Local Advocacy, Global Impact: Sheena Jaffer on Aging With Dignity - Episode 86

Welcome to a truly inspiring episode of the Caregiver Relief Podcast! 🎉 In this powerful conversation, your host Diane Carbo sits down with Sheena Jaffer, a globally respected advocate for aging with dignity. Sheena shares her incredible journey, from personal caregiving experiences that shaped her path, to her influential work in both local and international aging initiatives. You won't want to miss her insights on how we can better support older adults with dignity and purpose!

What's Inside This Episode? 🚀

• A Mosaic of Purpose: Discover how Sheena's personal caregiving experiences for her parents and nephew, coupled with a promising banking career, led her to a "nonlinear career trajectory" driven by compassion and service. It's a testament to responding to "what your heart tugs at".
• Age Tech: A Game Changer for Independence! 🤖 Sheena dives deep into assistive technology (Age Tech/Gerontechnology), explaining why it's crucial for successful aging. Learn how innovations are "reshaping independent aging" and bridging the "care divide," especially with dwindling caregiver numbers.
• The Unseen Struggle: We discuss the challenge of getting cutting-edge Age Tech from innovators to the households that desperately need it, and how vital advocacy and strong networks are to overcome this.
• Age-Friendly Cities: A Global Movement: Sheena shares her extensive work with the Age-Friendly Cities movement in Washington D.C. and Edmonton, Canada, implementing the World Health Organization's global framework. Find out how factoring in 8 specific domains, like housing, can create supportive environments for all generations.
• ATscale: A Global Mission: Hear about ATscale, the global partnership for assistive technology, aiming to provide life-changing AT to 500 million more people globally by 2030! 🌎 Sheena highlights the stark contrast in AT access between high-income and low-to-mid-income countries.
• The Longevity Economy & Connected Care: Get excited about the "unprecedented future of aging unfolding" with rapid advancements in Age Tech. Sheena envisions the home becoming a "health hub," combining aging in place with healthcare in place.
• Challenges & Solutions: We tackle the societal challenge of viewing aging, emphasizing a shift towards "vitality, not decline". Sheena stresses the importance of proactive planning, supportive housing, and learning from initiatives like California's Master Plan on Aging.
• A Call for Resilience & Hope: For overwhelmed caregivers, Sheena offers powerful advice: "Remain resilient, remain hopeful, remain positive because you are doing a noble and a great service". She encourages leveraging the "exponential resources" available from organizations like AARP and the National Council on Aging.
• The Power of Intergenerational Connections: Discover how intergenerational programs are making a real impact, fostering understanding and appreciation between different age groups. It's truly "awesome to have, see that interaction".

Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation that will shift your perspective on aging and technology! 👇

Listen to the full episode now and empower yourself with knowledge and inspiration! And remember, subscribe, share, and leave a review to help us reach more caregivers and changemakers around the world! 💖

Podcast Episode Transcript

Diane: Welcome to the Caregiver Relief Podcast, a space where we come together with open hearts to share real stories, practical resources, and honest conversations about the caregiving journey. I'm your host, Diane Carbo, a registered nurse with decades of experience in aging and home care advocacy. Before we begin today's inspiring episode.

Now on today's episode, I'm honored to welcome Sheena Jaffer, a globally respected advocate for aging with dignity, with a powerful voice in both local and international aging initiatives.

Sheena currently serves on board such as the GEF Seniors Housing. At Scale's, private constituency board, and the Edmonton age friendly Alliance among others. She's a passionate believer in universal design, healthy longevity, and the power of assistive technology to transform how we age. In this conversation, we explore the roots of Sheena's advocacy work and the profound impact of her multifaceted career.

From champion age friendly communities to embracing GLO global collaborations, Sheena brings both wisdom and vision to the conversation on how we can support older adults with dignity and purpose. The key takeaways are global collaboration drives local change. Learn how Sheena. Connects international advocacy with local age-friendly initiatives that directly support older adults.

Assistive technology is a game changer. Hear about the latest developments in age tech and how innovation is reshaping independent aging. Empathy, experience and education matter. Discover how Sheena's caregiving journey and lifelong learning continue to shape her mission to create inclusive, supportive environments for aging populations.

Stay tuned, be inspired, and don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to help us reach more caregivers and change makers around the world. Now let's dive into this powerful conversation with Sheena Jaffer.

