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CommonAge Supports the Global Ageing Network’s Outreach to Developing Countries

By Andrew Larpent (Guest Post)

The Commonwealth of Nations (formerly the British Commonwealth), is an intergovernmental organisation of 52 member states that are mostly former territories of the British Empire.  The modern Commonwealth dates back to 1949 and the post war period of decolonisation.

The Head of the Commonwealth is Queen Elizabeth II, who in 2018 will mark 65 years since formally assuming her role as Head of the Commonwealth at her coronation in 1953.

Population ageing and the growing social, economic, demographic and intergenerational imbalance between countries described as ‘developed’ and those classified as ‘developing’ is gradually becoming recognised as one of the major challenges facing the global community as it tackles the UN’s Sustainable Development agenda.  Intergenerational linkages and social cohesion between young and old are key aspects of civil society development that have been overlooked in the past.  The Commonwealth, as a voluntary association of nations, representing nearly one third of the world’s population, is uniquely positioned to be able to tackle many of these major issues.

Throughout almost 70 years of its development the Commonwealth has supported numerous organisations that bring together professional and social groups with common interests, values and purposes.  Until now there has not been an organisation representing older people.  The Commonwealth Association for the Ageing – CommonAge, exists to support elders throughout the Commonwealth, to recognise the vital role they play in civil society development, to challenge the marginalisation that many older people experience in many parts of the world, and to address the support and care needs of senior citizens as they age.

CommonAge is a voluntary NGO accredited as a Commonwealth association.  Since formation it has supported a number of colleagues from developing countries with travel scholarships to attend international conferences. It has a presence in some 17 of the 52 countries.   An agenda of activity is being planned to coincide with the London Commonwealth Summit 20-22 April 2018. The plan includes:

  • Publication of a research report on ‘Ageing in the Commonwealth’.

  • A Commonwealth Study Tour of Care and Retirement services in Scotland and England.

  • The first ‘Commonwealth Elders’ Forum’ – a 3 day conference 16-18 April 2018.

  • The publication of a book of life stories of nonagenarians, written by young people, as a ‘Gift for the Queen’ on her 92nd Birthday – 21st April 2018.

  • A Commonwealth wide Care Homes Open Day on 21st April to celebrate the Commonwealth and the Queen’s birthday, planned in collaboration with NAPA, the NCF, Care England, and partner associations in Australia, South Africa and as many other Commonwealth countries as possible.

  • A Commonwealth wide staff exchange programme – The Care Exchange – to promote links and twinning arrangements between care provider organisations.

Join us in welcoming six new CommonAge Ambassadors to the Global Ageing Network/CURAVIVA Conference in Montreux.

Please get in touch via www.commage.org.

 

About the Author

Andrew Larpent
Andrew’s career included 30 years as an infantry officer in the British Army. In 1990-1991 he commanded an infantry battlegroup in Iraq during Gulf War 1. On leaving the Army in 1994 his first civilian appointment was in the UK manufacturing industry, but his service instincts soon attracted him the social care sector, initially completing 5 years as CEO of a UK children’s cancer charity. From 2001 to 2011 he was CEO of Somerset Care Group in the UK. From 2011 to 2016 he was CEO of Southern Cross Care (South Australia & Northern Territory). He served as a board director of IAHSA from 2006 to 2012, and as Chairman of the UK National Care Forum from 2006 to 2011. From 2014 to 2016 he was Chairman of Dignity in Care Australia. In 2013 he founded CommonAge, and is currently Chairman. In March 2017 he was appointed as a trustee of The Abbeyfield Society, an international NGO with services for older people in the UK, Australia, Belgium, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.

Organizational Wellness as Your Key to Success

By Kim Daly Nobbs & Tama Carey (Guest Post)

We’ve all heard the numbers.  Across the globe, our population is graying.  From 2010 to 2050, the global population of people over 65 will triple, from 524 million to 1.5 billion.  Advancements in disease prevention and treatment resulting in a marketed increase in life expectency, combined with a declining birth rate mean that older adults over 65 now outnumber children under 5.

