SATURDAY 30 OCTOBER - CAST Adrift in LA

The study tour may be over but the US trip has more to go so at 5.30 am some of us were on our way to the airport and our flight to the vast sprawling city of Los Angeles. A cab ride to the city centre and we checked into our base for the next 4 days, the Sheraton Downtown Hotel.

After a short time to settle in and a quick work out in the gym (yes really!), it was off to the JW Marriott Hotel for the meeting of the Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) Commission. As IAHSA Vice Chairman I had been invited to attend this meeting together with IAHSA Chairman, Glenn Bunney from Australia in order to bring an international flavour to the meeting. Glenn gave an excellent overview presentation of developments in the technology in ageing services agenda in Australia.


This was an important opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the policy agenda in the US. Once one is able to penetrate the jargon that pervades this area in America, as it does in different professional language in all countries, it is interesting to note the similarities in approach. Thankfully the knowledge gained during the IAHSA Study Tour enabled the guests from abroad to contribute something to the discussion.

Location:Los Angeles, California, USA