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Lynn Alexander's Bio

Lynn Alexander is known as Your Aging Well Advisor, an experienced leader and tireless advocate for seniors. Over the past fourteen years, Ms. Alexander has served as a Michigan Cabinet Official, a State Commissioner for Aging Services and a government executive for Oakland County. She understands the importance of Aging Well and the need to support caregivers. Ms. Alexander has represented a constituency of 1.2 million seniors and garnered a readership of over 140,000 citizens as a writer and editor for a variety of senior publications.

Under her leadership the Michigan Office of Services to the Aging launched innovative programs including home based services, the Eden Alternative (quality improvement program for long-term care), and a state of the art interactive website. OSA was the first state agency to be launched under the eMichigan program. Ms. Alexander was instrumental in the development of a highly successful long-term care education campaign and the creation of a long-term care insurance benefit for State of Michigan employees, their parents and grandparents. For the first time in its history OSA provided healthy aging programs for the 50+ in age. During her tenure the State of Michigan earmarked unprecedented funding for refurbishing senior centers and adult day care facilities.

Lynn Alexander is a founding Co-Chair of the Oakland County Save Task Force (Serving Adults who are Vulnerable and/or Elderly) and the Founding Editor of the Senior Advocate Newsletter which reaches residents who are 50+ in age. An active member of her community, Lynn serves on the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology Board of Visitors and the Presbyterian Villages of Michigan Board of Directors. She has been the recipient of the Wonder Woman Award (Women's Survival Center) and the Friend of MMAP Award (Medicare Medicaid Assistance Program). She served as Chair of the State Employees Combined Campaign for two years and the Oakland County Employee American Heart Association Campaign for two years as well.

Ms. Alexander earned a BSW degree in Social Work (Defiance College) and an MA in Psychology (Lone Mountain College San Francisco State).

For twenty years prior to her work in aging services, Ms. Alexander was a frequently requested speaker for Fortune 500 Corporations. Many organizations have sought her counsel in areas such as strategic planning for senior centers, transportation, senior friendly community planning, long-term care issues, nutrition services and healthy aging. Her unique talents make her the right person at the right time to act as an advisor for 50+ in age constituents.

Presentation Topics

THE AGING WELL SERIES


CAREGIVER CHAOS - HOW TO PREVENT IT - Throughout our lifetimes we often lament: "I wish that I had taken a course in this!" There is no greater time for this expression than when we take on caregiving duties for loved ones. Ms. Alexander's presentation will leave the audience feeling that they are not alone and clue them in as to simple techniques and strategies for helping to smooth out the process.

THE NEW ECONOMY - Years ago parenting and child daycare were major issues for companies. Today the major issue facing corporate America is the aging of our society and employee caregivers. That number is expected to double as the number of seniors doubles. Lynn Alexander will discuss the impact of caregiving on a company's bottom line and what they can do to assist their employee caregivers as well as their organization.

AGING WELL: THE BEST REVENGE - Let’s face it. Most of us have gone to a class reunion and remarked: “Do I look as old as that guy over there?” Join us for a lighthearted approach to move beyond our society’s fear of aging. This topic looks at all the positive steps we can take and the attitude needed to age well. Stress management, wellness strategies and longevity coaching all play a part in this important arena. This is not an anti-aging strategy but rather an inspirational message. We cannot turn back time or stop the process of aging but we can learn to take charge of our own aging process and live well at any age..

CHAMPIONS OF COMPASSIONATE CARE – Are you a Champion of Compassionate Care? We all know one when we see them. That special professional who has the “magic touch”. From the oncologist who sits bedside with a patient, to the anesthesiologist who says just the right thing to say at the right time, to the nurse who anticipates your needs and gives you hope, these are the true champions. Ms. Alexander’s presentation examines the mindset and communication skills necessary to become a Champion of Compassionate Care. These include communication cues, professional development, stress management and the “compassionate care circle”.
*For healthcare and aging services professionals. 

CAREGIVER CLIENTS/CAREGIVER EMPLOYEES – Social networking experts tell us that we can reach almost anyone within three contacts. Chances are we know someone who knows someone who knows the President of the United States or just about any actor we see on the big screen. When it comes to caregiving the connection chain is much shorter. If you own a business, run a law firm or lead an organization you interact with caregiver clients and employees daily. CEO’s and managers relay their concern and desire to help them connect to the right resources. Included in Ms. Alexander’s presentation are five easy strategies to assist your caregiver clients and employees. These involve the areas of financing care, planning for the future, connecting to quality resources, gathering appropriate information and knowing your rights as well as how to protect them.

BUILDING AN AGING WELL COMMUNITY – If you want your community to age well and be competitive in attracting and retaining residents, you must focus on creating an environment which supports aging well for all. With our society’s changing demographics, it’s not just about good schools and baseball diamonds anymore. It’s about infrastructure, resources and amenities which will attract retirees. There’s even a new term for urban dwellers of this demographic: RUPY’s (Retired Urban Professional Yuppies). Plan for the future with these principles for Building an Aging Well Community: create a “livable community”, build smart residences, develop a sense of connection, provide opportunities for purposeful living and encourage dynamic lifestyles.

THE LIFESPAN ERA We have experienced the Manufacturing Age, the Space Age, and the Information Age. Now comes the Lifespan Era. Americans are living longer. Longevity is one of the greatest advances in medical history. People now live to see their grandchildren and even great grandchildren graduate from college and get married. It is now predicted that we will soon have the capability to live to be 150 years of age! This aging of America is already having an enormous impact on our society for our families, communities, corporations and government policies. Ms. Alexander will share her insights on:

The challenges and opportunities inherent for policy makers, HR departments and communities in meeting the needs of this burgeoning population
* New trends and technologies to assist in meeting these challenges
* The advent of the Second Career and the Second Chance phenomena
* Actions we can all take to add quality of life to our longevity

STRESS MANAGEMENT - We've know for some time now how important stress management is for our health. New evidence suggests that stress can even impact our brain functioning during our later years (Visit IOG on our sponsors page for new research). At the same time our culture seems to create more stress in our lives daily. Learn techniques to reduce and manage stress as well as how to induce the Relaxation Response for increased quality of life.

WHO'S TAKING CARE OF YOU? - With today's hectic lifestyles we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. We wouldn't try to drive our car on empty or feed our family from an empty fridge. Yet we often try to run on empty ourselves. By the time we take care of our families, run the dog to the vet, work on our careers and for our favorite charities, there seems to be nothing left to give. Who's Taking Care of You will be entertaining as you learn how to take care of yourself, reduce stress and find strategies to get you through, even if you are in the "Sandwich Generation". Your presenter, Lynn Alexander, has worked with thousands of career women over the past thirty years. As a training consultant with Fortune 500 companies, as well as the former State Aging Director, she is well versed on the challenges families face today with having it all and doing it all.