Environments for Aging - Summer 2018 - 14

BULLETIN
KEYNOTE

Talking about memory care

KEYNOTE

Dispelling the myths of aging
Ashton Applewhite, activist and author of "This Chair Rocks: A
Manifesto Against Ageism," kicked off the 2018 EFA Expo & Conference with a keynote presentation, during which she shared a
personal account of confronting stereotypes about aging.
Applewhite said that when she found herself wrestling with the
fact that she was getting older, the truth was hard for her to accept.
The assumptions she'd made over the years were indicative of views
held by many. "In this society, we see aging only through the lens of
loss. From the inside, the experience is different," she said. "I had to
acknowledge and confront my own prejudices."
As she grew to understand the realities of aging, she realized a gap
existed between those realities and her preconceptions. For example,
she said that the number of older adults with dementia is actually decreasing, and retirement homes are hotbeds of romance. "The more I
learned about old age, the less terrifying it seemed," Applewhite said.
Why, she asked, are we so afraid of aging and why do we assume everyone of a certain age is alike? She believes the answer is
ageism-discriminating and stereotyping based on age. However,
ageism is a social construct, and we have the power to change that,
Applewhite said.
"Fear of dying is human; fear of aging is cultural," she said, pointing out that seniors are respected and venerated in many cultures.
However, here in the U.S., older adults may begin to see themselves
as a financial and physical burden to their loved ones. Others, she
added, think we can't afford longevity of life as a nation. Terminology
such as "silver tsunami" reinforces the idea that older adults will drain
resources, which can breed resentment rather than celebrate the
swell of resources and knowledge that the population brings with it.
Applewhite challenged the audience to mobilize against ageism
and said design has a part to play. Using the example of design to
support individuals with disabilities and the universal benefits those
solutions have for all of us, she said designs for older adults can
benefit all age groups in the long run, too.-Shandi Matambanadzo,
managing editor

EFAmagazine.com * Summer 2018

Memory care was so popular in
session proposals for the 2018
EFA Expo that event organizers decided to dedicate an
educational track as well as the
closing keynote to the topic.
Jennifer Kovacs Silvis, editorin-chief of Environments for
Aging, moderated a panel discussion with experts including
PK Beville, founder and CEO of
Second Wind Dreams; Richard
Kieley, partner and senior manager at C.C. Hodgson Architec-

where the focus was on creating a very controlled environment with low stimuli. "We even
called it the 'locked unit,'" she
said. As approaches have progressed over the years, there's
been a growing recognition that
design matters and can make
a difference in residents' lives.
"Realizing there's still that wellbeing inside and we need to
keep [residents] engaged is the
order of the day," Beville said.
Part of what's driving this

tural Group; Juliet Holt Klinger,
senior director of dementia care
at Brookdale Senior Living; and
Jane Rohde, principal at JSR
Associates Inc.
The group first explored how
far memory care has come.
Klinger said that when she got
started in the industry 30-plus
years ago, residents with cognitive issues were housed on a
locked hallway in skilled nursing

evolution is availability of
research and data that paints
a picture of how widespread
the issue is across the country.
Beville noted that one in three
people is affected by dementia,
whether it's an individual experiencing it firsthand or someone
caring for a family member or
loved one with cognitive disabilities. As demand grows, and
more senior living communities

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Environments for Aging - Summer 2018

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