Camp Aging Insurrection at Burning Man: Joining the Generations 2016
Bloomfield, NJ (PRWEB) August 26, 2016 -- Juniper Communities founder Lynne Katzmann in her NIC Talk on ageism in September 2015, challenged the senior living industry to focus on a mission of anti-ageism. One of her visionary approaches to the challenge was a call to create an anti-ageism camp at Burning Man. Her rationale was that the senior living industry has a vested interest in combatting ageism. The industry as a whole has often been perceived negatively – looked at as the place of last resort, where individuals reside only when no other options are available to them, either as a result of physical or cognitive decline. A group of senior living industry experts, including Juniper team members, along with a wider group of all ages and from all walks of life has partnered together around this mission of changing the face of aging in America and recognizing that across the generations we are all very much the same. This loose coalition has come together in a formal theme camp, Aging Insurrection, at Burning Man, August 29 to September 5. Members of the camp range in age from their 20’s to their 80’s.
As part of its mission, Camp Aging Insurrection has taken a strong stance against ageism. The term ageism is used to reflect the prejudice and stereotyping seniors are experiencing in a culture that embraces and idolizes youthfulness. This includes demoralizing seniors by marginalizing their mental and physical abilities, not respecting their opinions, and making them feel unwelcome. Camp Aging Insurrection seeks to combat this prejudice and stereotyping in multiple ways.
Camp Aging Insurrection will be hosting two events, both open to the wider Burning Man community, at its camp. The first is an Insurrection Salon, which will be a wide-ranging and open salon-style discussion group focused on ageism, aging inclusion, ‘intentional communities’ within senior living, wisdom sharing, and other trailblazing ideas. Their other event will be a Joining the Generations Coloring Party. This will be an intergenerational coloring party resulting in fantastic murals to beautify the camp’s exterior and to share daily with the Burning Man community at large. They will be partnering with Camp Kidsville for this event.
“Rebranding aging is critical not only to our company and industry success, but to the way many of us, myself included, will age in America. Rebranding means changing the way people look at aging and hence, how they look at seniors living communally. Burning Man is a great way to not only share our views on aging, but also to demonstrate that mature adults are people; people who enjoy music, art, intellectual conversation and adventure at all ages,” explained Lynne Katzmann, CEO and Founder of Juniper Communities.
Other industry leaders joining Camp Aging Insurrection include Steve Moran, founder, Senior Housing Forum; Sue Lehrer, national director of Business Development, Cadence McShane Construction LLC; Bailey Beekin, president, Validated Learnings, LLC; Tamara Coughlin, nurse practitioner, Redwood Health Partners; Linda Donato, vice president of operations, Juniper Communities; Diane Byrne, vice president of training and program development, Juniper Communities; and Cindy Longfellow, vice president of new business development, Juniper Communities.
Burning Man is an annual event hosted in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, United States. The event lasts for a week and is described as mass experience in community, art, radical self-expression and radical self-reliance.
About Juniper Communities, LLC.
Juniper Communities, founded in 1988 operates long-term care communities in NJ, FL, PA and CO. Juniper is dedicated to Nurturing the Spirit of Life in each individual served and believes the keys to healthy aging are an active body, an engaged mind, and a fulfilled spirit. The company’s mission is to serve its stakeholders, residents, families, employee associates, and investors with excellence and strong dedication to the company’s hallmarks of quality, value and innovation. For more information on Juniper call 973.661.8300 or visit http://www.junipercommunities.com.
Jeanine Genauer, The JPR Group Public Relations, http://www.jprgroup.com, +1 (973) 980-0100, [email protected]
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