Age Safe® Canada
Jim Closs,
National Representative
Jim has spent thirty years in seniors' care and housing, accessible design, safe patient handling and falls prevention. As a knowledgeable and respected advocate, Jim has worked with global manufacturers, associations, non-profits, healthcare organizations, and Provincial governments. Throughout his career he has been at the leading edge of new product development, commercialization and education. He has held leadership roles and worked directly with building and operational management, healthcare professionals and families. Throughout these roles it was always the need to educate the clients first, and understanding their immediate wants without compromising their future needs. His ability to collaborate and work between those developing and making products and the persons ultimately benefiting has led to numerous success stories. These benefactors include the end-users, caregivers, and healthcare administrators. Most recently, as Chief Experience Officer at CareTech Solutions Inc, their team hopes to make big strides on a new way of predicating falls risk through new health tech devices and in a more clinical fashion. His role with Age Safe® Canada is the culmination of a lifetime of experience. Contact: jim@liveeasyinc.com
Age Safe® Advisory Board
Oscar E. Rodriguez, MD, MBA
Dr. Oscar E. Rodriguez is a passionate educator and innovator. He is the Co-founder/Chief Medical Officer of Reassure Analytic®, Inc. a company dedicated to using technology, data, analysis and education to empower people to get and stay healthy and make the most of their healthcare. As the Chief Medical Officer of Reassure Analytic®, Inc. and inspired by gaps in the healthcare he experienced when caring for his mother, Dr. Rodriguez launched Care|Mind®, the first and only Fitbit® compatible iOS app, designed to alert caregivers to changes in the sleep, activity, heart rate, and medications of their loved ones that could prove detrimental to their health, safety and wellbeing.
Louis Tenenbaum
In the early ‘90s Louis Tenenbaum was one of the first contractors to focus his remodeling business on aging in place. Curious why, if home modifications is such a good idea, no one does it, Louis wrote the visionary white paper, Aging in Place 2.0: Rethinking Solutions to the Home Care Challenge published by the MetLife Mature Market Institute, cementing his role as a leading authority on Aging in Place. Uniquely straddling the building, aging and policy worlds, in 2016 Louis was named a Next Avenue “Influencer in Aging” and won a HIVE (Housing, Innovation, Vision and Economics) award from the building industry. Louis founded HomesRenewed™ recognizing that good messages, subsidies and incentives are critical to market development.
Linda Frasier, OTD, OTR/L, CLT, CEAS, CAPS, SHSS
Dr. Linda Frasier is an Associate Professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for the School of Occupational Therapy at Touro University Nevada in Henderson, NV. She has been a full-time faculty member since 2012 and an occupational therapist (OT) since 2003. As an OT, she has extensive professional experience with adults and older adults with physical and cognitive impairments in settings ranging from acute care hospitals, intensive care units, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, assisted living, and skilled nursing. She is licensed as an OT in Nevada with certifications in lymphedema, aging in place, ergonomics, and senior home safety. Dr. Frasier earned a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University and a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from Creighton University. She has served on the Nevada State Licensure Board for Occupational Therapy and the Nevada Occupational Therapy Association. Dr. Frasier’s scholarly interests include aging in place, promotion of dementia friendly environments.
Patrick Roden, RN, PhD
Patrick spent the first years of his life crawling around the floors of a nursing home where his grandmother was head nurse; yet it was his chance meeting with an 85-year-old marathon participant that changed his view of what’s possible in old age, and set him on his current path. Patrick’s nursing career included ICU, CCU, Trauma, Inner-city Public Health, and post-surgical recovery. Academic accomplishments include the Lloydena Grimes Award for Excellence in Nursing (1st male ever), Ph.D. in Social Gerontology, Fielding Creativity Longevity & Wisdom Fellow, member of Kappa Delta Pi: Int’l. Honor Society in Education, and inducted into Sigma Theta Tau Int’l Honor Society of Nurses Beta Psi chapter. In 2008 Patrick founded AgingInPlace.com, before most had heard the term.
Kareesa Keys, MBA, RKT, CAPS, SHSS
Kareesa is a Registered Kinesiotherapist with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and also serves as the Administrative Officer for the Council of Professional Standards for Kinesiotherapy. She has specialized in Geriatrics and Senior home safety for over 15 years. She currently is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) and certified Senior Home Safety Specialist™(SHSS). She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Performance with an concentration in Kinesiotherapy from the University of Southern Mississippi and Master’s of Business Administration with a concentration in Health Care Management degree from Saint Leo University.
