Ariella Balkin

Role
Stakeholder: Lieberman Community
Member

Relevant Experience

Clinical Psychologist
Arts Educator

Ive done research on the role of

fatherhood in the intergenerational
transmission of trauma, while pursuing
my PsyD in Clinical Psychology. I was
also a researcher on a project involving a
medication for Borderline Personality
Disorder.

Personal Pastimes

Theater games

Perspective on Aging
When I think of aging, I think of loss. To
me, quality of life would mean increasing
understanding between me and CNAs.
As I age, I would like to be able to
continue to do whats important to me
without changing according to the
nursing homes schedule.

Improvisational theater
Storytelling

Sherri Persin

Role
Stakeholder: Lieberman Community
Member
Relevant Experience

Advertising/Magazines

Personal Pastimes

Watching soap operas:

The Young and the
Restless, The Bold & the
Beautiful, & General
Hospital

I have had no research experience,

either as a subject or as part of a
research team. I believe doctors need to
explain to me what is going on with me
medically, not just communicate with the
nurses or other health care
professionals. They need to listen and
answer my questions. Too often I see
doctors treat patients like they are senile
regardless of whether they are or not.
Nurses, particularly new nurses, need to
read my chart before they come into my
room. Many times they make
recommendations or statements which
are wrong for me.
Perspective on Aging

Reading
Spending time with my
partner

Healthy aging means not being sick and

being able to get around. It also means
having a partner and not being afraid of
having a partner. People who are aging
should be treated as human beings, not
just a body lying in a bed. Too often
health professionals talk about the
patient rather than talking to the patient
directly.

Mary Ana Nemenski

Role
Stakeholder: Lieberman Community
Member

Relevant Experience

Worked in Hospital
Settings
Personal Pastimes
Watching television

Reading

Playing Words with Friends

I have participated on numerous medical

research projects both as a subject and
as part of a research team. I have
worked primarily in hospital settings in
various administrative positions. My
work included gathering and entering
research data. My background is in
Biology.

Perspective on Aging
I am hoping to continue to have use of
my left hand, since its the only hand
that works, and to be able to continue to
speak and express myself. If I have
those things as I age, thats all I need.

Susie Rabinowitz

Role
Stakeholder: Lieberman Community
Member

Relevant Experience
I worked at Northeastern Illinois
University in their Department of Aging.
I held groups for people grieving people
they had lost. I was a subject in several
research projects in the past.
Bereavement Counselor
Personal Pastimes
Crafting
Reading
Horse Reigning

Perspective on Aging
I am a proponent of healthy aging as
well as senior agers, my term for
seniors who are aging. I would like to
be 20 years old again so that I could feel
accepted (in society) like 20-year-olds
are. I wish I could do some of the things
I did when I was younger, like play on
monkey bars. Quality of life means
chocolate, haman tashen, and more
chocolate.

Joan Rosner

Role
Stakeholder: Lieberman Community
Member

Relevant Experience

Psychiatric Nurse

Personal Pastimes
Having intelligent
conversations
Listening to classical music

Though I worked for many years as a

psychiatric nurse I do not have direct
experience with research. In my work, I
learned how difficult it was to change
systems. I enjoy having up close and
personal relationships with others and
regret that many health care
professionals stand over patients and
speak to them in a condescending
manner. When talking with others, I
expect they listen to me, not interrupt
me, follow through, and DNPMW: do
not prove me wrong.

Perspective on Aging

Keeping up with current

events

Its important to me to have regular,

intelligent visitors at least once a week
as I age.

Michael Wax

Role
Stakeholder: Lieberman Community
Member
Relevant Experience

Sales

Personal Pastimes
I enjoy watching baseball,
football, and hockey on TV

I do not have any experience with

research, either as a subject or doing
research. I believe health care
professionals need to listen, pay
attention, and keep records of
conversations they have with their
patients so valuable information and
concerns are not forgotten. Having
doctors not remember concerns I
brought up in the past makes me feel
like we [patients] are nothing to them.

Perspective on Aging
The ability to continue to be engaged
and interact in the community as I age is
especially important to me. I would like
to get out more often to go shopping or
do more things in the community.

Nancy Weinberg

Role
Stakeholder: Lieberman Community
Member

Relevant Experience

Artist
Personal Pastimes

I have had experience with research,

working as a secretary. I believe health
care professionals should listen more to
their patients. Too often they dontthey
might listen to our children but not to us.
I have a feeling that we are transparent
to them, that we dont exist. That is very
sad to me.

Reading
Perspective on Aging

Painting
(I had an exhibition at the Art
Institute of Chicago in
February)

I find the term healthy aging to be an

oxymoron. I find it a difficult concept to
envision. I suppose it means eating
proper food, getting enough rest, not
smoking, taking all the cautions and care
that will help our bodies age more
gracefully. I actually feel sad as I
recognize my health is failing me. I am
very concerned about my hands
shakingparticularly my right hand, as I
am a painter . I need to be able to hold
the brush if I am going to continue to
paint.