Diane: Sheena, thank you for taking time out of your busy traveling schedule to, take time to inform us today. I really appreciate it.

Sheena: Diane. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I'm really looking forward to it.

Diane: I am too. And, Sheena, I want you to take us back to the moment when you realized aging and caregiving would become such a central focus in your life.

Sheena: as I reflect on my younger years and, graduating from university and, looking at my career journey, I think in terms of a career portfolio, I call it a mosaic of roles, invaluable experiences, commitments and personalized, contributions, all of which in their own way have been weaved together with meaning and purpose.

And of course, it's been a wonderful opportunity to keep reinventing myself. From a general standpoint, most of us who pursue specific pathways tend to have a personal story. As it turns out, during the pinnacle of what was a promising banking career, I was also a primary caregiver to both my parents, which I truly believe has been a blessing.

And so my nonlinear career trajectory strength stems from these very specific personal circumstances. So there's no doubt I was really enjoying and was highly committed to my banking career. Like most young people would be starting off on a career journey, but sometimes you have to make trade-offs in life and respond to what matters most, what your heart tugs at.[00:05:00]

Essentially a calling to do what is needed of you at a given time. During my career journey, both my parents suffered strokes, which greatly affected their ability to conduct the activities of daily living. As the youngest child in the family, I grew up with strong ethics and values of compassion, generosity, empathy, caring, and giving.

My parents were super role models who imparted the importance of family and community and practice the concept of holding oneself to the highest standard of service to others. I learned from them. So when time came whereby I could not juggle both, that is a. Thriving career as well as be a focused caregiver.

The choice was very clear to me that I had to put my career goals on hold to devote myself towards the wellbeing of my parents as well in our family. Around the same time, my nephew was born with Celebral Palsy. So with these experiences with immediate family, I was exposed to a new world of caregiving and disabilities, and that's when I was introduced to the role of assistive technology in daily living, and I gained a whole new level of exposure, understanding, and hands-on experience of what it takes to provide care for elders and persons with disabilities.

I did this with my heart and soul, and it's really amazing how the universe awards you when you pay it forward.

Diane: That's beautiful. now you're talking about assistive technology and how it's playing a growing role. It's also playing a growing role in successful aging. Can you help our listeners understand what that means and why it matters?

Sheena: Yes, absolutely.

I worked with, an assistive technology program, which is a, program that every state in the US has. it's a federally funded program. and through this program, I learned what a great need there is for assistive technology. when I studied aging, at John Hopkins University, I did my research on assistive technology, or specifically what we call now Jaron technology or age tech.

And, I did that because I felt that, as I was sitting in different conferences or webinars, the discussion was really around the fact that, we have dwindling number of caregivers and I know that there are now very small families and they're not really able to, devote that much time to caregiving.

it seemed like technology what was going to bridge the care divide. And assistive technology is something that I feel is really critical. and I can see you are wearing a pair of glasses that's assistive technology. Yeah. You could not really see, if you did not have those glasses.

So what really excites me about this area of assistive technology and H Tech, is that it's not just about care, it's about wellness. It's about purpose. It's about longevity. It's about reshaping how society views aging.

Diane: Yes.

Sheena: I really applaud how innovators are helping close the digital divide by making things like assistive technology and H Tech more accessible and intuitive by listening to seniors who say nothing for us, without us.

Oh, I like that.what really also excites me is the ever evolving innovations in H Tech and giant technology. We are seeing an unprecedented future of aging unfolding. It is amazing to note how much has happened just in a decade that the market, for age tech is projected at $2 trillion in the coming years.

Diane: Whoa.

Sheena: I keep learning that there is already a assistive technology for almost every functional limitation. Yes. empowers seniors to live more independently and with a better quality of life.

Diane: You know what? I did a whole series on caregiver robots and how they're changing, our aging process.

And because of that series, I recently was contacted by a 72-year-old female who had, Ms. Multiple sclerosis since she was 15 and now she's in a continuing care retirement community. And she says, she texted me or emailed me and said. Diane, could you help me? I'm looking for a program or a robot or a computer that will lift me up from my scooter to go to the bathroom or my bed to go to the bathroom.

And I did some research for her and I found some answers but I said to her, these are really very expensive right now. And we discussed, what she wanted it for. She is getting up a lot at night, like four or five times a night. So I went in and told her about low tech things like female urinals, but we have new modern technology now that.