As organizations providing housing, care, and services to older adults, our need to be our best for those we serve is greater than ever. An increasing body of research shows that “being our best” in terms of creating and nurturing vibrant and functional organizational cultures is what also creates the best outcomes—financial and otherwise.  In his book, The Advantage:  Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business, Patrick Lencioni, a U.S.-based author and consultant considered to be a seminal voice in leadership and organizational culture.

The concept of wellness as it relates to the people we serve has become increasingly sophisticated over the last decade.  Many organizations use some multi-dimensional wellness model as a foundation for resident programming and as a guide for the way they conduct themselves with the people they service.

Organizations, too, have multiple dimensions of wellness.  We’ve identified four major categories and a for organizational wellness, each containing a number of subcategories:  Physical, Intellectual, Interpersonal, and Spiritual.  This model provides a potential lens for addressing some of the issues that challenge so many ageing services organizations around the world.

As an example, the global nursing shortage continues to be a problem in many countries.  The issue is partly that not enough new nurses and other caregivers are coming into the pool to address to burgeoning population of older adults. More immediately concerning, though, is the often high rate of turnover among the care staff that are already working in the field.  The rigid, “command and control” cultures often typical of nursing don’t allow for the inspiration, opportunities for input, and flexibility that have been determined to be necessary to staff engagement and which are identified by the newest members of the workforce as especially important to their satisfaction.

The people we serve are also becoming more sophisticated and demanding, especially in the U.S.  We have gone from a generation of older adults who were grateful for whatever was given to those who are clear on what they want and need and are willing to do what it takes to get it.

These factors and many more require a higher level of organizational awareness and continued development of and different expectations for, our leadership.  Cognitive intelligence and expertise is important in our leaders, but it is in no way sufficient to meet the challenges global ageing housing, care and service providers will face now and into the future.  The importance of our field continues to grow and, along with it, the need for change in our traditional models and modes of providing services.  Agility is key, and it starts with an intentionality around continually assessing and creating systems to support organizational wellness.

Join Kim Daly Nobbs and Tama Carey in Montreux, Switzerland this September for their session entitled “How Organizational Health Drives Competitive Advantage”. Participants will explore best practices of healthy organizations, learn how to assess the health of their own organizations and discover ways in which making organizational wellness a key priority impacts overall success. Visit the conference website to register for this workshop and more!

About the Authors

Kim Daly Nobbs
Kim Daly Nobbs is the founder of Prajna Partners LLC, a consulting firm helping clients achieve greater brand/ culture alignment by focusing on strategic planning and leadership development. Throughout her more than 25-year career in senior living, Kim has been instrumental—in both her executive leadership positions and as a consultant—in creating organizational development initiatives to support mission and vision. Kim has been a frequent speaker at regional, national and international senior living conferences and currently serves as adjunct faculty at York College of Pennsylvania, where she teaches the strategic planning, marketing and public relations segment of NHA certification course. She is a certified Cultural Transformation consultant through the Barrett Values Centre, an international organization designed to help leaders measure and manage the cultures of their organizations.

Tama M. Carey
Joining Presby’s Inspired Life in November 2014, Tama M. Carey brings more than three decades of experience to her role as Chief Operating Officer. As Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Tama provides leadership and direction in the planning, development and operations of all of Presby’s Inspired Life 35 communities, as well as on the team that designs and delivers the strategic vision for Presby’s Inspired Life. Throughout her career, Tama has served in many capacities in the senior living field, including director of nursing, nursing home administrator and more recently in a role that supported home care, the development of a Medicare-licensed home health agency and Longwood at Home, a CCRC (continuing care retirement community) “without walls.” Currently, Tama is a coach for the LeadingAge Leadership Academy, a leadership development program offered by LeadingAge.

