45 Forward

Caring for your older loved ones has never been more challenging than it is today. Not only do many adults have to take care of their own young families, but they’re called in to address the complex, evolving needs of their parents as they enter the later chapters of life. There’s so much to handle: pragmatic concerns like elder law and estate planning, health care documents, asset protection, care coordination, not to mention the emotionally-charged concerns of parents and adult children dealing with the reversal of their traditional roles. In today’s conversation, Brian Tully, a widely recognized elder law attorney, and Iris Waichler, an experienced patient advocate and award-winning author, offer a unique opportunity to hear their combined perspectives on these pressing topics. Together, Brian and Iris will provide valuable insights, solutions and resources for creating a holistic care planning approach, tackling thorny tasks like caregiver conversations with family members and coordination of long-term term care. Caring for loved ones is unquestionably rewarding, but it also can be overwhelming and isolating— sometimes leading to burnout. Brian and Iris present a vision of caregiving that stresses the value of a supportive team of family members, health care and social service providers, financial and elder law experts. The challenges may be daunting, but you’re not alone.

As a young boy, Jack Kupferman was always surrounded by older adults—his parents ran a rest home in upstate New York and his family lived in the back. So it’s no surprise that today Jack is at the center of a major online event next month to honor the nursing home lives lost as a result of COVID-19, while raising awareness of the need for nursing home transformation. As the volunteer President of the Gray Panthers NYC and a former attorney for New York City’s Department for the Aging, Jack has been an indefatigable fighter for the rights of older people. In today’s wide-ranging conversation with host Ron Roel, Jack will offer a healthy slice of his storied career—everything from local programs and projects to improve the lives of older New Yorkers, to global initiatives to tackle illiteracy in Nepal and help older women start microbusinesses in Pakistan. Throughout his life of advocacy, Jack’s passion has been to change the perception of aging—and to promote a deeper understanding of how pervasive ageism really is. You’ll learn of one of his dreams for the future: mobilizing older persons of the world to demand more of their governments, to secure their rights and claim their power. And, oh yes, Jack will reveal what it took to become a mid-life National Aerobics Champion.

For the first time in U.S. history, people over 60 outnumber people under 18, raising fears of a widening generational divide. But Encore.org sees things differently. It believes that the aging of America isn’t so much of a problem as it is an opportunity to be seized. In this episode, Eunice Lin Nichols, Encore’s dynamic VP for Innovation, talks about how her organization is working to change our culture of age segregation, building a movement to make intergenerational collaboration the norm. Eunice will spell out what it means to live “Gen2Gen,” and how to take part in the “encore career” movement, joining people age 50 and up who are committed to using their experiences to create second acts for the greater good. She’ll explain the inspiring histories of the Purpose Prize, Experience Corps and Encore Fellowships; and offer stories and examples of intergenerational solutions to pressing social problems: the housing crisis facing both young and old; the epidemic of loneliness across generations; the co-location of childcare and eldercare centers; and the need for co-generational leadership in the workforce--to name a few. How can you participate in the encore movement? Find out about the Encore Network, and what you can do to join a coalition of leaders and organizations across the country to create a better future for all.

As people head toward their traditional retirement years, they often feel conflicting emotions: Part relief and excitement to be done with day-to-day work; and part apprehension, wondering, “What will I do with myself? Sure, I have a few hobbies and grandchildren, and I’d like to travel, but will this be enough to keep me engaged for long?” About 10 years ago, Ed Schwartz, a retired human resources executive, faced these questions and discovered PEIR, Personal Enrichment in Retirement, an organization whose members are passionate about lifelong learning. This approach to learning has become a hot topic in recent years, as research studies have found that continued cognitive engagement is one of the keys to leading a longer and healthier life. And, of course, online learning and virtual workshops have exploded in response to the pandemic. But in today’s conversation, Ed, who is currently chairperson of PEIR, will talk about how PEIR has evolved over 40-plus years as a highly successful and resilient group whose members are not just the audience, but the creators and presenters of all their subject matter. Ed will explain how PEIR has adapted its administration and structure to an online environment. He will be joined by several other call-in members, who will offer examples of the group’s wide offerings. It may be an unusual model for lifelong learning—but perhaps a new model for other enterprising retirees around the country.

We’re not a country that likes to plan much—more often, Americans rely on their wits to get out of a crisis. Yet as the pace of social and economic change — not to mention climate change — has accelerated over the last several decades, so, too, have the number of crises we face in our lifetime. Many of these situations may not be foreseeable or preventable, but they may be more manageable, if we take the time to put a crisis management plan in place. In this episode, host Ron Roel talks with Linda Fostek, an internationally recognized speaker, author and expert in crisis planning, who will help us successfully manage the personal and natural crises that we will inevitably face, and as she puts it, “Get off the Worry-go-Round.” Linda lays out the four stages of preparation; she will describe how to create your own ICE (In Case of Emergency) files; and identify who needs to know about your plan, and what they need to know about it. She offers examples of plans that have helped avert crises, and cases where lack of planning has led to dire consequences. As a member of her regional Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Linda also talks about how crisis-management plans can be applied across communities, bringing together people and resources to help recovery efforts —and often save lives. Her approach to planning —inspired by her late father—has been to face crises with one mindset: Be part of the solution, instead of part of the problem.