Women have these wicking programs or, wicking products that will allow you to not get outta bed. And, it's in a collected, in a container and it's not, it's an external thing, not like a catheter inside you and you can sleep at night knowing that you're gonna be dry in the morning. that to me is priceless because she's getting a risk of falls and she's decreasing her risk of falls, decreasing her chances of a urinary tract infection by continuing to allow herself to drink as well as, use the bathroom when she needs it.

Sheena: I totally hear you because I have been seeing, ever since I did my research and have totally been immersed in this field for some 14 years now, I am seeing the innovations. but the sad part is that a lot of these innovations are out there, but they're not filtering down to the household level.

Yeah. So those who really need them don't know about them. They don't know how to get them. And I feel that's where we really need to, work harder to ensure that there is enough knowledge and awareness about this technologies, where seniors can really benefit.

Diane: That's why I wanted to talk to you. I was so excited about doing this interview because you are seeing things that people aren't aware of, and you're experiencing things that will help us grow success to successfully age in place.

how do we overcome what we're doing right now as far as not getting enough of that information down to us?

Sheena: I think that brings us to how, we can better advocate, right? How do we build better partnerships and advocate for this work? Yeah. to me, it's all about relationships and networks.

It requires intention, trust, building shared goals, and clear communication. You have to be relentless in identifying and building a solid network of like-minded entities to draw upon. And you have to make continuous efforts to nurture these relationships and build effective collaborations. As successful partnerships are a result of a group of organizations or individuals working wholeheartedly together toward a common goal.

To me, advocacy is a team sport. One has to rely on a broad network of committed and active supporters, core partners, and steadfast long-term allies that are willing to join hands. You really also have to know the breadth and width of your stakeholders. Mm-hmm. And how you can leverage each person's influence and expertise.

Keeping a growing and updated inventory of organizations or stakeholders outside of the core group that can be leveraged as in when their expertise or help or relationships are needed is very helpful. Advancing partnerships requires exercising of conscious intention and choice. It's something that you have to wake up with every day.

You have to continue doing all the time and continue to find pathways which lead you to success.

Diane: You worked on age friendly city initiatives in both the US and Canada. What can families and caregivers do to support these efforts locally?

Sheena: I have been working with the Age-Friendly Cities movement for over 10 years now. My initial introduction to this space was with age-friendly Washington, DC and, for the last about six plus years, I have now been, serving as a strategic advisor to age-friendly Edmonton's leadership table.

So as a strategic advisor, my role has been to guide the implementation of the World Health Organization's global age friendly framework, which consists of eight specific domains through which many cities and communities around the world are preparing for two major demographic trends, aging or longevity, and urbanization.

So factoring these eight domains into community planning can contributes towards a supportive, age friendly environment. For example, it includes informing the design of public spaces, which should accommodate accessibility for all generations, including persons with disabilities, or identifying and nurturing partnerships and collaborations.

That can significantly enhance results and impact. One of these eight domains is housing, and my specific contributions have been in this area specifically in relation to proactive planning for aging in place, incorporating universal design and complementing or supplementing functional limitations and age-related changes through assistive technology, or geron technology, or age tech as we also call it in this regards, in an effort to increase awareness and enhancement, of knowledge to our audiences.

I developed and recorded a series of pre presentations to impart this information and knowledge. in addition, for about five years now, I've also been serving on the General Assembly of Partners, which is a global multi-stakeholder platform advocating for sustainable urban development. It's made up of 17 constituent groups, one of which is for older persons and which is the one I serve on.

So there is a lot of useful learning and information from this global body that I am able to bring to the age-friendly work. And in 2022 I was appointed to the board of directors for the Greater Edmonton Foundation, seniors Housing. Which also allows for the cross pollination of trans priorities, information, resources, and collaboration opportunities.

the greater, Edmonton or GEF seniors housing, as we call it, has 41 properties in Edmonton with a operating budget of about $61 million.

Diane: Wow. Now, you also served on the at scale board, which takes a global view of aging and disability. What's one thing we can learn from the international efforts to support aging populations?

Sheena: this is a mammoth undertaking, 80 scales. I'm gonna tell you a little bit about it. so yes, for over a couple of years now, I have been serving on 80 scales, private sector, constituency board. So 80 Scale is really the global partnership for assistive technology, and our role as board members is to provide advice on its strategy programs and input to a wide range of activities, including those relating to priority setting, the annual work plan, new and ongoing country engagements.