Branding–Key to your Leadership Legacy

By D. Wayne Langley, president, Varsity Branding (Guest Post)

Effectively leveraging your organization’s reason for existence has never been more challenging. The business of providing services to an aging population has become increasingly complex and is likely to grow in complexity, cost and competitiveness over the coming decades.

Positioning your brand in today’s social media-hungry consumer’s mind must be intentional. Many aging services providers are revisiting their purpose for existence, evaluating their evolving culture and seeking out a more consumer-friendly brand positioning. In too many cases, these initiatives are undertaken as separate projects, with competing resources and objectives. Today’s leaders must have a clear understanding of the obvious — and subtle — connections between mission, culture and brand.

On September 20, at the Global Ageing Conference in Montreux, Switzerland, Lawrence D. Carlson, president and CEO of United Methodist Communities; Bob Dahl, president and CEO of Elim Care, Inc.; and myself will present “Branding — Key to Your Leadership” at 2:30 p.m.

Using examples from our own experience, we will explore the value of a strong brand and the importance of its connection to mission and organizational structure. In addition to the panel discussion, there will be time for the audience to ask questions and share their own experiences with branding and culture.

Lawrence D. Carlson will discuss how United Methodist Communities (UMC) recently forged a fresh brand that reinforces its heritage, leverages its unique sense of community and provides a contemporary brand platform from which to launch more consumer-friendly initiatives that will sustain its mission over the next century.

Bob Dahl will share tactics his team used to invent a new brand for Elim Care, firmly founded upon its long-standing vision to provide quality, compassion and innovative housing and services.

Leadership at both UMC and Elim Care recognized that they were in need of a brand that genuinely conveyed the truth of their organizations.

Some questions to ask yourself as you begin to evaluate your own brand:

• How are consumers reacting to your brand as it exists today? (If you haven’t updated your brand within the past five years, you are likely overdue.)

• Are all your lines of care and services operating smoothly? (A Harris Interactive poll found that 73% of people love a brand because of excellent customer service.)

• How engaged is your workforce? (According to a 2016 Nielson poll, only 32% of the average workforce is engaged.)

Attending this seminar will help you assess your organization’s strengths and weaknesses in order to make decisions regarding any proposed shifts toward a new or refreshed brand. We’ll also cover common branding mistakes that can derail your reputation and confuse the marketplace.

Creating an organization that cares about how it conducts business and that does not fall prey to the temptation to compromise its values is one of your leadership imperatives. Please join us in September for a lively discussion that can help you connect your purpose, culture and brand to ensure that your organization’s mission is forever sustainable.

About the Author

Wayne Langley, President, Varsity, Denver, Colorado, United States
Wayne currently leads a leading mature market consulting firm, providing strategic marketing and communications services as well as sales and organizational performance consulting. As president, Wayne is responsible for Varsity’s uniquely integrated practices that represent a comprehensive solutions model for addressing today’s complex business challenges. During his short time with Varsity, Wayne has developed an organizational performance consulting practice focused on helping clients ensure a level of operational excellence consistent with their brand promises. Over his career, Wayne has created opportunities to meet the unique needs of senior living organizations. He possesses an invaluable combination of strategy development expertise, business development experience and operational understanding to help clients more effectively achieve their organizations’ business objectives.

Dan Levitt: Rhinestone Cowboy shines spotlight on Alzheimer’s disease. | The Province

Global Ageing Network Board Member and gerontologist, Dan Levitt, reflects on the legacy of country music legend, Glenn Campbell.  Campbell will not only be remembered for his musical brilliance, but also for the powerful way he chose to live and share his journey with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Glen Campbell will be remembered for how he made music history for decades. He took country music to new heights and became a global superstar. Sold more than 50 million records during his career, …

Source: Dan Levitt: Rhinestone Cowboy shines spotlight on Alzheimer’s disease. | The Province

A View of the Future

By Katie Smith Sloan

The future of aged care and supports revolves around two critical themes: person-centered choice and care, on the one hand, and technology on the other. Person-centered is a 180 degree departure from a paternalistic mind-set centered around the notion that “the professionals know best.” No doubt, the professionals–clinicians, administrators, social workers, etc.–know a lot. They are highly trained and singularly focused on their area of study. And, they have real-life practice experience to bear. But they operate in a system that doesn’t encourage them to get to their patients and understand their desires. Do they really know what their patients, residents, or individuals prefer? Do they know what their values and goals are?

