A Bit About World Brain Day and Screening for Brain Health, with Kelly Tremblay, PhD
Elevate Eldercare
In recognition of World Brain Day, Dr. Kelly Tremblay explores why brain health requires a whole-person approach. She explains how hearing, vision, nutrition, mobility, and social connection all play critical roles in cognitive health, and why addressing these factors early can reduce the risk of dementia, falls, and other age-related challenges. Kelly also introduces the World Health Organization's free Integrated Care of Older People (ICOPE) screening tools, which empower individuals and communities to monitor brain and overall health through easy-to-use, multilingual...
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Bridging the Caregiving Divide, with Robert Espinoza
Elevate Eldercare
What will it take to build a long-term care system that truly works for everyone? In this episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan welcomes Robert Espinoza, founder of the CareWorks Project, for a thought-provoking conversation about reimagining care through innovation, equity, and collaboration. Robert shares the personal experiences that shaped his career and introduces the concept of the “caregiving divide,” the growing gap between the care people need and the care they actually receive. Together, Susan and Robert explore the urgent need for person-centered and worker-centered solutions,...
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How Aging Forward Is Redefining Aging Through Community, with Sarah Cheney
Elevate Eldercare
What does it take to build communities where older adults can continue learning, connecting, and thriving? In this week’s episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Sarah Cheney, Executive Director of Aging Forward, to explore how the organization is empowering older adults through lifelong learning, volunteer services, and neighbor-to-neighbor support. Sarah shares the personal experiences that shaped her passion for aging services and explains how Aging Forward—formerly Shepherd Centers—has spent the past 50 years helping older adults remain engaged, independent, and connected in...
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Why Philanthropy Matters to the Future of Aging, with Peter Kaldes
Elevate Eldercare
AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Peter Kaldes, president and CEO of the Next50 Foundation, to explore how philanthropy can help transform the future of aging. Peter shares his unconventional journey from attorney and public policy leader to one of the nation's leading advocates for older adults. He discusses Next50's mission to end ageism while investing in innovative solutions that help people age well. Their conversation examines the critical role philanthropy plays in advancing aging services, the need for greater investment in digital inclusion, housing, and community-based...
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The Next Generation of Eldercare, with Francis LeGasse Jr.
Elevate Eldercare
In this episode of Elevate Eldercare, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan welcomes Francis LeGasse Jr, co-founder and managing partner of Assured Senior Living, a growing network of small homes in Colorado, to discuss how intimate, relationship-centered living environments are transforming eldercare. Francis shares his personal journey into aging services, inspired by his family's experiences with dementia and caregiving, and explains why he transitioned from home care to the small house model. He describes how thoughtfully designed homes, each serving just nine residents, create opportunities for...
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A Bit About Depression, with Kelly Tremblay, PhD
Elevate Eldercare
Feeling sad after a loss, health change, or major life transition is a normal part of life. But depression is not a normal part of aging. In this episode of Brain Bytes, Kelly Tremblay, PhD, explores how to distinguish between temporary low mood and clinical depression, highlighting common symptoms such as persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities, changes in sleep or appetite, and social withdrawal. Dr. Kelly also discusses the important role of social connection in protecting emotional well-being and reviews evidence-based approaches that can help, including cognitive...
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Reimagining Assisted Living Through the Small House Model, with George Kutnerian
Elevate Eldercare
In this episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with George Kutnerian, second-generation operator and co-founder of WellPointe, a California-based organization operating 67 licensed small house assisted living locations. George shares the remarkable story of how his parents pioneered the residential assisted living model in Fresno, Calif., in 1984 and how their vision has evolved into a scalable, person-centered approach to housing and care. Susan and George explore the operational realities behind the model, including adaptive reuse of single-family homes, co-located operations for...
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Healthspan, Purpose, and the AgingIN 2026 Conference, with Kelly Tremblay, PhD
Elevate Eldercare
In today’s episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan welcomes neuroscientist, audiologist, and educator Kelly Tremblay, PhD, for a conversation about healthy aging, brain health, and the science behind longevity. Susan and Dr. Kelly also preview the upcoming AgingIN Conference 2026 and its highly anticipated Longevity Summit, where participants will explore the importance of knowing the difference between lifespan and healthspan. Dr. Kelly explains how the World Health Organization Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) framework offers a practical roadmap for...
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The Future of Post-Acute & Long-Term Care, with Leslie Eber, MD
Elevate Eldercare
For this week’s episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Leslie Eber, MD, a board-certified internal medicine physician, certified medical director, and president of the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (PALTmed). Her journey into the field of geriatrics was inspired by her father’s commitment to humanitarian service. Her role with PALTmed is helping to shape the future of post-acute and long-term carethrough education, advocacy, and interdisciplinary collaboration. In addition to sharing what it truly means to be a medical director in today’s care...
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Reimagining Dementia Care Through Real Homes and Real Lives, with Eloy van Hal
Elevate Eldercare
What happens when we stop designing care around institutions and start designing it around people? In this week’s episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with internationally recognized dementia care innovator Eloy van Hal, to answer this question. Drawing on decades of experience in the Netherlands, Eloy tells Susan how he helped move residents from traditional high-rise nursing homes into small, neighborhood-style homes where daily life feels familiar, meaningful, and human. As founder of the groundbreaking Hogeweyk model of dementia village in the Netherlands, van Hal discusses the...
info_outlineIntroducing Brain Bytes, a new micro-cast hosted by Kelly Tremblay, PhD, neuroscientist, World Health Organization advisor, NIH grant reviewer, advocate, and professor. Brain Bytes features “byte”-sized nuggets of knowledge aimed at making neuroscience accessible for the senior living world.
In each episode, which will air on the fourth Friday of each month, Dr. Tremblay will share research-backed information related to aging and brain health. This week, she explores the different types of dementia and examines what evidence-based researchtells us about it.
While encouraging listeners to take practical steps to support healthy aging, Dr. Tremblay explains that a significant portion of dementia risk may be modifiable. Factors such as education, physical activity, cardiovascular health, hearing and vision care, and social connection all play a role in supporting brain health across the lifespan.
The following links accompany today’s episode:
We are grateful to Parker Health for their sponsorship of this micro-cast.