So 80 scale was really established because it is trying to bring assistive technology to 500 million more people globally. With life-changing assistive technology by 2030.

Diane: Oh, wow.

Sheena: that's in a short five years from now. Really? Yes. So you, the scope of work we have at hand today, there are 2.5 billion people globally that need to use at least one type of assistive technology, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, access, eyeglasses, or other digital services.

And, unfortunately in low and mid income countries, only 10% have access to the devices they need. This is in stark contrast to what we have in high income countries, which is 90% of people have what they need. So 80 scale's vision is to ensure every person can access and afford the assistive technology they need.

To enable them with a lifetime of potential ET scale's. Mission is to catalyze action, amplify existing work, and coordinate and mobilize global stakeholders with unified strategies to increase availability and access. So one of the greatest challenges we face is that the number of people who need assistive technology across the world is really growing fast due to, of course, the aging populations and, an increase in non-communicable diseases.

Yes. by 2050, an estimated 3.5 billion people will need assistive technology. So when you think about a wheelchair, an artificial limb, a pair of glasses, or a hearing aid. It can really make the difference between failure and success, whether it's at school or at a job or at home, and it can be something that gives you a life of oppor opportunity or a life of dependency.

Diane: You said that beautifully because, one of the things, Japan has been preparing for the aging population for the last 20, 25 years, creating different technologies, robots, perro. the seal is a live looking seal. it's a stuffed animal, but he has movements and it's helping people with dementia.

It keeps them, company, keeps them calm. like I said the other day, a lady calls me up and says, I want a computer that's gonna lift me up so I don't have to have somebody help me. So assistive technologies are desperately needed and it's very, it's fascinating to me because as I look more and more into it,

I learned so much like the, like I did research for her on lifting, and I found two products that were really good for her. But I said, they're extraordinarily expensive right now and things are changing so fast in another year or two, it could be affordable. So I gave her some low tech technology, still an assistive device that would help her.

Sheena: I'm very familiar with Perro because, I covered that in the research. I undertook, back in, what was it, 2012? 13? Yes. And, I've literally seen videos of how it's made a difference. Yes. So one other thing I would like to say about it scale is, the opportunity to work with a global team of committed out of box thinkers.

With strong business experience from the assistive technology field who are dedicated to advance the inclusion agenda really brings my passion alive. I am really excited to make an impact in this space, and also having had an opportunity to work with an assistive technology financing program in Washington dc I have seen the smiles, the joy, the light on people's faces, and therefore, I firmly believe that assistive technology is a powerful determinant to the quality of life.

this is absolutely an area that I want to keep working on and it really is something that I'm very passionate about. And, I would like to see a world that is. Got everything that they need to remain functional and happier. and one other thing that, Diane, I would like to mention is that, when we talk about technologies, technologies that augment the human presence, you're mentioning robots and, there's now just an influx of different types of them out there.

these technologies that augment the human presence, that help monitor patients remotely, that improved communication and social connection really need to be scaled in the care ecosystem. Agree. We just have to find ways in which we can do that.

Diane: Yes. Yes, I agree. Now, what new innovations in jro technology or aging in place tools are you most excited about right now?

Sheena: there's plenty that I can say that, what excites me is the ever involving innovations in H Tech. We are seeing an unprecedented future of aging unfolding.

Diane: Yes.

Sheena: it is amazing. It is amazing that every day we hear about a new technology that is in the marketplace and there is more and more, innovators coming forward.

what really excites me is that they are thinking about every possible functional limitation and making sure that there is already some technology to compliment or supplement, That particular deficiency so that people can live a better quality of life. So as advancements in geoscience and technology are beginning to redefine the boundaries of human lifespan and health span

we are definitely witnessing a complete paradigm shift with everything including workplaces, home. Medical systems, transportation, shopping centers, lifelong education, digital technology, media, and much more. We are realizing the need to adapt to meet the demographic realities of this new age of aging.

this particular, longevity economy is already valued at something like $8 trillion in the us.

Diane: Whoa.

Sheena: I see that, Being in this space for some 14 years, and all the new and innovative technologies are definitely accelerating progress on connected care, which is enabling healthy longevity and aging at home, which is what a majority of, seniors want.