Not only will consumers increasingly expect their preferences to be honored, they will demand it. So we, as providers of ageing services, will need to have a different conversation with those we are supporting and caring with (rather than caring for). A person-centered culture and mindset may well lead to individuals to take charge of their health during their younger years, knowing that they have responsibility for guiding their health care in their later years. Ultimately, we will see a higher quality of life for our world’s elders with quality defined by the elders themselves.

And, technology. Given the vast explosion in the number of people, we will increasingly rely on technology as a support and an enabler. With individuals in the center, tools can support them. Whether it’s continued enhancements to Alexa or Amazon Echo, activity reminders and monitoring, medication management or tools and apps we can’t yet imagine, technology can effectively support a demographic boom in a person-centered environment.

Less developed countries without a strong infrastructure for aged care have the unique opportunity to leap-frog over the traditional paternalism of the western world to an exciting future. Adapting a frame that is person-centered with the expectation that technology has a critical and practical role to play will lead to a better old age for our world’s elders.

We’ve got to rethink aging, says gerontologist

Global Ageing Network Board Member, Dan Levitt, explains why it is imperative that we shift our thinking about old age. Medical and technological advancements create more opportunities for older adults to age in place and to remain actively engaged in their communities.

We’ve got to rethink aging. That was the message guest speaker Dan Levitt brought to the Rotary Club of Tsawwassen meeting Thursday. We operate a “complex archipelago” of old age institutions,. . .

Source: We’ve got to rethink aging, says gerontologist

Teaching and Learning About Home Care in Israel

By Geralyn Magan

Teaching and learning were both on the itinerary when Robyn Stone visited Israel in May.

The Global Ageing Network’s Director of Research went to the Middle East at the invitation of JDC-ESHEL, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that has been planning and developing services for older Israelis for 35 years. The organization functions under the auspices of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), an American-based NGO that provides relief, rescue, and reconstruction services to Jewish and non-Jewish clients around the world.

“I was so impressed by this nonprofit organization,” says Stone. “The JDC is not a government entity, but it has a strong influence on government policy. It serves as a natural research laboratory that conducts pilot projects, tests ideas, and then sends its findings to the government so those findings can be incorporated into real policies. I think we have a lot to learn from the Israelis.”

TEACHING ISRAELIS ABOUT THE VALUE OF APPLIED RESEARCH

During a week of meetings with JDC-ESHEL staff and stakeholders, Stone offered technical assistance on a variety of topics, including how Israel could expand its home care sector without sacrificing quality.

“Right now, the Israelis are trying to learn what the training should be, how you make that training more competency-based, and how you ensure quality,” says Stone. “These are the same questions we are asking, so I suspect we will learn from each other.”

Israel’s training issues have become more challenging in recent years as the country welcomed approximately 45,000 foreign-born caregivers from the Philippines, Moldova, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, and other countries. Stone relied heavily on the evidence base around cultural competency as she provided Israeli educators with strategies for training those foreign-born workers. She also used her keynote address at JDC-ESHEL’s annual conference to underscore the importance of an evidence base in helping providers address other service-delivery challenges.

“Stories are great,” Stone told conference participants. “But, at the same time, hard evidence is really essential. Storytelling and data are not enemies. They actually go together.”

