Mather LifeWays’ Daniel Kuhn, a recognized author on Caregiving and Alzheimer’s, Joins Cabinet Office of Japan as International Leaders Gather for Exchange Program
Evanston, Ill. – January 25, 2005 – Daniel Kuhn, Director of Education of Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging, has been selected to be a member of a United States delegation of healthcare professionals that will travel to Japan later this month as part of a four-country idea exchange program. The U.S. delegation is made up of 13 professionals from nonprofit organizations. Invitation to the Exchange, a unique honor, is organized by Easter Seals and the Cabinet Office of Japan and the Embassy of Japan.
Kuhn and the rest of the U.S. delegation will travel to Japan from January 25 to February 8, 2005 , where Kuhn will spend the majority of his time in Tokyo and Osaka as part of the aging services group of the delegation. The purpose of the trip is for the delegation members to learn and share ideas about best practices and policies, services and advocacy. Discussions and idea exchange will take place in an effort to enhance the role of nonprofit organizations, increase community participation opportunities and promote “people helping people” to benefit younger generations, individuals with disabilities and elderly persons in Japan and elsewhere.
Kuhn will be traveling under the canopy of the Young Core Leaders of Civil Society Groups Development Program, an initiative sponsored by the Cabinet Office of Japan that will involve participants from Japan , the United States , Australia and Sweden . The program is being coordinated by the Center of International Youth Exchange based in Tokyo , and the U.S. delegation will be led by Jennifer Dexter of Easter Seals.
The author or co-author of over 30 publications, including the guidebook Alzheimer’s Early Stages: First Steps for Family, Friends & Caregivers, Kuhn has over 30 years of gerontology experience and is an expert in dementia, caregiving and the impact of Alzheimer’s on individuals and families. He directs a number of programs at Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging, including Powerful Tools for Caregivers (PTC), a course that teaches family caregivers to better care for their older relatives with chronic illnesses by improving their own self-confidence and self-care. Under Kuhn’s guidance PTC recently launched a corporate-based on-line version, PTC Online, which in its initial test phase has reached over 200 employed caregivers at IBM, ExxonMobil and Texas Instruments.
About Mather LifeWays
Mather LifeWays is a 50+-year-old, not-for-profit organization committed to helping older adults age well. Mather LifeWays demonstrates its commitment to promoting the vitality and well-being of older adults by providing a variety of experiences and services to meet this diverse group’s lifestyle preferences. These offerings include senior living communities, Institute on Aging, and community programs. Mather LifeWays’ senior living communities offer choices and flexibility, from independent living to assisted living and skilled care. The Institute on Aging plays a leading role in enhancing the lives of older adults in today’s society through numerous collaborative and applied research and education projects. Mather LifeWays’ Community Initiatives programs, including the successful Mather’s – More Than a Café concept, enable Mather LifeWays to act as a point of contact for older adults who seek access to community resources. These accomplishments, and more, make Mather LifeWays unique in its goal to advance the possibilities for a lifetime of active living. The organization is based in Evanston , Ill. More information is available at www.matherlifeways.com .
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