Arnold April

Role
Stakeholder: Virtual Senior Center
Member

Relevant Experience

Realtor
Personal Pastimes
Online Games

While I do not have any experiences

volunteering or working in healthcare, I
have been a participant in a medical
research study. I did not learn anything I
did not already know from the
experience. Professionals need to be
aware of the person they are treatings
attitude; they need to consider how a
person feels toward their health and
medical conditions, and how he or she
will handle it.

Perspective on Aging
YouTube

Watching Old TV Shows

When I think of aging or getting older, I

think of slowing down. You cannot move
as fast as you used to, things take
longer, and sometimes are more difficult.
Quality of life involves feeling healthy
and doing things you like to do. Heathy
aging means feeling good all the time,
not having bad days, and being
comfortable.

Janice Baker-Offutt

Role
Stakeholder: Virtual Senior Center
Member
Relevant Experience

Banker, Chemical Industry

Worker, Oil and Petroleum
Industry Worker, and
Artist (Sculptress)
Personal Pastimes
Art (Sculpture)

Writing A Memoir

Music and Dancing

I was diagnosed with MS in my 50s, and

I have spent a great deal of time
researching health and wellness instead
of focusing on illness. I have been into
alternative therapies since before they
were popular, and am interested in
interventions not embraced by the health
care system. I have been involved in
studies related to my health, where they
were exploring different medications. I
have also done focus groups.
Perspective on Aging
When I think of getting older, I think of
peeling onions and pulling the blooms
from flowers, like a lotus blossom.
Sometimes it takes more living to
appreciate the depths of life, as reflected
in the lotus blossom. Also, you never
know what a tiny bud will do, but with
nurturing, it will bloom and grow. Quality
of life means how you change what you
can change, accept what you cant, and
find the strength to surprise yourself you never know whats going to happen
and what you can do!

Carol Fortson-Smith

Role
Stakeholder: Virtual Senior Center
Member
Relevant Experience

Social Worker and

Community Organizer

Personal Pastimes
Reading

Talking on the Phone with

Family and Friends

Take Online Courses and

Skyping

I worked for a medical answering service

and an HMO. I also participated in a
study about diabetes. In a technological
age in which everything is digitalized,
doctors are often overly concerned with
tests results on a computer screen.
Doctors need to focus more on listening
to and examining patients. I have had
very positive experiences with some of
my doctors, such as my cardiologist and
pulmonologist. I also have had a doctor
who was open to alternative medicine
and was willing to see how I responded
to meditation.

Perspective on Aging
When I think of aging, I think of the
word frustration, because a lot of
things you used to do, you cannot do
anymore. And some things are not
important to you anymore. Good quality
of life means I can do what I want to do
when I want to do it. To me, healthy
aging means getting older with better
physical health. My mind is still very
agile, but I would like for my physical
health to be better.

Bonnie Kammer

Role
Stakeholder: Virtual Senior Center
Member
Relevant Experience

Child Educator
Real Estate Attorney
Volunteer for Jewish
Organizations
Personal Pastimes

My view of health care and research has

been affected by my experience as a
subject in several health research
projects. I have also volunteered in
hospital gift stores. In addition, I was
married to a virologist who was involved
in research. I strongly believe that
patients should be able to see the same
doctors and health care professionals on
a regular basis. It is imperative they
personal contact with patients.
Perspective on Aging

Gardening
Playing the Piano
Reading
Interacting with People of
Different Ages and
Backgrounds

What strikes me most about aging is

how quickly it happens. I feel lucky that
I am still independent and have a large
support network of family and friends.
Healthy aging is the ability to continue
to be involved and aware, not just with
yourself, your family, and older people,
but your community and the world. I
also believe that people should have a
say about receiving tests, care, and
treatments intended to prolong life, just
for the sake of prolonging life. My desire
is never to become a burden to others.

Jen Brown, MPH

Role
Stakeholder: Research & Education

Relevant Experience

Northwestern
University

Personal Pastimes
I love Chicago and enjoy
exploring it through
Bicycling

I am the Director of Alliance for Research

in Chicagoland Communities at
Northwestern University and a Lecturer
in the Department of Preventive
Medicine. My professional experience
focuses on building and supporting
community-academic research
partnerships. I have served as an
advisor and stakeholder on multiple
PCORI funded projects.

Perspective on Aging

Photography

Activism

When I think of healthy aging, I think of

wisdom, respect, and independence. I
also hope for more healthy
intergenerational living and community,
as well as dignity in support.

Josh Hauser, MD

Role
Stakeholder: Clinician

Relevant Experience

Northwestern
University
Personal Pastimes

I try to spend as much

time as I can with my
family (wife, 2 children,
Jonathan and Emily, ages
15 and 12) and I am
constantly amazed and
humbled by what I learn
from their wisdomLike
appreciating unexpected
joys, and being satisfied
with simple things that we
do together.
As a family, we enjoy
vacations in New England
(where I am from
originally), walks together
in Evanston (where we
now live) and an
occasional game of tennis.