LEARNING HOW TO INTEGRATE FOREIGN WORKERS INTO HOME CARE

When she wasn’t offering technical assistance, Stone was asking her own questions about the role that foreign workers are playing in Israel’s evolving home care sector, and about the infrastructure that Israel has created to help foreign workers succeed.

Israel’s population of foreign workers, which has grown significantly since the 1990s, is concentrated in 3 sectors: caregiving, agriculture, and construction. The caregiving sector employs the largest number of foreign workers: 45,122 caregivers, or 59% of all foreign workers. While most foreign workers stay in Israel for up to 3 years, workers in the caregiving sector usually stay longer.

“The Israelis have made a specific choice to relieve their worker shortages by bringing in workers from other countries, and they are systematically developing an infrastructure for this program so it does not become an underground economy,” says Stone.

Since 2012, Israel has signed a series of formal agreements with countries from which its foreign-born workers hail. The agreements have helped protect workers by preventing unscrupulous parties from charging illegal recruitment fees.

Other worker protections include the following:

  • While private recruitment agencies find placements for foreign workers in the caregiving sector, the care recipient acts as the worker’s direct employer.

  • Employers must pay for a worker’s medical insurance, provide him or her with proper accommodation within the home, and guarantee full-time employment.

  • Workers experiencing problems with an employer can call a telephone hotline that was established in 2012. Issues surfacing through the hotline – the majority of complaints relate to employer issues (43%) and wages (34%) – are addressed by government enforcement units.

“It was interesting to see how organized the foreign worker program is, and how very thoughtful the Israelis have been about training and protecting the rights of these workers, and helping them become integrated into the family,” says Stone. “They haven’t figured it all out, but they are working on it.”

Marcus Riley Addresses United Nations Open-Ended Work Group on Ageing

On July 5th, Global Ageing Network Board Chair, Marcus Riley, had an opportunity to address the Open Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWGA) at the United Nations. The audience included dozens of country ministers NGO’s focused on ageing as well as those focused on Human Rights. Riley made a compelling appeal to continue the work towards a binding legal instrument to address the human rights of the world’s elders. Read his statement is below.

The Global Ageing Network is pleased to present a statement to the 8th session of the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing on behalf of the 24,000 organisations we represent across more than 50 nations around the world.

We contribute as an NGO to this process in good faith and at significant cost, hence we look forward to consistent arrangements for the Open Ended Working Group that facilitate effective dialogue between member states and civil society.

Through our work we are fully cognizant of the ageing of our populations, the associated impacts and, importantly, the need for effective planning and enhanced legislative regimes  to support and foster positive ageing and ensure the protection of human rights as people age.

We have already heard today from member states, national statistics on ageing demographics.

UN data highlights the mega trends globally relating to the increasing numbers of older people:  In 2015, there were 901 million people aged 60 or over, it is projected to be 1.4 billion by 2030 and 2.1 billion by 2050.

Notably in the short-to-medium term, higher numbers of older populations are inevitable, given that the relevant cohorts are already alive.

The number of persons aged 80 or over is projected to more than triple by 2050.

It is our responsibility as a global society to be more aware of the risks and challenges for older members of our community such as the threat of elder abuse, discrimination and violence whilst fostering the opportunity for older people to flourish.  The vulnerable must be protected and all people no matter how frail or old supported to age successfully.  Ageing as a mega trend and associated human rights violations against older persons are universal issues and we need a universal instrument to underpin a comprehensive approach from all levels of society  to proactively and responsively address these issues.

A reality of global ageing is that a failure to act now on the violation of fundamental human rights during later life, including widespread discrimination and abuse, will come at a greater cost to societies in the near future as well as in the longer term.

Our question to the Open Ended Working Group including member states is that whilst legislative instruments may exist in some places now, are they currently adequate in addressing the violations to human rights in older age and will they be adequate as the population of older people dramatically increases across all regions of the globe?

