When Fatima* was seven months pregnant, there was despair instead of joy among family and doctors surrounding her. Her baby was expected to be born prematurely and was thus at risk of respiratory disorders, underdevelopment, and even death. Luckily for Fatima, she was being treated at Sangareddy District Hospital in Telangana, India. There, a Quality…
Where are the Market Facilitators? – Moving Public Private Partnerships from Idea to Implementation
As governments look toward meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, they are increasingly interested in working with social enterprises to fill gaps in service provision. At the same time, social enterprises are generating new business model innovations-from process innovations that lower the cost of healthcare, to new technologies that enable distance learning for students-that can be…
An Intimate View of Aging in Singapore
The ACCESS Health Modern Aging program is raising awareness on the realities of aging in Asia through a national film contest for students. With its partners at NUS Enterprise in Singapore, Modern Aging called for videos highlighting life in Singapore beyond the age of sixty five. The films were judged by a panel of experts on aging, who…
Elder Care in the United States: Voices from the Field
The ACCESS Health team conducted a series of in depth interviews on elder care and optimal aging in the United States. Each interview provides a comprehensive look at a specific model or initiative that can improve the quality of life and care for an aging population. As a group, these interviews provide a broad understanding of…
Modern Aging Singapore Announces 2016 Winners
On Friday, ACCESS Health International and its Singapore based partners at NUS Enterprise awarded roughly $85,000 US dollars to three teams of entrepreneurs who are creating innovative solutions for an aging population. The Modern Aging Singapore program is a business accelerator that educates and inspires entrepreneurs to create businesses that serve the needs of the…
Open Elder Care Markets: An interview with Dr. Alfred Chan
Professor Alfred Chan Cheung Ming, better known as Dr. Alfred Chan, is chairman of the Elderly Commission of Hong Kong. Elder care is an important topic in Hong Kong – the elderly population is increasing by more than two percent annually. I spoke with Dr. Chan recently about the work he and the Elderly Commission are…
Overcoming Isolation Among the Elderly: An interview with Patrick Cheung
As part of its ongoing effort to identify global best practices in elder care, the ACCESS Health team in Sweden recently spoke to Hong Kong based entrepreneur Patrick Cheung about the Jade Club. Mr. Cheung founded the Jade Club to help elderly individuals stay active, through fun exercises and social events. In the interview, Mr.…
Embrace Living: An Interview with Rebecca Priest
St. John's has four retirement communities in Rochester New York that range from independent living and assisted living to rehabilitation and skilled nursing. Approximately ten years ago, the management of St. John's, led by Charlie Runyon, Rebecca Priest, and Allen Power began a culture change in their long term living residences by becoming Eden Alternative…
Christopher Perna: Changing the Culture of Elder Care
ACCESS Health recently published a new interview with Christopher Perna, President and CEO of The Eden Alternative, an international organization focused on transforming care for the elderly and others facing long term cognitive, developmental, psychological, and physical challenges. The Eden Alternative was founded by Bill Thomas, a physician in geriatrics who later became, with his…
Hans Becker: Transforming Retirement Living in The Netherlands
The ACCESS Health team in Sweden has just published a new interview with Dr. Hans Becker, a man the Financial Times recently dubbed a "maverick" who is transforming retirement living. Dr. Becker has a unique philosophy when it comes to elder care: autonomy to the utmost degree. He has built more than fifteen Humanitas Apartments…