- Listen to Ron's Interview with Deanne O'Rear-Cameron -
Encore: The Key to Successful Aging? Mindset is Everything
Episode description:
As with many challenges in life, having the right mindset is the key to success. And so it is with the process of aging. Understanding the mindset of seniors—not just at a clinical level—is vital to providing the services they need and ensuring that they live the best lives possible. But how do you know what seniors really want? What are they thinking at a deeper level and how do we ask questions that get to these answers? In today’s episode, Deanne O’Rear-Cameron, a personal development consultant, aging-in-place specialist and senior advocate, relates how her many experiences in the senior and health care fields have helped gain valuable insights into both the mindset of seniors, as well as the mindset of the culture that cares for them. Deanne, who serves as chair of the Las Vegas Senior Citizens Advisory Board, as well posts on multiple other councils and organizations, talks about how to teach seniors (and the rest of us) through a distinctive process of repetitive education—but repetition that’s fun, not just the same old dry information and advice. Share, care, and ask a lot of questions of seniors—and if you’re not sure what the answers are, ask again. Deanne’s approach teaches seniors how to be proactive about their life, rather than reactive. Not being prepared for getting older in life creates anxiety, but we can use motivating solutions to address the inevitable challenges of aging. If you want to be a dancer at 90, Deanne says, you need to be active in your 50s and 60s. And even as you get older and less active, you can enjoy things in a different way. You can go there in your mind; where the mind goes, the body follows, she says. Aging in place should always include mindset among its guiding principles. Indeed, the best anti-aging tool we have is our mind.
Guest description:
Deanne is a business and personal development consultant, aging-in-place specialist and senior advocate with experience in both the senior and healthcare fields. She often works directly with seniors, individuals with disabilities, and their families, providing her with a broad understanding of the enormous challenges we face as we get older. Along the way, she has discovered that having the right mindset is the key to success in everything—including the aging process. Deanne began her consulting career in 1991 with SMI/LMI, providing corporations with training in motivation, time management, communications, and personal leadership skills. In addition to her current business consulting practice, she is also the chairperson for the City of Las Vegas Senior Citizens Advisory Board; a board member of the National Aging in Place Council who is establishing a local chapter to Southern Nevada; a member of the Seniors and Law Enforcement Together Council; and a Certified Nevada Veterans Advocate. Deanne is committed to helping seniors and the chronically disabled age in place with dignity and respect, and remain independent as long as possible. People can also find Deanne occasionally entertaining audiences with music and dance, alongside her husband, Sythe.
Contact: deanneorear@gmail.com