"The most trusted comprehensive resource for objective information and learning for and about seniors”
Founded in 2008 by members of the Eby family, the Bickford Education Center on Aging (BECA) was a response to the need to engage a community of business leaders, professionals, educators, and experts on the matters of aging. Their goal was to deliver a best of class online environment for navigating the Third Age (55-79).
A major focus for BECA was the startup funding and development for the Third Age Navigator as a key initiative in support of their objective of providing “the most trusted comprehensive resource for objective information and learning for and about seniors.”
Third Age Navigator (www.3ANavigator.org) was to fill the need for an online resource designed to provide users with a clear, objective perspective for navigation of the important questions and decisions associated with aging in our society. The tool was initially designed for those navigating their own journey, and for those helping a family member or friend. The competitive advantage of this proposal is that it was dedicated to helping both personas identify and utilize the important information required to make prudent life-stage decisions.
A combination of changes in management due to a death in the Eby family and growth of their core businesses relegated the website project to a lower priority in the Bickford business environment. William Venable had served as a research advisor to BECA in the initial startup, created the prototype website, and worked as an intermediary with subject matter experts who were to drive content for the project. As his research interests in the doctoral program in health policy and management at KU have expanded (in the questions of aging), he has secured the rights from BECA to move forward with this initiative.
We thank the Eby Family for the opportunities for doctoral students at KUMC to build on the BECA concept and bring the Third Age Navigator to life as an outreach tool for a variety of internal and external KUMC stakeholders.