While some countries have taken steps to affect redress from some human rights violations such as abuse and neglect, given the global trend towards ageing societies, a global response is in order. Accordingly the Global Ageing Network calls for a binding instrument to protect the rights of older persons. These rights deserve to be protected, no matter where older people may live.

Thank you.

On a Journey of Aged Care Reform – Reflections from South Australia

By Sue McKechnie (Guest Post)

Sue McKechnie, Executive Manager of Community Services at Resthaven Incorporated in Adelaide, South Australia shares insights about the changing aged care system in South Australia.

‘The Australian aged care system is undergoing substantial legislative reform and major policy change. The aim is to improve consumer engagement and choice, with a ‘consumer-directed’ model of service delivery, along with individualised consumer service budgets.’

‘The vocabulary is expanding as terminology such as ‘co-design’ and ‘co-production’ are being used in policy and program development. Further enhancing how we integrate these concepts in our service models is a current focus.’

‘To operate successfully in the reformed, deregulated system, substantial leadership, organisational culture change and business model adaptation is required.’

‘The complexity of the current system and the changes due to aged care reform continue to make it difficult for older people to understand, plan for and access aged care when they need it. In future, more consumers, families and carers can be more proactive in preparing for their future needs.’

‘The aged care reform process has prompted Resthaven to look ahead and review our business models to ensure they reflect our mission and purpose and promote consumer engagement.’

‘Our model of service delivery, linked to working with people in both home care and residential care, supports wellness, independence and choice.’

‘Healthy ageing is inherent in our approach to service delivery. Resthaven offers self-management programs for people with chronic degenerative conditions and individual approaches are ‘co-designed’ to meet specific needs.’

‘We work together with older people and their carers to support them maintain independence and quality in their daily lives, in their particular circumstance. They are supported in their choices and have control of the decisions about when and where support is needed.’

‘We are reframing how we view quality and demonstrate a quality service in a consumer directed environment.’

‘Early intervention, accepting responsibility for personal wellness, nutrition, lifestyle, relationships with primary healthcare networks, ongoing connection with their local neighbourhood and community, is an important aspect of healthy ageing and active contributions to society.’

‘As these policy and practice directions are relatively new, we are seeking to understand how this affects important relationships between primary healthcare providers, state government health services and aged care.’

‘In the Australian context, there is also a policy shift to a greater emphasis on a user pays approach to government funded services. This requires individuals with capacity to contribute to the cost of their care to do so. We support this approach, which requires a social cultural attitude shift over the longer term.’

‘Increasingly, older people will be encouraged to pay for their services outside of government support. This also has impact for the changing dynamics of the competitive service operating environment in an area which has historically been a focus for the not for profit sector.’

‘We live in interesting times.’

Established in 1935, Resthaven works together with older people and their carers to provide outstanding care and support. Every day, the organization shares the lives and wisdom of more than 10,000 older people living in South Australia.

Join us in Montreux, Switzerland this September to learn more about aged care reform in Australia the shift towards more consumer directed service models.

 

About the Author

Sue McKechnie
Sue McKechnie is a Registered Nurse with broad experience within the health and aged care industry. She is a Fellow of the Australian College of Nursing, and Associate Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management. Sue is currently Executive Manager, Resthaven Community Services, responsible for home and centre-based support for approximately 8,500 older people across metropolitan Adelaide and country South Australia. She leads a division of 500 staff. In 2016, the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency recognised Resthaven with a Better Practice Award. In 2013, Sue was recognised by the Board of Aged and Community Services South Australia with a Contribution to Industry award. She is a member of a number of groups advising government about aged care. Sue is also a member of the South Australian Premier’s Women’s Directory promoting leadership and mentoring for women.

Sue will be presenting the session entitled “Consumer Directed Services Using Co-Production Principles” at the Global Ageing Conference in Montreux, Switzerland.