Diane: Exactly.

Sheena: I envision assisted devices making the home as a health hub, so essentially combining aging in place with healthcare in place. which I think will continue to play an increasingly significant role towards the quality of life continuum.

Diane: I think you're right about that. I absolutely do.

we have to because we don't have enough. I'll tell you what's, what I'm seeing a trend of, and you're a perfect example of that. So many people have provided care for their family member, and I'm doing a lot of interviews with family caregivers or that they're either done with their journey or still on their journey, but they found a, something that was missing in their journey, that needed a solution.

And it's amazing, and I'm having so much fun because these are people that saw something that wanted to help others. And they've created these amazing products that are real solutions that will make people have a better quality of life in the future now and in the future. Actually,

Sheena: you're absolutely right.

You're absolutely right. we've got there. I feel that we are not communicating enough. I think communications, there are many gaps in communication. Yeah. Not allowing, somehow the information to filter down to those who really need to know about this and,

Diane: I'm trying to do my part and find things, that are products or services or technology.

even just medication management. there's so many different things out there now that are just incredible and I see them changing, especially with the changes with ai, the artificial intelligence. I have clients that now get, a computer that says, Hey Bill, it's time to take this pill, and it opens up a drawer and it provides the pill for Bill.

And, I love that. Or, There's just so many different kinds. Like the gentleman who needed to, his mom didn't wanna call to have people pick her up when she fell. He created a people picker upper and it's an amazing tool that his 80 some year old mother could use to help get herself up. And now he's selling that as a product for those in, nursing homes because nurses are now not supposed to pick people up, which I wish they had done that when I was younger.

'cause my back is ruined from, I tell people I used to pick up men for a living and I really did because I did strokes and head injuries and spinal cord injuries. And, we did physical lifting. They don't want and nurses to do that anymore. and I appreciate that. But somebody's doing it. And it's not always a machine, it's a.

the EMTs coming, but he's made this technology and that's just one example that's making a difference in the world.

Sheena: Oh, absolutely. And, of course being in this space,I'm constantly on webinars where they're announcing new technologies, new services. it's, like I said, it's really mind boggling.

but we have to find a systemic manner in which, we get to learn about all of this, because, unless you're a good researcher or, good at Googling and finding things, it is really hard otherwise to really, to know about all that's happening in this, in this space.

Diane: I agree.

And it's happening so fast. It's like a tsunami of information and and in all honesty, seniors don't have the skills all the time or the time to look for this information, and their caregivers are overwhelmed. you're a perfect example of a working caregiver when you are caring for your parents and that you don't have time to take care of yourself and you're doing two households and stuff.

people are working to provide, these solutions. But you're right. We just have to make people aware of 'em.

Sheena, what do you see as the challenges of aging and how, and aging in place and how we can work around that?

Sheena: Yeah. Diane, I'd like to start by saying that, we tend to view aging as a one size fit all, which is rather unfair as, some can show frailty at as young as 50 and others can thrive at age 90 and beyond.

So we really need to associate aging with vitality, not decline. Yes, we really need to shift our attitudes towards aging because when we do that. we open ourselves, to winning policy and funding pathways.

today's older adults, as you well know, are redefining what it means to age. They are rejecting outdated stereotypes. They absolutely want healthy, longevity, wellness, autonomy, community intellectual stimulation, meaning and purpose. Their expectations seem crystal clear. But I truly believe all this requires proactive planning and really starting from a much earlier age, basically.

I agree. We know from all kinds of studies and surveys that over 90% of seniors desire to age in place and really. that's something that is really necessary because only 10% of people can really afford assisted living. So home is where they want to continue to live. Sometimes it's the home that they've lived in for a very long time.

It seems to me everyone references and talks about their home a lot, but we don't talk enough about aging safely and independently in the home of your choice. Yeah. And as a result, we know that many seniors face complicated struggles trying to cope on their own. And many times they don't share these challenges with others in their families thinking they may be reluctantly uprooted to go live in a facility, which actually I have witnessed a number of times myself.

As someone who firmly believes in the promise and potential of edge tech, and assistive technology, I really feel the time is ripe for collective action to embrace connected care for healthy longevity and aging in the home of one's choice. Having heard the needs and preferences of older adults over and over again, we really need to establish frameworks that enable widespread adoption through improved access, integration and financing.