Kristopher Rench, OTD, OTR/L, SHSS
Kristopher is an Occupational Therapist with 17 years experience as a clinician, manager, and clinical trainer in various geriatric settings. He has experience in nursing home management and for the last 6 years, in homecare. His passion is utilizing technologies to enable seniors to successfully age in place. He is certified as a Myoskeletal Therapist through the Freedom From Pain Institute. He is a Certified Low Vision Specialist, and an expert in dementia. As an Age Safe America Advisor Member, he blended his skills as a landlord with his skills as an OT to provide aging in place solutions throughout New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts. Kris is a contributing author for the Geriatric Care Manager Handbook; writing about home safety assessment essentials and geriatric technologies.
Chris Moore, CAPS, CEAC, ECHM, SHSS
Chris has over 32 years of experience in building, remodeling, and consulting. Chris is a certified aging in place specialist (CAPS) and instructor, a certified environmental access consultant (CEAC), and a certified graduate remodeler (CGR). He holds an executive certificate in home modification (ECHM) from the Andrus Gerontology Center at the University of Southern California, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Averett College in Virginia, and an associate of arts degree from Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Massachusetts. Chris is an expert on using universal design principles to build and remodel homes to help seniors age in place.
Annj Ridsdale-Weddell, MBA, BScN, RN, GNC(c), SHSS
Annj has been a Registered Nurse for over 30 years, and as founder of RNCare Inc. in Alberta, Canada, she has continued to fulfill her lifelong passion for helping others. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Annj has had many experiences in nursing including, nursing education, regulation, administration, research and author. She is also a former director of health standards compliance with the Government of Alberta. She has held a Canadian national certification in geriatric nursing for over 20 years and has worked in a variety of clinical roles in geriatric medicine, critical care, community care, and most recently an opportunity with the National Hockey League in Edmonton.
Steve Hoffacker, CAPS, MCSP, MIRM, SHSS
Steve is an award-winning aging-in-place specialist-instructor (NAHB, “2015 & 2020 CAPS Educator of the Year”), a universal design trainer-instructor, and award-winning new home sales trainer. Steve has written and published several books on universal design, aging-in-place, and new home sales. Since 2007, he has educated hundreds of remodelers, general contractors, occupational therapists, physical therapists, health care professionals, interior designers, kitchen and bath designers, architects, attorneys, durable medical equipment providers, building materials manufacturers, university faculty, local and regional governmental and non-profit housing agencies.
Judy Ryan
Judy is an author, consultant, trainer, coach, columnist and keynote speaker. She is the founder of LifeWork Systems and is an expert thought leader on applied behavioral science systems that impact deep culture change for exceptional outcomes. Since 2002, Judy has been leading innovation methods to spearhead the most important aspect of any company–its people. Leaders, more than ever, are seeking to find their competitive edge, and keep up with the future. Judy is a recognized expert in healthy workplace culture development, primarily in healthcare.
Christopher MacLellan, M.A.
Chris is the Founder and CEO of The Whole Care Network™ and author of “What’s The Deal with Caregiving?” The Whole Care Network™ is a multi-media, multi-channel platform for caregivers to locate trusted resources. With an educational background in Leadership and Communication, Chris has been an advocate for Seniors and Caregivers. His own caregiving experience was chronicled in the 2015 Pulitzer Prize nominated story, “In Sickness and in Health: A Couple’s Final Journey“. Chris is a national speaker and presents regularly on topics impacting caregivers and their employers. Chris was a co-author, developer and instructor for the “Family Caregiver ESSENTIALS™” course released by Age Safe® America in fall 2020.
Robert V. Gurinowitsch,
C.E.A.C., SHSS
Robert is the Regional Program Manager for the Eastern US at Bestbath and a nationally known senior environmental modification specialist, speaker and consultant. He has taught contractors and corporate entities how to provide services to the aging-in-place and disabled markets as well as patient specific education and planning for living safe at home through environmental modifications and utilizing adaptive equipment. His focus is on providing medically necessary, life changing renovations for individuals living with disabilities and physical impairments. Providing Sustainable outcomes through Intelligent designs.
Deb Marquez, RN, SHSS
Ms. Marquez has been Director of Nursing for Long Term Care Facilities, Home Healthcare, Rehabilitation and Hospice. Her 35-year nursing career has been primarily focused in Geriatrics serving the elderly and their families from assessment coordination to discharge planning. Ms. Marquez is committed to promoting quality of care, individuality, safety, wellness and dignity for aging adults.
Alan Prince, OTR/L, CAPS, SHSS
Alan is a passionate and experienced Occupational Therapist and Certified Aging in Place Specialist. He is the founder of Rebuild for Life, an Independent consulting firm with a focus on Home Safety, Accessibility and Aging in Place solutions. Utilizing over 20 years of experience in treating the disabled and aging adults in various settings, including home health, Alan sees a need for linking sound evidence based practice with the world of home modifications for successful aging.