Please contact:
Pat Harden or Kim Kellogg
Harden Communications Partners
510-635-4150
www.hardenpartners.com
Pat Harden
[email protected]
Kim Kellogg
[email protected]
AgeSong | September 1, 2009 | Contact: Kim Kellogg/Mara Tyler 510-635-4195
OAKLAND — AgeSong, a family-run group of assisted-living senior communities in San Francisco and Oakland with a holistic approach to care, has announced the appointment of Deborah Borchers as community relations director for its Bayside Park residence in Emeryville. Bayside Park is a 165 resident senior community that offers independent and assisted-living apartments for senior adults and a full-service health and wellness program. Bayside Park is scheduled to open in January 2010 and is accepting reservations for apartments now.
Borchers is a San Francisco native and brings over 20 years of sales and marketing experience in various industries. As community relations director for Bayside Park, she is responsible for sales and marketing, including the community relations with all individual, community and institutional referral sources.
“It’s important for me to serve our community in a way that honors and respects the challenges elders face transitioning to a supported living environment,” Borchers said.
Prior to joining AgeSong, Borchers was the marketing director for Pinole Senior Village and also worked for Villa San Ramon. She was also the marketing director for San Francisco’s Eppler’s Bakeries, worked in the technology industry for iSpheres, and started her own sales and marketing company in 2003.
“I was attracted to AgeSong’s philosophy of supporting community elders through holistic and therapeutic care,” said Borchers. “My passion and purpose is completely in line with AgeSong’s vision of helping elders living the fulfilled and vibrant life they wish to.”
For more information on AgeSong at Bayside Park, visit agesongbsp.com. Back to top
AgeSong | August XX, 2009 | Contact: Kim Kellogg/Mara Tyler 510-635-4195
OAKLAND — AgeSong, a family-run group of assisted-living senior communities in San Francisco and Oakland with a holistic approach to care, has announced the appointment of Judy Vared as community relations director for its Lakeside Park residence in Oakland. Lakeside Park is a 70-bed community that provides high-needs assisted living, dementia and behavioral health care to elders.
Vared is a Bay Area native and holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a teaching credential from UC Berkeley. As community relations director, she is responsible for sales and marketing, including the community relations with all individual, community and institutional referral sources.
“I am genuinely passionate about working with older adults and their families,” Vared said. “Having been a caregiver myself, I understand the difficult decisions that individuals and families face while making the transition to an assisted living community.”
Prior to joining AgeSong, Vared worked in admissions and public relations at Reutlinger Community for Jewish Living, and has a sales and marketing background in both the corporate and non-profit sectors.
“The wealth of experiences and knowledge that seniors have to offer is immeasurable,“ said Vared. “I’m excited to join the AgeSong team and be part of this unique community of caregivers and residents."
For more information on AgeSong at Lakeside Park, visit agesonglsp.com. Back to top
AgeSong | July 29, 2009 | Contact: Kim Kellogg/Mara Tyler 510-635-4195
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AgeSong Senior Communities is bringing its nationally recognized holistic approach to a local historic landmark. The 1927 Art Deco Lake Merritt Hotel has been transformed to AgeSong at Lake Merritt, an independent-living residence for seniors. This newest property is the fifth residence AgeSong now offers senior adults in the Bay Area. Its four other residences are in Oakland, San Francisco and Emeryville, and provide a full range of living options for independent, assisted-living and forgetfulness-care.
The 49,155 square-foot building offers 46 apartments with new, upgraded kitchens and bathrooms, and views of nearby Lake Merritt, the East Bay hills and the downtown Oakland skyline. The apartments feature 9-foot ceilings and crown moldings, period-style ceramic tile bathrooms and spacious closets and alcoves. Among the many upscale amenities it offers are a popular full-service restaurant open to the public, spa and fitness center, full-time concierge, high speed wireless internet, activity rooms and a 9,000+ square foot garage.
AgeSong’s approach is designed to re-establish the role of the elder, to create communities that allow residents to stay connected to the larger community and to provide opportunities for continued learning. AgeSong programs address the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of senior adults.
“In each of our locations, we believe strongly in integrating the community with our residences to bring social and generational diversity to the neighborhoods. This creates vitality and an important exchange among our families and neighbors, which includes adults, children, grandchildren and elders,” said Nader Shabahangi, CEO of AgeSong.
