Episode 6: Town Square Concept with Scott Tarde, CEO of George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers

This episode features an interview with Scott Tarde, the Chief Executive Officer at George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers, Inc. If you haven’t already heard of Glenner’s innovative Town Square model, do yourself a favor and check them out before this episode. The concept has already been featured on the Today Show, ABC, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, among countless other internationally recognized publications. As Scott describes, Glenner’s concept utilizes proven Reminiscence Therapy to assist individuals suffering from dementia. The concept has been proven to improve mood and reduce agitation through the power of eliciting memories. Show Notes below: What is the Town Center model and where did the Idea come from? 0:40 What led you to this industry? 3:45 What challenges did you face by being young and in a leadership position? 6:20 How do you pull from your ED experience as a CEO? 8:10 How did the design come together, and what features might people initially overlook? 17:00 How do you group your residents together? 21:00 At what point will Glenner need to redesign storefronts to accommodate residents from a different era? 22:15 What has been your biggest surprise so far? 28:00 What is your advice for young professionals in aging services? 31:00 Following the interview, I toured the space with Scott. They’ve rightfully received a lot of press and I read everything I could before the interview. Despite my preparation attempts, several well-thought out details caught me by surprise. I focus on these unexpected yet appreciated details in my post-interview commentary. 34:25