Jo Schneier - combining cognition and emotion to train caregivers for the rapidly aging population

Respect for the elderly knows no bounds, as Jo Schneier, CEO at Cognotion, eloquently explains: "It's so easy to look at people and prejudge them and to think, 'I just see an old person.’ I don't see the child, as she was growing up, or the teenager or the woman who got married or the man who got the job promotion or traveled overseas.” In front of us are people whose lives have been beautifully lived, says Jo, whose work focusses on developing digital education programs to train caregivers for aging populations. Based in New York, Cognotion offers interactive learning platforms for a range of jobs, including nurses and home health aides. In this interview, recorded at the recent TED MED conference in La Quinta, California, Jo explains the philosophy behind a learning technique that combines cognition and emotion; how the company searches out society’s “untapped potential” to work with a “demanding” population; and why he lifts weights, in mid-life, to nurture his own longevity. Support the showThe Live Long and Master Aging (LLAMA) podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.