I am an Assistant Professor Medicine at

Feinberg School and I care for patients in
palliative care at Northwestern Memorial
Hospital (NMH) and I am also the director of
the palliative care section at the Jesse Brown
Veterans Administration Medical Center. My
career has been committed to improving
palliative and end of life care for patients and
educating the medical community through The
Education on Palliative and End of Life Care
(EPEC) Program.

Perspective on Aging
As a palliative care physician who cares
for many patients in their 60s, 70s, 80s
and 90s, I see aging as a time of
reflection and teaching. As a teacher of
medical students, residents, fellows and
others, I get to see how much aging
patients teach all of us and their families
about their experiences of illness and
their ways of coping.

Tamar Heller, PhD.

Role
Stakeholder: Researcher

Relevant Experience

University of Illinois at
Chicago
Personal Pastimes
I enjoy traveling around
the world, hanging out
with friends and family,
running on the beach and
hiking up trails.

I am the Director of the Department of

Disability and Human Development at
the University of Illinois at Chicago. My
research focuses on lifespan transitions
faced by individuals with a disability and
their families. I am also the director of
the Rehabilitation Research and Training
Center on Developmental Disabilities and
Health.

Perspective on Aging
I am most interested in the intersection
of aging and disability in research,
practice and public policies. Throughout
my career I have focused on bridging
activities between the two fields of study
and service networks. Many of the needs
of people aging with a long-term
disability or aging into a disability are
similar. My work takes a life course
approach and is guided by a disability
studies perspective that includes the
socialenvironmental context of peoples
lives.

Thomas R Prohaska,
PhD.

Role
Stakeholder: Researcher

Relevant Experience

George Mason
University
Personal Pastimes
Moving to the Washington
DC area three years ago
has been great in terms of
taking advantage of the
museums and events in
the city as well as
enjoying exploring the
Blue Ridge mountains.

I have more than 30 years experience in

gerontological public health research
designed to improve the health and
wellbeing of older adults. I am also on
the Board of Trustees with the
Retirement Research Foundation helping
fund other organizations and researchers
do the same. As a public health
gerontologist and dean of a college of
health and human services, I promote
healthy aging by combining public health
and clinical care across the college.

Perspective on Aging
I never cease to be amazed by how
much of what we assume to be normal
aging turns out to be due to lifestyle and
environment. My career has been
devoted to understanding the difference
between normal aging and successful
aging. I encourage everyone to
challenge assumptions about cognitive
decline, loss of mobility, depression and
disengagement as we age.

Raj C. Shah, MD

Role
Stakeholder: Clinician

Relevant Experience

Rush University
Medical Center
Personal Pastimes
I experience perennial
humility learning from my
gardening failures. I
struggle to figure out why
I did not inherit my
mothers talent in
nurturing flowers.

I am an Associate Professor in the Rush

Alzheimer's Disease Center. I am the
principal investigator for clinical trials in
preventing and treating Alzheimer's
disease, Outreach and Recruitment Core
Leader of the Rush Alzheimer's Disease
Core Center, and Associate Director of
the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Assist
Center. In addition, I am the Principal
Investigator of the Chicago Area Patient
Centered Outcomes Research Network
(CAPriCORN), also funded by PCORI at
Rush.

Perspective on Aging

Earth, water, sun, and

lovesuch a simple
formula, but yet so
complex.

Aging, as I interpret the term, is how

time is experienced on our personal,
single human scale. It connects us to
how fireflies experience time, redwoods
experience time, and the universe
experiences time. Healthy aging
encompasses how well our experience of
time complements and completes how all
other beings and things experience time.

Robyn Stone, DrPH

Role
Stakeholder: Researcher

Relevant Experience

LeadingAge
Personal Pastimes
I love to read, listen to
jazz, practice guitar (that
I picked up at age 60) and
walk in the woods or by
the beach with my poodle
Bette. I also love to
travel, and will be heading
to Cuba in April on a
Wilderness Travel tour. I
love meeting new people
and seeing how people
live in communities
around the world.

I am the Senior Vice President for

Research and Executive Director at
LeadingAge in Washington, DC. During
my over 30 years of policy and research
experience, I have served as the Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Disability, Aging
and Long Term Care, as the Assistant
Secretary for Aging and on the Institute
of Medicine. My work is devoted to
quality long term care, affordable senior
housing and the needs of caregivers.

Perspective on Aging
It is clear to me that age is quite
arbitrarysome people are old at 50;
others are vibrant and engaged at 90.
Well-beingphysical, mental and
spiritualis especially important. It
allows for engaging in lifes moments in
the face of challenges. I am most
concerned for folks who may not have
the resources to enjoy living long and
helping them to age successfully.