International Council on Active Aging

03/04/2026

What is a Squadcast? Well - I am glad that you asked!
When a panel of experts that are collegial and energized to talk facts, not fads - we have a . In this episode of I was joined by Barbara Hannah Grufferman (The Age Better Podcast, author of Love Your Age and The Best of Everything After 50) Colin Milner (CEO of the International Council on Active Aging), Scott Fulton (author of Function and Whealthspan) Marc Middleton of Growing Bolder and author of a book by the same name.

Enjoy this episode in full!
https://lnkd.in/gQ_5wvbj

02/28/2026

Women Live Longer—So Why Are They Sicker As They Age?

Women's health researcher Jennifer Garrison on the key role that ovaries appear to play in female health and aging.

02/25/2026

A THOUGHT TO PONDER: We need to normalize healthy aging instead of exceptionalizing it. Strength at 85, clarity at 90, and purpose at 95 should not be treated as rare or remarkable—they should be expected. When we act surprised that older adults thrive, we reinforce the idea that decline is the norm and vitality is an anomaly. It isn’t. Healthy aging is not a miracle reserved for the lucky few; it is the result of environment, expectation, and design. The goal is not to celebrate outliers, but to build systems where thriving in later life is simply the standard.

International Council on Active Aging

Learn more about ICAA at www.icaa.cc

02/21/2026

Late one evening, YouTube’s algorithm took me somewhere unexpected. Instead of the usual contact sports, it offered up synchronized swimming—hardly my first choice. I almost scrolled past it. But within moments, I realized I wasn’t watching swimming at all. I was watching something far more instructive. What unfolded in that routine challenged how I think about teamwork, performance and the quiet forces that separate average organizations from exceptional ones. The lesson wasn’t obvious at first—but it has stayed with me ever since.

Read more:

While scrolling YouTube late one evening, I found myself in unfamiliar territory. The algorithm—which reliably fed me videos of contact sports like rugby, soccer, hockey and football—had taken a left turn and offered up synchronized swimming instead.

02/16/2026

A new study published in the American Medical Journal reveals that resistance exercise can reduce brain aging by two years. This finding highlights the significant impact of physical activity on cognitive health. Engaging in resistance training may not only strengthen muscles but also contribute to a healthier brain as we age.

https://www.emjreviews.com/en-us/amj/neurology/news/resistance-exercise-reduces-brain-aging-by-2-years/

Randomized trial: resistance exercise reduced brain aging clocks by 1.4–2.3 years and increased prefrontal connectivity on longitudinal rs-fMRI.

02/13/2026

"LIVE" IS NOW AVAILABLE TO ICAA MEMBERS

The LIVE Program, developed by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and launching in collaboration with the International Council on Active Aging, brings science-backed education on healthy aging directly to your community. Designed for Life Plan, CCRC, and Active/Independent Living settings, LIVE empowers residents to live longer, healthier, and more purposeful lives. This turnkey program will enhance immediately your offering and set your community apart.

To learn more visit https://www.icaa.cc/wellness_audit/culinary/live_education.php

02/13/2026

Grandparenting may protect against cognitive decline.

Helping to care for grandchildren may serve as a buffer against cognitive decline in older adults, according to recent research. “Many grandparents provide regular care for their grandchildren – care that supports families and society more broadly,” said lead researcher Flavia Chereches, MS, of Tilburg University in the Netherlands. “An open question, however, is whether caregiving for grandchildren may also benefit grandparents themselves."

Read more https://www.icaa.cc/industrynews/2026-02/BRAIN-BOOST-Grandparenting-may-protect-against-cognitive-decline.htm

02/13/2026

ICAA Flash Poll Insight: Is Senior Living Ready for Wellness 2030?

A flash poll conducted during yesterday’s webinar (60 organizations participating) revealed something striking:

👉 Only 26.7% of senior living communities have established wellness benchmarks.

Yet, as we move toward 2030, 71% of communities expect to operate as wellness-based models with care—not care models with wellness added on.

That’s a gap.

And the gap isn’t just about programming. It’s about measurement.

If we don’t understand the impact of wellness on:

• Resident experience

• Quality of Life

• Engagement

• AND the bottom line

…then we’re operating on intention, not intelligence.

Only 26.7% reported having established wellness benchmarks. That means the majority of organizations are still early in the journey.

You could see this as a challenge. I see it as a launchpad.

There is tremendous opportunity for communities beginning their benchmarking journey to learn from early adopters—those who have already started measuring, refining, and aligning wellness strategy with outcomes.

Because here’s the truth:

Data alone doesn’t transform organizations. Intelligence and interpretation do.

Wellness 2030 will not be driven by good intentions. It will be driven by measurable impact.

If you missed the webinar and would like the recording, I’m happy to share it.

Send us a DM or drop a comment below.

02/09/2026

A thought to ponder: Who would you be if you never looked in the mirror?

At first glance, the question feels whimsical—almost playful. But like many deceptively simple questions, it carries a quiet subversion. It asks us to reconsider one of the most trusted instruments in modern life: the mirror. Not the object itself, of course, but the authority we grant it.

Read more

At first glance, the question feels whimsical—almost playful. But like many deceptively simple questions, it carries a quiet subversion.

02/09/2026

Join us on February 11 for the webinar: Build a clearer picture. Make smarter decisions. STRENGTHEN WELLNESS OUTCOMES IN SENIOR LIVING.
Time: 9:00 AM PT, 11:00 AM CT, and Noon ET.
Length: 60 minutes.
To register, click here https://www.icaa.cc/conferenceandevents/webinars.htm

Rather than relying on anecdote or intuition, the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) Wellness Benchmarks combine standardized measures, comparative analytics, and longitudinal insight—translating wellness into intelligence that leaders can act on with confidence.

By attending the webinar, you will be able to...
- Identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities across key dimensions of wellness
- Benchmark performance against peer communities and industry norms
- Align teams around shared goals, priorities, and outcomes
- Use results to inform planning, investment, and leadership decisions

International Council on Active Aging

02/03/2026

Will the first "tiny houses on wheels" community in the Shire of Capel, in Western Australia, set the tone for future retirees around the world?

What do you think?

https://www.theweeklysource.com.au/first-tiny-houses-on-wheels-community-approved-with-retirees-in-mind/

The Shire of Capel has approved the first Tiny Houses on Wheels community of 40 in Boyanup, 180km south of Perth, WA, with retirees in mind.

01/30/2026

The brain goes through five distinct phases in life, with key turning points at ages nine, 32, 66 and 83, scientists have revealed.

Around 4,000 people up to the age of 90 had scans to reveal the connections between their brain cells.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge showed that the brain stays in the adolescent phase until our early thirties when we "peak".

They say the results could help us understand why the risk of mental health disorders and dementia varies through life.

Brain scans on thousands of people reveal the dramatic shifts the brain goes through between birth and death.