Big picture questions to inspire your blue-sky thinking by Patricia Ryan, MS

The framework of wellness dimensions has proven to be a valuable structure for supporting the philosophy of active aging. It is an appealing approach--one readily embraced from the start by the individuals and organizations that joined the International Council on Active Aging. But where was the framework to implement the active-aging philosophy within organizations, and within the lives of older adults? Through the years, ICAA has worked to provide that structure. First, by assuming that the diverse organizations providing services for older adults shared similar goals and formed a de facto active-aging industry. Second, by defining that industry. ICAA has gathered the thoughts of many people working in the industry through surveys, work groups and think tanks. The result? A combination of facts and forward-looking perspectives that provide a springboard for thinking about the next decade.