Dr. Atul Gawande – Maintaining Autonomy as We Age
Villages of Santa Fe Joins Beacon Hill Village and Dr. Atul Gwande in Celebrating 15 Years of the Village Movement
To celebrate its 15th anniversary and the Village movement, Beacon Hill Village in Boston and Villages of Santa Fe invite you to participate ‘virtually’ in an event featuring Dr. Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, author of the book Being Mortal. The event will be live-streamed to Villages of Santa Fe on Feb. 13, 2017, at the Jean Cocteau Theater, Sambusco Center, doors open at 2:30pm. Free to members, $10 nonmembers.
Dr. Gawande is a renowned surgeon, public health researcher and writer, who will speak about the value of community and opportunities as we grow older. While Dr. Gawande’s book title alludes to death, the stories in it are actually about life. He describes people’s efforts to maintain autonomy as they age in the face of ingrained habits, cultural expectations and one-size-fits-all corporate offerings. He includes Beacon Hill Village and the Village model as an option for assisting older adults in their efforts, which has often meant providing services and extending community to people who want to remain in their own homes and enjoy the rich stew of activities, attributes, attitudes and ages that engage the community’s older adult population.
Choice and community are concepts honored throughout the Village Movement. These concepts are behind the underlying principles that lead to the founding of Beacon Hill Village and subsequent 200+ Villages that impact the lives of older adults across the country. One of the great issues worldwide today is how to support and care for aging populations. By 2030, not only will twenty percent (20%) of our nation’s population will be over 65, an estimated 83 million people but New Mexico will be the fourth oldest state. The Village Concept and Dr. Gawande’s profound understanding of the importance of choice and community offer valuable insights and solutions for this challenging phenomenon.
Today, Villages of Santa Fe is one of more than 200 open Villages and more than 150 in development in 45 states and the District of Columbia that serve 40,000+ members.
For more information, contact Ann Church, co-founder, Villages of Santa Fe, villagesofsantafe(at)gmail.com