A unique aspect of AgeSong at Lake Merritt is that its lake location, public spaces and community support make the integration of the larger business, cultural and social aspects a natural addition to its programs.
“The idea that residents can create their own lifestyle while being supported by staff and programs is a fairly new concept for senior communities,” said Victoria Stone, community relations director of the residence. “For example, in most senior living communities, residents dine in isolation from the larger community and choose meals from a limited menu. But here, the Terrace Room enables residents to mingle with local business, association, club and neighborhood patrons who come to eat at this public restaurant,” she added.
Additionally, public educational and cultural programs sponsored by AgeSong that welcome the community into the building provide opportunities for social interaction beyond the residence. External social/cultural programs for residents promote involvement in local organizations such as the Oakland Museum and the Public Garden.
The historic building is owned by local real-estate owners Cheryl and Randall Berger and managed by AgeSong. In 2007, the Bergers restored the building’s architectural heritage and beauty in a $3.5 million renovation that preserved the building’s historic features
while offering modern conveniences and improved accessibility.
The six-story architectural gem was built in 1927 by famed California architect William Weeks, who designed 22 Carnegie libraries and other notable buildings throughout the state. The Terrace Room restaurant features a mural depicting scenic views of Lake Merritt painted by Oakland’s acclaimed muralist and sculptor Andre Boratko.
Established in 1995, AgeSong is a family-run group of senior communities with a holistic approach to care. It was founded by Shabahangi and his siblings, who combined their diverse backgrounds in psychology, law, and theology to create unique, holistic environments for their residents, led by their vision to transform attitudes toward aging.
In 2006, AgeSong won the American Society on Aging’s Award for Excellence in the Field of Aging.
AgeSong’s other residences include AgeSong at Lakeside Park (Oakland); AgeSong at Bayside Park (Emeryville, opening in January 2010); AgeSong Hayes Valley Care and AgeSong Laguna Grove Care (San Francisco). Back to top
AgeSong | Contact: Pat Harden/Kim Kellogg 510-635-4190
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
As Congress and the Obama administration work to transform healthcare, AgeSong, an innovative California company is leading the way to transforming care for elders with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Expert Source Available As Media Resource: Stanford-educated founder and CEO of Age Song, Nader Shabahangi, PhD, is a visionary teacher, leader and author who has successfully turned the conventional “medical model” of senior care on its head. AgeSong, the group of assisted living communities he created in San Francisco, provides a holistic model of care for elders who need high acuity assisted living or dementia care. AgeSong communities support elder’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs, with an array of programs that affirm their dignity and wisdom.
From community tea shops to film festivals, feng shui décor and organic gardens, Dr. Shabahangi and his team are revolutionizing the current model of care for aging adults through this expanding group of residential communities in Northern California. The 2006 winner of The American Society on Aging’s Award for Excellence in the Field of Aging, AgeSong is an organization at the forefront of the national trend in revising the perception and treatment of elders in our society.
Among the topics Dr. Shabahangi and his team can address are:
Who’s Afraid of Alzheimer’s? The positive lessons that medical professionals, caregivers and families can learn from Alzheimer’s patients.
Care Beyond Medicine: Non-medical Models for Eldercare: Insights on innovative approaches to care that focus on the psychological and spiritual dimension of aging;
The role of counseling, therapy and creativity in addressing the special needs of elders with Alzheimer’s; How professional caregivers and clinicians can interpret behaviors of Alzheimer’s/dementia residents and create solutions that do not solely rely on drugs or restraints.
New Methods of Teaching the Next Generation of Mental Health Professionals: Innovative program with pre and post doctoral gero-psychiatric interns from universities in the US and Europe demonstrate a new model for teaching new ways to care for those with dementia; AgeSong’s affiliations with UC Berkeley, JFK University and the Sorbonne, among others, are part of this visionary approach.
Assisted Living Opens C-level Opportunities for Women: Women have found that the C-Suite has opened up to them at assisted living senior communities. They are filling roles as CEOs and COOs, focusing largely on the strategic and transactional side of this business. Paula Hertel, COO of Age Song, is managing the development, construction and staffing of the company’s fourth senior community in the Bay Area and can provide insight and information on this topic.
