Elderhood rising -- the dawn of a new world age | Bill Thomas | TEDxSF

William H. Thomas, M.D. is an international authority on geriatric medicine and eldercare. A graduate of Harvard Medical School in 1986, he completed graduate medical training at the Highland Hospital/University of Rochester Family Medicine Residency.

While pursuing a career in Emergency Medicine, a part-time position as the medical director of a small rural nursing home turned into a full-time and life-long passion for improving the well-being of older people. In the early 1990's, he and his wife Judith Meyers-Thomas developed the Eden Alternative, now a non-profit organization with international reach, which includes affiliates in Japan, Australia, Scandinavia, Europe, Canada, the United Kingdom, and across the United States. Dr. Thomas' groundbreaking work in person-directed care also led him to imagine a new approach to long-term care that became known as the Green House. He oversaw the construction of the nation's first Green Houses, and this model of care is now being replicated nationwide as an alternative to traditionally-designed nursing homes.

The author of six books, Dr. Thomas is also the recipient of several prestigious awards and honors, among them, the Heinz Award for the Human Condition, 2009 Picker Award for Excellence® in the Advancement of Patient-Centered Care, and being named as one of the ten most influential people in long-term care.

event video by: http://repertoireproductions.com/