2023 Positive Aging Sourcebook - Publisher's Note

As many of you may know, the Positive Aging Sourcebook in print and online has been the most comprehensive resource for senior living, aging in place and helpful resources for more than three decades. 

Sourcebook has always offered readers the opportunity to truly understand all the choices, but it also helped us build a community of the most influential senior living professionals. For more than 25 years, we convened gatherings, expos and meetings of senior living professionals. We truly created a community of these providers who in turn shared resources with their clients.

When COVID hit, like many businesses, we turned to online platforms to connect. Although we missed the face-to-face interaction, the online versions of our meetings offered convenience and the ability to explore more topics and tap into thought-leaders, authors and experts worldwide! The audience profile organically expanded from exclusively professionals to a wonderful mix of older adults, their families and professionals every week!

For nearly 33 years, my communication with our readers was primarily one-on-one via phone or email. Our live and interactive discussions have dramatically expanded our direct conversations with readers. Community members get immediate answers and an opportunity to share their opinions and thoughts. The discussions are like a focus group or a town hall meeting. I can feel the pulse of the community. Together, we face challenges, brainstorm solutions and make connections.  

Data from the more than 80 discussions we held in 2022 show important trends. Solo Aging is clearly the most popular topic (click here for article and on-demand recordings). Registrations are often double the average for solo aging discussions. Our conversations on Solo Aging focus on planning for the future and finding solutions to maintain independence. While a portion of the attendees are single individuals looking for solutions, there are many attendees thinking about solo aging to give their children and family peace of mind—or to be prepared in the event they outlive their loved ones.  

Registrations are not the only metric that is important. Audience engagement is vital to the success of these discussions. We have questions, comments and feedback from a large percentage of participants. Our discussions are not just about what the experts think; they directly respond to what the audience wants to know. In addition to solo aging, our audience has shown keen interest in technology, conversations with noted authors, ageism, money matters, and aging in place solutions.

One of the best things about our discussions is our community members sharing their personal stories. In 2023, we are prioritizing putting more real-life stories on the stage in our discussions. Click here to read one from this edition.

We hope that you join our community in a discussion this year! Of course, I still love hearing from you via phone or email.

Steve Gurney

Founder/Director

Positive Aging Community

800-394-9990 | 703-966-6182

steve@proaging.com

Schedule a call or chat on my calendar at https://calendly.com/proaging