Designing the Future: The Evolution of Design for Older People in the UK

By David Hughes, Chief Executive, Pozzoni Architecture ltd, Altrincham, Cheshire, U.K. & Tracy Paine, Operations Director, Belong, Nantwich, Cheshire, U.K (Guest Post)

The Belong Villages have an established reputation for innovation; both in the quality of the design of the villages and the quality of care provided.

Evolving over more than a ten-year period, Belong are an established leader in dementia care; underpinned by values of giving people a sense of belonging, creating vibrant communities and nurturing positive relationships and outcomes.

Belong Villages offer:

• Nursing care with dementia in self-contained ‘households’
• Independent living apartments
• A village centre with a range of facilities open to the public
• Specialist day care service: Belong Experience Days
• Belong at Home domiciliary care, to support people in their own homes

Together, these services, along with specialist nursing care, provide a vibrant hub at the heart of the communities where the villages are located. The villages offer a ‘home for life’ for people to access Belong support.

Integral to the delivery of the Belong philosophy is the design of the Belong Villages. Pozzoni Architecture have worked closely with Belong during their journey to deliver the five competed villages and this partnership will continue to develop for the next five village projects.

The process began in 2005 with a Pozzoni worldwide study tour to explore the best of dementia design. This research, and translating worldwide best practice to the U.K. context, fed into the emerging design for the first village, Belong Macclesfield. The subsequent villages, located in the towns of Wigan, Crewe, Atherton and Warrington have ensured the developing evolution of the Belong Village model.

To further underpin the knowledge base, during 2016 Belong’s Operations Director, Tracy Paine, embarked on a global study tour to compare and contrast best practice in dementia design and dementia care worldwide with the Belong approach. Whilst each country and region will have their own legislative and cultural differences, there is a consistent approach across the leading facilities worldwide, including Belong, for best practice principles in dementia design and dementia care.

The future Belong Villages continue to progress the innovation:

• Belong Didsbury is a joint venture with a provider of care for the Jewish Community of South Manchester and includes specific cultural requirements.
• Belong Newcastle features the refurbishment of historic buildings and will include a heritage centre within the village.
• Belong Chester commands a prime canal-side location within the urban and historic town centre.
• Belong Wirral is a key component in the regeneration of a former industrial docklands site.
• Belong Birkdale will provide a new community hub within a residential area of this seaside resort town.

David Hughes of Pozzoni and Tracy Paine of Belong will share the story of Belong Villages and the worldwide influences and inspirations they’ve incorporated into their planning for the future at the 2017 IAHSA Global Ageing Conference.

About the Authors

David Hughes
David Hughes joined Pozzoni in 1984 after 4 years previous experience in Local Authority and Private Practice. Made a Partner in 1989, he was Senior Partner from 2007 to 2015 and is now Chairman. He has been involved with various forms of housing for older people since his qualification in 1983 and has particularly driven the debate on appropriate design for dementia in recent years. This has resulted in several innovative schemes designed by the Practice, culminating in 2008 with a Pinders / Caring Times National Care Award for best new ‘traditional’ Care Home in the UK and the Design & Health International Academy Award for ‘Best Elderly Care Project Worldwide’ in 2010. Most recently, in March 2012, the Practice won the ‘Best Design & Construction Company’ Award at the Laing & Buisson Independent Specialist Care Awards 2012.

Tracy Paine
Tracy Paine is the Operations Director for Belong award winning villages in the North West which will be opening its 6th village in Manchester in summer 2016. Tracy’s role involves the design, development, and operation of the Belong villages, designed to support older people on their journey from independent living to end of life care, recognising that this journey may not always be linear. Two thirds of village residents are living with dementia and the villages were designed from the outset to provide ‘a home for life’ through a continuum of care that can be flexible and adapt around each person’s changing needs. Tracy is Chair of the NCF Practice Forum and won Healthcare Design Champion in 2011. In 2016 Tracy was awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travelling Fellowship to research housing and care facilities for older people in Australia and the United States.