Moving is never easy—at any age. Most people want to remain in the comfort of their home and neighborhood for as long as possible. At some point, however, this may not be safe or practical for our parents, and eventually the same may be true for us, too. Moving to some form of supportive housing does not have to be a default choice; in fact, it may be a better path, helping us lead a healthier and more enjoyable life—as long as we know how to do it right. In this episode, host Ron Roel talks with Robin Marks, an expert in the field of aging—from assisted living to Alzheimer’s—about the many issues to consider when choosing an adult housing community. What level of health care does your loved one need? What types of amenities are important? Will they be close to family and friends—and what kind of social engagement and activities will a senior community provide? How can you identify suitable communities—and be sure you can pay for them? Robin Marks will tackle all of questions, and more, explaining various senior housing options across the aging spectrum, from independent living to programs and resources that serve those with dementia. Her Golden Rule: Always focus on what people can do, not what they can’t.

Over the last 40 years, China has increasingly wreaked havoc on U.S. manufacturers, undercutting their business with high-volume, low-cost products. So when Lance Cheney, the fourth-generation owner of Braun Brush Company on Long Island, took the reins from his father, he sensed that he had to make a risky strategic shift—or the company might never make it to the fifth generation. Lance decided that Braun would no longer compete in the inexpensive “commodity brush” market. Instead, they would produce highly specialized brushes that accomplished unique tasks for companies that needed them done exactly right. Since that decision, Lance, who as a young man had gone to school to be a sculptor, has blended his artistic talents with his business acumen to take Braun Brush on an extraordinary creative journey. In this thought-provoking conversation with Host Ron Roel, Lance talks about the company’s many forays into innovative brush-making—from producing brushes dedicated to putting a sheen on chocolate; to others that keep the pigeons off the top of New York City’s Freedom Tower; to tiny brushes that have helped the Mars rovers dust debris away from drilling sites. And along the way, Lance has continued to find new avenues for his artistic sensibility, creating fiber-based projects for major companies and fabricating dozens of sculptures for a renowned American artist, the late Richard Artschwager.

Helping a loved one prepare for the end of life is uncharted territory for many of us. But this challenge is also a part of life’s natural journey, which provides a unique opportunity for families to support and honor their loved ones. In this unusually open and inspiring conversation, Susan Capurso, an End-of-Life Doula, and Lisa Strahs-Lorenc, a bereavement specialist, discuss how they guide families emotionally, practically, and spiritually through this difficult phase to a place of calm, peace and acceptance—and yes, celebration. Susan and Lisa also offer comprehensive courses and workshops to help people—no matter what their age—create a legacy of their life through written remembrances, recorded audio and video stories, scrapbooks and other vehicles, so current and future generations will be able to remember and cherish them for who they are. And they provide an array of resources and strategies that enable individuals to live life fully after the loss of a loved one, to move on, accept and discover their own journey.

We often hear the mantra, “Stronger Together,” but no one understands the power of these words better than Donna Butts. Currently the Executive Director of Generations United, Donna has worked tirelessly to promote the collective well-being of all generations—children, youth and older adults—around the world. How can we achieve this lofty goal at a time when different generations seem to find themselves increasingly competing for limited public funds and resources? In a wide-ranging conversation with Host Ron Roel, Donna offers examples of unique initiatives like the National Center on Grandfamilies, as well as practical approaches to “shared sites,” where children, youth and older adults participate in programs at the same location or campus. And you’ll hear about unique “Programs of Distinction,” and what it takes to be recognized by the Generations United/MetLife Foundation as one of the Best Intergenerational Communities in the nation.

Many people talk about “reinventing” themselves over the course of their career, but few do it like Patricia King. At age 9, Pat decided she wanted to be a novelist, and while she would eventually achieve her goal—some 60 years later—she was first hired as a technical writer for a large insurance company. One job led to another, and Pat evolved into a corporate trainer, not only teaching plain-English skills, but opening up a major Wall Street bank to affirmative action programs for women. And then, as a single mother, she decided to leave the corporate nest to start her own consulting company, from scratch. Over time, Pat built up an international management consulting company, and along the way wrote five nonfiction books on business subjects include Never Work for a Jerk, which landed her on the Oprah Winfrey show. And then she left again, for another entrepreneurial venture. This is Part 1 of Host Ron Roel’s conversation with Pat King, as she recounts her extraordinary journey.