From the Ground Up–A Spiraling Aging Population Fuels the Demand for Elder Housing and Services: How to come up with a thoughtful plan? How to merge therapeutic approaches from East/West cultures to incorporate design elements that provide optimal environments where elders can thrive? How to use feng-shui, meditation, creative arts, the Kneipp approach to wellness and contemporary psychotherapy and counseling to create positive, life-enhancing environments for its residents? Back to top
AgeSong | Dec 30, 2008 | Contact: Kim Kellogg 510-325-3195
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Senior-housing executive Victoria Stone has joined AgeSong in Emeryville as Community Relations Director for the organization’s newest residence, Bayside Park, located at 1440 40th Street. Opening in early 2010, Bayside Park offers both independent and assisted living options in one-bedroom and studio apartments for senior adults.
Stone will be responsible for sales and marketing strategies, operations and working with prospective residents and their families as seniors transition to assisted living.
“AgeSong stands out as a leader in our industry with its innovative approach to the environments, programs and services they offer seniors. I’m pleased to be joining their team and to be part of this exciting new project.”
Prior to joining AgeSong, Stone served as general manager for The Sterling, a 60- unit luxury senior housing community in San Francisco, and previous to that she had been director of development for the Western region of Classic Residence by Hyatt, which develops luxury senior living communities.
Stone holds a Master’s degree in Public Health with emphasis in geriatric health and wellness from California State University, Northridge, and a B.S. degree with honors in Sociology from University of California, Berkeley. Back to top
AgeSong | Nov 6, 2008 | Contact: Victoria Steiner 510-635-4150
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Honorable Sensei Keiko Fukuda, highest-ranking female practitioner of judo in the world, and John Levy, whose dedication in the nonprofit world have made American culture more humanistic and compassionate, and who has shaped the success of many important nonprofit organizations in the field of psychology and spiritual health, are the winners of the Pacific Institute’s 2008 Eldership Awards.
These awards, which have been given for four years, recognize the lifelong contributions of two of the Bay Area’s outstanding elders. The event is being sponsored by AgeSong, a family-run group of assisted-living senior communities in San Francisco and Oakland, whose holistic, therapeutic environments focus on the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of its residents, and provide specialized programming that lovingly supports elders in being who they are.
Fukuda was born in Tokyo, and began practicing the art of judo at the age of 21, attending the first judo class that allowed women. Now in her 90s, Fukuda Sensei is revered as the last living disciple of Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo. She has spent her life inspiring others, especially women, in this ancient art of self-defense. Fukuda holds the rare 9th-degree black belt. No woman has ever achieved that rank in history and many of the highest ranking teachers in the world have come to study with her. She is the author of Born for the Mat (1973), reissued in 2005 as Ju-No-Kata: A Kodokan textbook, Revised and Expanded from Born for the Mat.
Levy is a pioneer in field of existential humanism and his leadership in the field of nonprofit organizations has helped shaped the success of many important nonprofit organizations in the fields of psychology and spiritual health. He has more than 25 years experience in private practice working with individuals and families on issues involving inherited wealth. He is the author of Inherited Wealth: Opportunities and Dilemmas (2008).
A celebration of their unique talents and life’s work begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at the Marines Memorial Club, 609 Sutter Street in San Francisco.
“We are proud to sponsor this important event and to recognize two outstanding people whose have made significant contributions to society. Their wisdom and their lives exemplify the best of what eldership can be,” said Nader Shabahangi, CEO of Agesong.
The Eldership Awards have been presented bi-annually since 2004 and benefit the Gerontological Wellness and Expressive Arts Therapies Programs of Pacific Institute. Previous winners have included feminist journalist Gloria Steinem, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, spiritual teacher Ram Dass, AgeWave Founder Ken Dychtwald, Professor Richard Wiseman and author Elizabeth Bugental.
Pacific Institute is one of the West Coast’s most innovative non-profit educational organizations dedicated to offering new perspectives in the field of mental health, gerontology and the education of future caregivers. Pacific Institute’s multi-faceted approach includes the AgeSong Institute of Elder Wellness, the Awakenings Institute of Mental Wellness, the Pacific Institute Academia and its Elders Academy Press. Proceeds from the benefit will help Pacific Institute further its specialized programs, including the Gerontological Wellness and Expressive Arts Therapies Program.
Tickets for Pacific Institutes 2008 Eldership Awards are $150 and are available on line and at the door on Thursday, November 6, 2008. For tickets and information, visit the website www.pacificinstitute.org or call (415) 861-3455. Back to top
AgeSong | Sept 17, 2008 | Contact: Kim Kellog/Vicotoria Steiner 510-635-4150
EMERYVILLE — AgeSong at Bayside Park, a 116,400 square-foot, 125-apartment community that will offer independent and assisted living apartments for senior adults breaks ground today in Emeryville, expanding AgeSong’s holistic approach to elder care in the East Bay.
