Gerontology Hosts Second CEO Roundtable Event

Omaha – On July 21, 2016, over twenty CEOs from the Omaha area met to hold a vital discussion focused on the future. They considered the questions of how are the employeees of businesses impacted by the aging population and how do businesses respond? The Thompson Alumni Center provided a perfect backdrop to the discussion allowing room to listen and learn and space to discuss and share ideas.

In September 2015, some of the same area business CEOs gathered to discuss how population demographics in our community, and in fact all over the world, are changing. That discussion begged the question, is the business world ready? This second roundtable was held in response to that questions to discuss how businesses can help employees who are caring for a parent and to discuss advances being made in wellness and aging.

The morning started off with a warm welcome from Chancellor John Christensen, followed by presentations from Drs. Julie Boron and Janelle Beadle, faculty members of the Department of Gerontology. Dr. Beadle explained how employees who are caregivers to older adults are negatively affected by this caregiving role and how companies that incorporate a program to address this issue benefit their employees and those dependent on them for care.

Dr. Boron’s presentation focused on how to incorporate a wellness program in the workplace that focuses on topics other than just physical health, but also mental health; and how supporting programs that address whole person wellbeing is very advantageous to a business. This trend of looking at whole person care is one of the topics that will be discussed at the 2017 Aging with Passion and Purpose Conference on March 21, 2017.

Attendees at the rondtable were encouraged to take time to discuss and brainstorm the following talking points after each presentation:

• How is does caregiving or employee wellness impact your bottom line?
• What programs do you currently have set up?
• In what ways can you make improvements given this new information?

This discussion was followed by a thought-provoking presentation by the director of the Department of Gerontology, Dr. Julie Master. This was the perfect audience to hear her presentation, The Next Thirty Years – Life after 67, which explains that for the first time in history workers have the opportunity to spend 25-30 years in retirement and suggestions people ask themselves the questions, how will you spend your time and how will you live? Dr. Masters has made this presentation to several area businesses during the past year.

Paul Hogan, founder and CEO of Home Instead Senior Care, closed the days by bringing light to the gray movement and offering an age-friendly inventory tool that business leaders can use to assess their preparedness for being an age-friendly business.

Exit surveys showed the event to hold high value for those who attended. They also expressed an interest in continuing this conversation and the desire to have more CEOs from the area, in all fields of business, join the discussion next year. The Department of Gerontology looks forwarding to working once again with Home Instead Senior Care to bring thought-provoking education and discussion to CEOs in the Omaha area.