If I had to choose one thing to be, one way to define myself in my career, it would be as someone who believes in, supports and wants to create change. To paraphrase Maya Angelou, “when you know better, do better” and there is always more to know and there are always ways to improve. That applies everywhere but nowhere is it more applicable than in the world of care for older adults, the world in which I work every day.

There are more and more people, professionals and lay persons alike, who recognize that the “old school” care model is a thing of the past. They understand that everyone, regardless of age or stage, ability or disability, can still make choices, express preferences and live with purpose and meaning. What it takes is not a change in the elders, what it takes is a change in the way that we see them.

New and enlightened models of care support this, moving far past the medicalized model, leaving the idea of “custodial care” far behind and focusing on quality of life, engagement, joy and retained skills. I have watched as elders with significant cognitive impairment take part in creating art, enjoying music, tossing a salad, baking cookies and so much more. And I have been a part of helping staff to grow in their understanding and ability to facilitate, understand and enrich.

I am convinced that the way to make these changes, and many more, a reality is by modeling them, by educating and by leading with compassion and creativity. And I know that I am not alone in this belief.

Yet it frustrates and disappoints me that there are those who would rather attack the field than support change. Those that would prefer to raise strident voices in generalized attacks with no acknowledgment of the many who are dedicated to designing and implementing true transformation.

In every case, it is easy to criticize, easy to pound your chest on a bully pulpit. How much better served our elders, and those who care for them, would be if those same energies were directed to facilitating problem solving, to approaching issues with understanding and a desire for results, to prioritizing outcomes and not their own agenda.

As we look at the growth of the aging population and the increasing complexity of their needs, we must learn better, we must do better. Doing that with an open mind is the first step towards doing that with a full heart.