A five-story residence, AgeSong at Bayside Park sits on a corner site at 1440 40th Street (and Horton), within walking distance to the city’s retail and entertainment district and Emeryville’s bustling “triangle” neighborhood. It is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2010.
The 125 apartments are divided into 29 independent living one-bedroom and studio apartments; 63 assisted-living one bedroom and studio apartments; and 33 forgetfulness (dementia) and gero-wellness studios and shared apartments. The independent and assisted-living apartments include full kitchens or kitchenettes.
Designed by Berkeley-based architectural firm Kava Massih Architects, Bayside Park features high ceilings, large windows, natural materials, outside garden patios, a Kneipp therapy pool, exercise and strength training center, expressive arts studio and a public café, among other amenities. (Renderings are available.)
“California’s elderly population is expected to grow more than twice as fast as the total population,” said Dr. Shabahangi, founder and CEO of AgeSong, which is a family-run group of senior communities. “By 2010, one in five Californians will be 60 years old or older, and by 2040 the Bay Area population is expected to be the oldest in California, with 41 seniors per 100 work-age adults, so the need for senior housing and services in California is critical. We believe AgeSong provides a fresh and much needed alternative for people as they age,” he said.
“Elders are a core source of wisdom in our society and should have viable housing and care options in urban settings, where interaction with younger generations is accessible,” said Dr. Shabahangi. “Our philosophy of care begins with the design criteria for each of our communities,” he added. “We encourage interaction between our inner community of residents and outer community of neighbors by creating retail spaces that are either used or operated by our elders and shared with the community. Our overall design is inspired by the five pillars of wellness developed by the Bavarian priest Sebastian Kneipp in the 19th century.”
Dr. Shabahangi founded AgeSong in 1995 with his two brothers, combining their diverse backgrounds in psychology, law and theology to create AgeSong’s distinctive model of elder care. Their vision has been successful. In 2006 AgeSong won The American Society on Aging award for excellence in the field of aging. It currently operates three residential communities, two in San Francisco and one in Oakland. Bayside Park is one of two new residences in development; the other is in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood. Back to top
AgeSong | Aug 25, 2008 | Contact: Pat Harden/Kim Kellogg 510-635-4190
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN FRANCISCO — Eleven years ago this month, AgeSong’s Hayes Valley Care residence, a 47-bed community in San Francisco, pioneered a new, holistic approach to elder-care that focuses on the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of its residents. To mark the success of San Francisco-based AgeSong’s approach and its new plans for the Hayes Valley neighborhood, AgeSong is hosting an 11th anniversary celebration on Wed., Aug. 27 from 4 to 6 p.m. The event will be held on the rooftop garden of its Laguna Grove Care residence, 624 Laguna Street, one of two AgeSong communities in San Francisco.
Highlighting the festivities, attended by residents, caregivers and neighbors, will be Zorka Thompson, a longtime resident, who is celebrating her 100th birthday and receiving a special commemoration from San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi.
“Our therapeutic environments focus on what is ‘right’ with our residents, despite their cognitive and physical challenges,” said Nader Shabahangi, founder and CEO of AgeSong. “We do not believe that a person’s essential humanity is impacted by forgetfulness, confusion, disorientation or physical limitations. We are careful not to impose mainstream standards of normality on our elders. Rather, throughout our AgeSong communities, we want to create a new standard that celebrates aging as maturing and understands becoming an elder as a goal of life.”
AgeSong is a family-run group of assisted-living communities for seniors. It was founded by Shabahangi and his two brothers in 1995, whose vision was guided by the type of living environment they wanted to find, but could not, for their grandparents. They combined their diverse backgrounds in psychology, law and theology to form AgeSong, and opened the doors of Hayes Valley Care, their first residence, in August 1997.
The organization currently manages three residential communities in San Francisco and Oakland, and is developing two larger new residences in San Francisco (2011) and Emeryville (2010). Among many other influences, its building designs and programming are guided by the philosophy of a 19th century Bavarian theologian named Sebastian Kneipp, who advocated five pillars of wellness to human health: water, nutrition, plants, exercise and balance. Back to top
AgeSong Senior Communities | 432 Ivy Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 | License # 385600373, 385600372, 015601384
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