In this week's episode of Elevate Eldercare, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Beverly Gianna, who recently became a long-term care ombudsman after a three-decade career with the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, now known as New Orleans & Company.

Having earned at least three master's degrees—one from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology— Beverly has become a passionate advocate for nursing home residents. Her fascinating story takes listeners through personal caregiving experiences and a deepening interest in aging, ultimately leading her to ombudsman work.

In today's episode, she champions the rights, dignity, and voices of residents—ensuring they are heard, respected, and empowered. Among the many valuable lessons Beverly has learned along her journey: listening is one of the most powerful tools in advocacy. As she notes, advocacy starts with listening—helping residents articulate their needs, preferences, and goals.

In this episode of Brain Bytes, host Kelly Tremblay, PhD, neuroscientist and hearing and brain health expert, explores the powerful—and often overlooked—connection between hearing and the brain.

In recognition of World Hearing Day on March 3, Dr. Kelly sheds light on why hearing health is critical to overall well-being, especially for older adults.

Hearing loss is one of the leading causes of years lived with disability worldwide, affecting one in three adults over 65. But, as Dr. Kelly explains, it's not simply an inevitable part of aging—lifestyle factors, environmental exposure, and even certain medical treatments can play a significant role.

This episode illuminates why hearing loss is closely linked to brain health and cognitive decline, how untreated hearing loss can contribute to social isolation and increased dementia risk, and how to recognize early signs of hearing loss.

Dr. Kelly examines how hearing is not just about the ears, it's a brain function, and why early detection and intervention can significantly improve quality of life, communication, and cognitive health.

Following are link to resources referred to in the episode:

• Hearing Loss Association of America: https://www.hearingloss.org/
• WHO Deafness and Hearing Loss Q&A: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/deafness-and-hearing-loss-safe-listening
• Ask an Audiologist: https://www.audiology.org/consumers-and-patients/
• AgingIN Annual Conference: https://aginginnovation.org/events/annual-conference/
  
  

We are grateful to Parker Health for their sponsorship of this micro podcast.

In this week's episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with industry leader Lisa McCracken to explore how data, innovation, and bold thinking are reshaping the future of eldercare.

With more than 26 years of experience spanning Holleran, Ziegler, and now the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care, Lisa shares how research and analytics can drive access, affordability, and meaningful choice for older adults.

From the growing urgency of serving the "forgotten middle" to the promise (and noise) of AI, this conversation offers a candid, forward-looking view of where the sector is headed—and what it will take to get there.

In addition, with an overwhelming number of tech solutions entering the market, Lisa notes that NIC is working to evaluate and vet tools—especially through partnerships that help providers make smarter decisions.

The future of eldercare will require innovation, partnerships, and a willingness to challenge traditional models—especially to meet the needs of a rapidly aging population.

More about NIC here: https://www.nic.org

In this week's episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Christie Hinrichs, president and CEO of Frasier, a life plan community in Boulder, Colo., who shares her journey from growing up on a farm in rural Nebraska to pioneering the Green House model at Tabitha, a senior living community in Omaha, Neb.

Throughout their conversation, Christie reflects on the experiences that shaped her commitment to older adults—from childhood visits with "adopted grandparents" to her early work in hospice social work.

Now leading Frasier, Christie describes a thriving community that offers a range of services where residents drive programming and engagement—so much so that the community has an 800-person waitlist. She shares why curiosity, respect, and accountability are core to building vibrant elder communities.

As board chair of LeadingAge, Christie also addresses the urgent workforce crisis in aging services and calls for greater collaboration across organizations and states to meet the needs of a rapidly aging population.

As Ryan points out, this is a conversation about intentional community, collective responsibility, and the courage to reimage what aging can look like when we truly listen.


For more information about Frasier:

• Vimeo channel: https://vimeo.com/frasierlpc
• Website: https://www.frasiermeadows.org

In this week's episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with MaryCay Durrant, founder of Leading Naturally. In this enlightening discussion, MaryCay shares her journey from corporate leadership to developing nature-inspired practices that help organizations thrive.

Drawing from her upbringing in North Dakota and a transformative personal awakening, MarCay challenges transactional workplace models and instead looks to ecosystems as a guide for cooperation, resilience, and trust.

She introduces her WORK framework — Wake Up, Orient, Reimagine partnering, and Keepnourishing what matters — and the concept of Return on Energy (ROE), encouraging leaders to measure vitality and alignment, not just ROI.

Through approaches such as equine-assisted learning, MaryCay helps organizations reduce burnout, strengthen connection, and build sustainable cultures grounded in partnership.

More about MaryCay here: https://marycaydurrant.com

Introducing 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.

This week on the podcast, AgingIN CEO, Susan Ryan, welcomes Kelly Tremblay, PhD, a neuroscientist, World Health Organization advisor, NIH grant reviewer, advocate, and professor.

As a first-generation college student, Kelly's path was shaped by lived experience. Growing up with a father who had multiple sclerosis, she became an early advocate for accessibility and healthcare equity. At the University of Washington, Kelly led research focused on the aging brain and collaborated with the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization to help translate science into global health strategies.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Susan and Kelly discuss health literacy and Kelly's desire to bridge the gap between research and real life by making science accessible, practical, and actionable. This goal comes to life in the launch of Brain Bytes, a new monthly micro-cast debuting Friday, Feb. 27, with new episodes dropping on the fourth Friday of each month. Designed to deliver bite-sized, evidence-based insights, Brain Bytes will focus on six key areas of brain health: nutrition, hearing loss, vision loss, mood, cognition, and balance

Throughout the episode, Kelly reminds us that knowledge is power—but only if it's accessible. Brain Bytes aims to empower listeners with clear, plain-language information that supports better decisions, stronger advocacy, and healthier aging.