to grow your money roots and thrive financially!

Subscribe to "Money Roots" now and join Amy on this exciting journey to financial empowerment. Let's put down some roots and flourish together.

About your host

Profile picture for Amy Irvine

Amy Irvine

Uncorking Amy Irvine!!

If any of you have ever met Amy, you know she is passionate about
three things. Family, Finances, and WINE! This comes through in all
that she does and all that she is. When asked to describe herself she first and foremost states, “I am a wife, a daughter, and hopefully a good friend, who happens to also be a financial planner.” Amy holds a Master’s Degree in financial planning and is a Certified Financial Planner TM , Enrolled Agent, Certified College Financial Consultant, and a Financial Wellness Coach with over 25 years of financial planning and industry experience. She is the Founder and owner of Rooted Planning Group, (Formerly known as Irvine Wealth Planning Strategies LLC), which started in 2016 and has grown to include 6 other planners and 2 part-time staff members. Amy is definitely “doing it her way” and has been recognized by her financial planning colleagues as being a “disrupter,” a title she holds close to her heart and is proud of.

Uniquely, at the age of 44, she decided to not only start her only company, but to act on what she defined as her perfect life and she splits her time between Parrish, Florida and Jasper, New York.
On her website it states, “I love what I do, but I also very much enjoy warmth, good
conversation, wine tastings, and volunteering. New York is extraordinary in the summer and fall, but so is Florida in the winter.”
In 2018, she decided it was time to take the stigma out of finances by combining her passion for finances and wine. She started a podcast called “Wine and Dime,” which highlights a different wine and financial topic each week, and she released her book combining those same two passions, titled, “Uncork Your Finances.”
Many of you may know her as one of the co-founders of the Southern Tier Women’s Financial Conference – a day of collaboration and financial education, which will be hosting it’s sixth year!
To round out her volunteering passion, she often provides financial education to the
community through the financial management program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County, she serves on the board of Faith-in-Action of Steuben County, volunteers for various Fund For Women of the Southern Tier events, works with the finance committee of the Arts Council of the Southern Finger Lakes, and serves on the board for the Corning Painted Post Historical Society (also known as Heritage Village).
In her downtime, you’re likely to find her with a glass of red wine from one of the many Keuka or Seneca Lake wineries that she highlights in her Wine and Dime Podcast.