2017 Making The Difference Conference

Systems Change to Social Movement

We are aging – as individuals, as a community, and across the ranks of public and private health and social service sectors. As we live longer, will our public institutions adjust to ensure access and relevance for older people? Will our health systems empower and enable aging people? Will our communities support our wellbeing and welcome our participation no matter what age we are? These are not questions for the future, but for today. To a large degree, the answers are up to us.

On Friday, November 3, 2017 Making the Difference convened community-based service providers, health care professionals, health and social services agency leaders, policy makers and community members in Alameda County. Together we examined the challenges and opportunities we face as we transform our systems and our communities to serve older people, exploring these topics in terms of their practical relevance in Alameda County. We’ve captured the conference presentations and materials on the web page below.

Our Program & Conference Materials

Our Keynote Speaker

Moira O’Neil, PhD, Director of Research Interpretation and Application, FrameWorks Institute. Dr. O’Neil is the co-author of Aging, Agency, and Attribution of Responsibility: Shifting Public Discourse about Older Adults and Finding the Frame: An Empirical Approach to Reframing Aging and Ageism. Click here for the pdf of Moira O’Neil’s presentation: Reframing Aging. Click here to watch the keynote presentation.