April 6, 2021 | Caring for Our Carers: Policy and Community Solutions for Our Caregiving Crisis

February 22, 2021April 7, 2021 Oregon Health Forum

In 10 years, there will be as many adults aged 65+ as children in the U.S. This permanent demographic shift plus the toll of COVID-19 underscore the critical role of paid and unpaid caregivers – a profession plagued by burnout, growing workforce shortages and unsafe conditions. Speakers will explore policy and community-based solutions to strengthen the profession, reduce inequities, and create a more attractive and viable future for caregiving. Register today! This is the first of a three-part series, focused on a new vision for successful and equitable aging for all Oregonians.

Moderator:

Keren Brown Wilson, PhD, Founder and CEO, Jessie F. Richardson Foundation and Age+

Dr. Wilson’s career spans a broad range of academic and professional activities in aging and long-term care, including teaching, research, program design and implementation. Her work encompasses service at the community, state, national, and international levels. She is widely known as the architect of the ‘Oregon Model’ of assisted living in her work with affordable housing and services. She has collaborated with numerous governmental and advocacy organizations to develop standards and training materials. Dr. Wilson serves as CEO of the Jessie F. Richardson Foundation (JFRF) and its Oregon-based nonprofit AGE+. Both organizations focus on underserved older adults in resource-constrained communities using asset-based community development techniques. She has published professionally and received numerous awards for her work in the field of aging, including the Maxwell Pollack Award of the Gerontological Society of America in 2005, Purpose Prize Fellow in 2012, Simon Benson Award for Philanthropy in 2016, and election as a gerontological fellow of the Gerontological Society in 2016. Dr. Wilson is currently Chair-elect of the PSU Foundation Board and sits on the boards of numerous other nonprofit groups.

Contact Dr. Wilson at kwilson@jfrfoundation.org

Speakers:

Robyn I. Stone, DrPh, Senior Vice President of Research at LeadingAge and Co-Director of LEadingAge LTSS Center at UMass Boston

Robyn Stone is a noted researcher and internationally recognized authority on long-term care and aging policy, and has been engaged in policy development, program evaluation, large-scale demonstrations and other applied research activities in these areas for over 40 years. She has held senior research and policy positions in both the federal government and the private sector, including serving in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Disability, Aging and Long-term Care Policy and Assistant Secretary for Aging in the Clinton administration. Her work bridges the worlds of research, policy and practice to improve the care delivered to older adults—particularly lower-income populations—and to ensure the best quality of life for these individuals and their families. Dr. Stone is a distinguished speaker and has been published widely in the areas of long-term care policy and quality, chronic care for older adults and people with disabilities, aging services workforce development, the link between low-income senior housing and health and family caregiving. She is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the National Academy of Social Insurance and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2014. Dr. Stone serves on numerous provider and nonprofit boards that focus on aging issues.

Contact Dr. Stone at rstone@leadingage.org

Lynnette Alvarado, Regional Operations Director, Concepts in Community Living, LLC

Lynnette Alvarado has over 30 years of experience in assisted living industry, dedicating much of her life to the residents and families it serves. In 2003, she joined CCL’s Wildwood Canyon Villa Assisted Living and Memory Care Community in California, where she held roles as a medication supervisor, family support guide, marketing director, assistant director, and finally as the executive director of the facility. Bringing this broad perspective, Lynnette assists with overseeing operations for all the communities managed by CCL. She believes that experiencing every aspect of assisted living has given her a greater appreciation not only for the residents and families, but also for the dedicated and compassionate staff that make it all happen. Her goal is to continue advocating for seniors in assisted living and memory care communities by offering the highest quality of care and support for those in need. Lynnette has served on the Alzheimer’s Association Leadership Board, Alzheimer’s Association Walk Committee, Chairman for Chamber of Commerce, Hospice Support, Memories in the Making Pilot Program (Alzheimer’s Association), ASA Leadership Academy, Rotary, and The Center (LGBT Volunteer Program). She currently serves as a Board member of Leading Age Oregon.

Contact Lynette at lalvarado@ccliving.com

Armin Takallou, OHSU Medical Student and Master of Public Health Student with Lived Experience in Caregiving

Armin Takallou grew up in Tualatin, Oregon and attended UCLA to study biology and society, an interdisciplinary major exploring how health advancements and technology have been shaped through social construction. Raised by his grandmother in a multigenerational family, he became very interested in older adult care from both a medical and public health perspective. As an undergraduate, Armin served as a research assistant at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research examining clinical preventive service uptake among older minority adults in lower-resource areas of Los Angeles. He spent a year as a hospice volunteer and has also served as a policy advocate with the Alzheimer’s Association of San Francisco. Armin recently enjoyed his first clinical preceptorship experience at the OHSU VA Geriatric Falls Clinic where he continues his focus on older adult care.

Contact Armin at takallou@ohsu.edu