Digital health and home technology solutions keep rolling out. Based on some of the most recent information, we now have 350,000 mobile health apps, nearly 3000 H Tech, companie. And almost 19 billion Internet of things connected devices that are deployed globally. So telehealth, remote monitoring and digital health tools are really transforming where and how seniors as well as persons with disabilities get the care and support they need.

There is a lot more we can do to bring concepts from digitally enabled healthcare and smart homes through data sharing and tools for monitoring, communication and intervention. In a recent report by the Milken Institute for Aging, three in four adults over 50 want to age at home, but rising rates of chronic diseases and the ever declining.

Ratio, caregiver ratio are creating major gaps in support. And I know that we spoke about that a bit earlier, but this we cannot overemphasize because it's a critical problem that we have. and I also wanna say that yet, despite all this progress in assistive technology and H Tech, only half of 55 adults that are 55 plus use health related technologies today, solutions remain fragmented, adoption lags, and many tools are difficult to access or use together.

Yeah. So for me, imparting information about this connected care in the home has the promise and potential to address both the preferences of older adults and our societal imperative to effectively care. For a rapidly growing aging population, which in the United States, is 58 million and counting.

and sadly, as we are also observing that there are fewer family caregivers for each senior with each passing year

Diane: we have a serious public health crisis because we don't have people to, enough people to provide care to the elderly. You're absolutely right about that.

Sheena: Yeah. I see that, we really need to focus on this landscape of home care and senior housing options.

Yes. and we need to, require the development of force multipliers to meet these critical needs of this aging population, which every day is increasing by 10,000 people.

Diane: Yes. Yes. I wanna share a cute little story here. I have clients that this weekend are in New Jersey, celebrating their mother's and mother-in-law's a hundred and fourth birthday.

Sheena: Wow. She

Diane: still lives alone.

Sheena: My goodness. That is a remarkable.

Diane: Yes, and I have several like this. Another, I had, this is another story, which I love because she's living at home, but the reason why she's in her home that she's lived in forever. But over the years, the family made changes to the house because most of our houses in the country are made for a young body, not an aging body.

And they had an aging, a certified aging in place specialist come in and make some, changes to the house that have allowed her to remain in the home. And she still sharp as attack. she's a character. In fact, her daughter-in-law being a stinker, made this t-shirt up that says, I'm 104 and going strong.

The woman, the 104 year old doesn't want England to know how old she is. Oh, wow. She doesn't want anybody to

Sheena: old that is, I think, we live in a culture of where, we are too focused on the young yet, I think we look, we have to look upon, this, specific time of life, the later years as a time of, wisdom and,

I think I mentioned it, that we need to shift our notions of aging. I think that's what's affecting us.

all this anti-aging stuff that's going on out there, it's really, it's a, life is a journey. We just need to embrace it in all its stages.

Diane: and that in, and I will tell you right now, you're very right about that. I have patients that don't, or clients that don't wear hearing aids because it makes them look old.

And until I explain to them, Hey, if you don't wear this hearing aid, you're causing the part of the brain that hears sounds to become, shrink. And then you're gonna have a form of dementia because you're breaking those neuro, you're not creating those neuro pathways. And they're like, oh.

Or that perfect example. My uncle, my dad's twin. 93 years old, his wife dies, so he decides he's going to go to, a senior center. Now he's very, with it, very in good shape, so he's gonna go to a senior center to meet people. He went there one day and he came home and said, I'm not going back.

They're all old people.

Sheena: Oh, this is, we are having issues with, senior centers, everywhere. I think I've seen that both in the US and Canada, and I think it's largely because we haven't reinvented this center. Exactly. the mentality of, when they were brought about, they were offering specific, types of, services and programs and so we have new thinking with aging out there now, and these centers have to change with the times, to attract the right audience out there.

So I'm already having this conversation here in Canada about, how to reinvent the senior centers because they, people are refusing to go to them. yeah, you're a 55-year-old, which is considered like a senior to go to a senior center, and they think that's not for them.

Diane: Exactly. And it, and I'll tell you what, there's a senior center I was in Tampa, Florida. It's vibrant and alive. They've got painting classes. They've got dance classes, they've got, the aerobics classes. They have fall prevention classes. They really, and it's a place to go and be seen because it's not just, and there are people in wheelchairs or whatever and with canes, it's a vibrant and alive because that's what seniors want.

