Environments for Aging .09

March 29 - 31, 2009

Boston Marriott Copley Place

Speaking Information - Click Here

Environments for Aging is a comprehensive three-day experience, bringing together architects, owners, developers, facilities managers, design professionals, product manufacturers, and government officials to explore and share new ideas for creating attractive and functional living environments that meet the unique needs of our aging population.

EFA is developed by professionals who are day-to-day advocates and champions for the improvement of healthcare and life experiences for the aging population.  The conference is produced by Vendome Group LLC, publishers of Long Term Living (formerly Nursing Homes/Long Term Care Management), DESIGN/ Environments for Aging, and HEALTHCARE DESIGN magazines, in conjunction with The Center for Health Design.

Key themes discussed at EFA include addressing the different expectations and needs of the current and future generations of aging adults; creating affordable products, housing, and transportation that support independence and facilitate involvement in social and civic activities; and establishing public-private partnerships to help make all of this happen.

Limited sponsoship and exhibit space is available to companies that own, develop, build, design, fund, or provide goods and services to create environments for the aging.

For more information, visit www.environmentsforaging.com or contact Michael Raggiani, Conference Manager, at 603.836.0329.

2008 Conference Overview

Environments for Aging.08, held in Tucson, Arizona was attended by over 500 people, nearly twice the number from the innagural 2007 conference.

Childers Place, designed by Perkins Eastman, won the DESIGN Best in Show at the conference.  To view this Citation of Merit winner Click Here.

Matt Thornhill, the founder of The Boomer Project, a marketing research and consulting company focusing on baby boomers, gave an entertaining opening keynote speech titled “The New Rules for Communicating to Boomers.”  Thornhill noted that the concept of what constitutes "Middle Age" seems to be shifting along with the aging population.  People do not consider themselves Middle Aged until 60 or 65; therefore most don't think they are "old" until 75 or 80.  Thornhill emphasized taking this shift in mindset into consideration when promoting and designing products and services.  To read more about the tour, Click Here to visit the blog post on Long Term Living magazine's website.

EFA attendees had the opportunity to take part in pre-conference facility tours of Splendido at Rancho Vistoso, a resort-styled retirement community with 246 independent apartments/villas, 36 SNFs, 12 assisted living apartments, and 12 dementia care units.  This facility opperates on a philosophy of wellness. Wellness at Splendido requires a paradigm shift from paternalistic care to self-directed care, from medical to holistic, from labels like disabled to referring to people as people, and so on.  The six dimensions of owner, Mather LifeWays’ whole-person wellness include: Intellectual, Physical, Vocational, Social, Spiritual and Emotional.  To read more about the tour, Click Here to visit the blog post on Long Term Living magazine's website.

CHD and Vendome are offering webinars from selected EFA.08 presentations.  Click Here for more information on the EFA.08 Webinar Series.