A Morning Pointe Senior Living leader’s cultural exchange visit offers a new perspective on how communities support older adults.
Chattanooga, TN. — January 12, 2026 — What began as a cultural exchange luncheon at Morning Pointe Senior Living has grown into an international conversation about aging, family, and respect for older adults.
In October 2025, Cristy Winkler, Executive Director of Morning Pointe of Richmond Assisted Living, traveled to Japan as part of the Madison County International Committee’s sister city exchange with Hokuto City.
The opportunity traces back to November 2022, when Morning Pointe of Richmond hosted delegates from the sister city exchange program for lunch. During that visit, delegates shared insights about Japanese culture and the value of international exchange. Winkler continued to stay in touch with the committee’s president, Kent Gilbert, who attended various events hosted by the community. When the committee planned a 2025 visit to Hokuto City to present to the Japanese City Council, Winkler was invited to participate and share perspectives from the U.S. senior living industry.
“My overall experience visiting Japan was amazing,” Winkler said. “Being able to visit a country that would have otherwise never happened was unreal to me.”
Once in Japan, Winkler said the experience quickly became about more than travel.
“What I found when I arrived was that the culture of Japan was one of deep respect and hospitality,” she said. “The people valued their families and their environment.”
The visit coincided with the 100-year anniversary celebration of Paul Rausch, a Kentucky native who helped transform Hokuto City into a self-sustaining farming community. During a two-day festival attended by more than 40,000 people, the International Committee hosted a tent that allowed delegates to connect directly with local residents.
“Watching the families enjoy each other without technology, video games, or other distractions was so eye-opening,” Winkler said. “They respected each other and their land. Everywhere we traveled was clean, with no signs of trash or destruction.”
While meeting with the Japanese City Council, Winkler shared her professional experience in senior care and outlined how Morning Pointe delivers quality care to residents. Conversations included financial assistance options, independent insurance, and veterans’ benefits. In Japan, citizens over age 40 are required to pay premiums to support care beginning at age 65, with care options limited to hospitals, nursing homes, and in-home services.
Japanese leaders expressed strong interest in assisted living as an additional care option, particularly as the country faces a rapidly aging population.
In Japan, family remains central to elder care, with many older adults remaining at home until care needs exceed what families can manage. Although Winkler did not tour formal senior care communities, she observed multigenerational caregiving woven into daily life. Many small businesses were family-operated, with elderly members either working alongside relatives or spending time in designated areas within the business.
“What resonated with me most was that every person I met had a deep respect for the elderly population,” Winkler said. “It was very apparent they had respect and appreciation for their roots.”
When describing Morning Pointe and the U.S. assisted living model, Winkler emphasized dignity, independence, and quality of life for seniors.
“I explained that Morning Pointe had the highest regard for the seniors we care for,” she said. “The aspect of assisted living was to allow seniors to interact with other seniors in an environment that was safe and enables them to continue to have their independence and dignity.”
She explained that assisted living can ease the strain on families by helping them stay connected as family members, not solely as caregivers.
The exchange created space for meaningful dialogue between the two cultures, offering Japanese leaders’ insight into assisted living as a potential complement to existing care models, while reinforcing Morning Pointe’s commitment to learning from global perspectives on aging, respect, and community.
This experience served as an inspiration, highlighting how shared lessons can guide leaders across cultures.
About Morning Pointe Senior Living
Founded in 1997 by Greg A. Vital and Franklin Farrow, Morning Pointe Senior Living operates 42 assisted living and Alzheimer’s memory care communities across five southeastern states. In the Tennessee Valley, communities are located in Chattanooga, East Hamilton, Collegedale, Hixson, and Walker County, Georgia.