They want to live their life, their best life, even in their golden years.

Sheena: Absolutely. who wouldn't? I think that's a universal human desire.

Diane: Yes, it is. Yes, it is.

Sheena: we all have to, one thing we have to all understand is today it's them. Tomorrow it's us. or maybe we are already there for some of us, but we have to realize that life is a cycle and, we have to honor it in every stage.[00:41:00]

Diane: Yes, yes. and that's the problem we are having. it's a very serious issue.

Sheena: it is. and, sadly, there is very, very many people that are totally oblivious to what is happening out there in the world of aging.

Diane: Exactly.

Sheena: and it's like, you never know about something until it hits you.

and, someone like me, had to jump into a caregiver journey. into my sort of late twenties and I have embraced this as I look at it as a blessing that came upon my life to, to do, to serve my parents. And, I think it has taught me a lot of things. it has given me that extra dose of humility.

And, without a doubt, it has made me a much better person by really bringing me to terms about what the real meaning and purpose of life is. it has really taught me to nurture compassion, patience, kindness. It has guided me to be a better and effective communicator. And most of all, it has reminded me to stay positive and hopeful no matter how tough the situation may be.

I personally approached my caregiving responsibilities as a noble opportunity. Because I was born and raised in Africa and over there, elders are revered. we respect our elders and we treat them as, wise and,

as experiences, as wise and as experienced, elders who contin continuously teach us and guide us.and I did this because I wanted to, it was a very intentional choice for me. and it reaffirms to me that, someday I might need that too. and I hope that somebody comes to my rescue.

caregiving is difficult, but it's also very enriching and fulfilling. today's caregivers are not just looking for care. They want dignified lives filled with purpose, growth, and connection. when you are a caregiver, you acquire so many soft skills and, these soft skills have really, made me a much better person in that, they've elevated my emotional intelligence.

and so that, that has allowed me to really understand people better and build genuine and strong relationships. caregiving has really elevated my human spirit and it has been a spark that ignites everyone who crosses my path.

Diane: it's true. we have, our younger generations are all about computers.

They don't talk to one another unless they do it via text and all that type of thing. And it's really impacted how to have a relationship, with anybody, let alone a parent. And, I know caregiving is, I see it in people, the younger generation who's providing care. And I see them, learning, some of them are doing it unwillingly, but they're having conversations and communicating face to face in a way that they didn't know was possible.

And I think that it's a growth experience. It's a personal growth experience for anybody who helps take care of somebody else, whether it's just to, to drive them to the store and back. Or to help carry bags in. those are acts of kindness that mean so much to people and it's really important.

Sheena: Yes. you're absolutely right. Diane, I'm really heartened about some of the, intergenerational and multi-generational programs that are popping up, in a lot of places now. And, some of them are making a real impact. And, I would, I would say that we need more and more of those.

Diane: I agree. I agree. I worked at a, Quaker home, as a nurse and I can tell you they had the intergenerational and it was so wonderful. The whole community is built with young families and then they have the nursing home and alongside the nursing home is a joint area where they have their childcare.

And now, this has been 10 or 15 years ago, and I was so impressed at how the aging of seniors that are in the nursing home or those in the assisted living, would interact with the children on a regular basis. And if they weren't able to, be with them, they could see them through glass.

And it just is such an uplifting thing for everybody. and it taught those children, hey, the children, how to interact with elderly and to appreciate their experience or knowledge or their ability to have fun. and silly little songs or whatever, it's just, it's awesome to have, see that interaction.

So I agree. We definitely need more of that.

Sheena: Absolutely. we have to live life as it is meant to be lived.

Diane: Sheena, what are your recommendations for, supporting our aging population?

Sheena: Yeah, so thanks Diane. As life expectancy as we may have known, it has totally shifted. We are now at a major juncture to prepare ourselves for the a hundred plus year life. longevity, as I read more and more about it, goes beyond adding years to your life. It's really about enhancing the quality of those years, basically, what it means to truly thrive As you grow older, how do you maximize the science and art of living a long, healthy and fulfilling life?

Today's older adults aren't just looking for care, they're demanding lives filled with purpose, growth, and connection. So through my experiences, I strongly feel we need some key and rapid changes to better support this demographic. Over the last decade that I've vested myself in this field, I have learned that there are way too many gaps with national and local governments, providers, and other senior serving organizations.

