During his closing keynote speech to the audience at the 2016 EFA Expo & Conference, Harry “Rick” Moody, former vice president for academic affairs with AARP, didn’t mince words when it comes to the inherent challenges faced by senior living providers. Seniors, he said, don’t want to live in these communities. When you ask them why not, he said, the answer is: “Because I’m not old.” To them, he added, “Senior living is the last resort. They don’t want to go in there.”

The answer to combating these feelings requires a shift that providers can make, but it’s not easy, and that was the message of Moody’s presentation, “The Power of Positive Aging.”

Rebranding is the key, he said. It can be dangerous if not done correctly—if you’re not listening deeply to your customer base and getting at what they really want and need. But baby boomers, especially, he said, are all in denial. And while we don’t know what the future holds, “If you don’t rebrand, you won’t have a future.”

He noted that many agencies and companies today are changing their names because “aging is bad business.” Thus, the Administration on Aging became the Administration for Community Living, Elder Hostel became Road Scholar, and ALFA recently renamed itself Argentum.


Moody defined brand positioning as the place in the customer’s mind that you want your brand to own, the benefit you want your customer to identify you with. It tells who you are (and aren’t), what you stand for, and what you promise. He also emphasized that the brand is a story, or a narrative.

 In the realm of aging, he defined four categories of branding approaches that appeal to different aging mindsets:

  • Age denial (“I don’t have to get old, I can do something about it.”)
  • Age adaptive (hearing aids, cognitive enhancement, Meals on Wheels)
  • Age irrelevant (ageless marketing that addresses the customer, but not directly—e.g., universal design)
  • Age affirmative (“The one we all aspire to,” Moody said).

Moody encouraged attendees to embrace “positive aging,” an attitude that will benefit and inspire residents and prospects, as well. There are three facets to this, he explained: successful aging (health promotion; taking care of yourself), productive aging (having a reason to get up in the morning), and conscious aging (saying yes).

To this last point, Moody said we have to stop people from attacking the idea of retirement. He explained that he tries to do this himself, and proved it by proclaiming to the attendees from the stage: “I’m Rick Moody, I’m 71 years old, and I’m retired.”