While some states and cities have made breakthroughs, others still appear to be spinning their wheels with this epic age wave upon us, we have much more to do with education and awareness, programming, policy service delivery, whether it is housing, transportation, supportive services, proactive planning for aging in place.

Financial planning, managing chronic diseases, we need to effectively impart information, education, and resources. I say we need bold actions, visionary and comprehensive plans to promote healthy longevity across the lifespan. California, as you may know, has developed a MAs master plan on aging, which I feel would be very beneficial for every state to learn from and perhaps replicate.

This master plan is a blueprint for multiple stakeholders to build environments that promote age friendly and disability friendly cities. It has been intentionally designed as a living document. That can be updated and revised as needed over the long term. another example that I just came across is, is in New York City.

New York City has created what they call aging is everyone's business. It is a powerful, well-framed policy agenda to guide a city that works for people across the lifespan. So another observation on my part is that it is apparent that, a significant percent of our population have not proactively planned both financially and from a housing lens to aid successfully speaking from, speaking of housing, through my numerous conversations with both seniors and persons with disabilities.

It is apparent they want to live independently and safely in communities that support them for as long as possible. Yet many of these homes which may have been built years or decades ago, never really took into account accessibility, aging in place, or longevity into consideration. So now we are at a very critical juncture to adopt homes for aging in place and make sure that these homes support all stages of our lives.

I also think that going forward we really need to think of ways to attract housing developers with incentives such as tax credits to build homes that are supportive and fully equipped for aging in place.

Diane: Wow, that, is very important. I agree. I hope more people, more seniors will get involved or their caregivers after their caregiving journey will be, become advocates for these things at a local level, if not at the international level that you are. But every little bit helps. Sheila, for those who are feeling overwhelmed, what's one small step they can take today to better prepare themselves or a loved one to age safely and with dignity?

Sheena: I would like to say first and foremost, I want to salute the 53 million unpaid caregivers that we currently have in the United States.

Diane: Yes.

Sheena: and one thing that I would like to say, everything that everyone that prepares for this kind of a journey is that, Remain resilient, remain hopeful, remain positive because you are doing a noble and a great service.

Yeah, andI would say that we are at a time when there is numerous platforms and exponential resources that can support you for what you need. And oftentimes it's just a matter of asking, I think there are so many entities that focus on aging. Now in the United States, we have some entities such as, A A RP or the National Council on Aging, or leading age.

all these entities have an incredible amount of resource to support, whether it's a young adult trying to prepare the. Or a seniors, or a senior themselves. There is tons of information out there, but you have to seek it out. You have to look for it. And in all of that, the key is to remain hopeful and enjoy the ride and do it with joy and, excitement.

And, just know that this is part of the journey of life, really.

Diane: Exactly. I wanna thank you for your time today. You've been so gracious. And, we need more people like you advocating, for seniors in the aging population because as you say, we are going to have those needs as we get older as well.

And I'm 72, so I'm already on the way of needing them. Nobody in my fam family. I just hope that, by the time I get to a place where I'm going to need support and help, that I'm able, my grandmother was able to live independently up until her late nineties, so I'm hoping if that's me.

Sheena: I think, like I said, there are people that thrive, in well beyond a hundred now. Yes. And, I'd like to remember my father, who before he had the stroke at age 91, he was still mowing the lawn, and shoveling piles of snow here in Canada. And, he never complained. He was in good health. He went walking every day.

unfortunately he had the stroke and it was very hard for him to actually. Comprehend why that happened to him. But, with his resilience, he overcame that. And, at age 91, he was able to walk around with a walker and, made a really good turn. So it's really about the mindset as well.

Diane, I think you had remained positive and, I say resilience is a very, very important, skill to have. to me, everything that, I have learned from my multifaceted career, one of the key, skills that I think has been very useful for me has been resilience.

it is where, my adaptability capacity and genuine desire has always kicked in. it's a very powerful skill, not just in response to constant change. But really to life in general. and to me, that is what has really carried me through.

Diane: I think resilience brings a lot of our care, my caregivers, through their caregiving journey.

I wanna thank you again and, we're gonna wrap this up. But for my family caregivers out there, remember you are the most important part of the caregiving equation. Without you, it all falls apart. So please practice self-care every day. Learn to be gentle with yourself because you are worth it.