45 Forward

Six years ago, Virginia Cervasio decided to dedicate her life to helping veterans. The mother of a young Iraq War vet who died by suicide, she learned that veterans have an unspoken bond that “no one could break—a mutual understanding and a trust that they are going to support one another and help each other out.” So, Virginia founded Heroes Among Us, a nonprofit whose mission is to help veterans and their families readjust to life after war. In today’s episode, Virginia recounts her journey that led to the creation of this inspiring organization, which supports many vets who are coping with emotional struggles and trying to find their footing when they return home. She’ll describe the wide-ranging work of the nonprofit, from helping veterans pay their bills to finding therapists and organizing school supplies drives for their families. Virginia will also discuss her continuing advocacy focusing on suicide prevention support and education. She’ll talk about her organization’s participation in various national events, such as the hosting of the traveling Vietnam Memorial, known as “The Wall That Heals,” which, along with an education center, moves from state to state each month. And Virginia will explain how people can get involved and contribute to Heroes Among Us, finding meaningful ways every day to thank our veterans for their service.

As we continue to celebrate Older Americans Month, we often ponder our legacy as we age—not only our personal legacy, but the larger legacy we want to leave for our planet. We know that climate change is a huge challenge, and many of us are feeling “climate anxiety,” worrying whether we have the time, technologies and political fortitude to preserve the earth for future generations. We do. In today’s episode we talk with energy and environmental policy specialist Dr. John Berger, author of “Solving the Climate Crisis: Frontline Reports from the Race to Save the Earth.” Dr. Berger, who spent more than six years researching his book, traveling the nation and abroad to interview scientists, engineers, energy experts, business leaders and policy makers, will explain his three-pronged approach to addressing climate change: Technological (moving quickly) to 100% renewable energy through innovation; Ecological (enhancing and protecting natural ecosystems); and Social (updating and creating new laws, policies and economic measures). He’ll highlight new technologies such as “green steel” and “green concrete,” and dispel some of the myths about the obstacles to combating the climate crisis. We already have the scientific knowledge, entrepreneurial acumen and financial strength to reinvent ourselves, Dr. Berger says, and show the rest of the world what a prosperous and emissions-free nation could look like.

When older Americans are asked about where they want to live during their later years, an overwhelming majority say they want to “age in place”—in the comfort, safety and security of their current home, for as long as possible. But aging at home also brings challenges. How do you make sure the design of your house meets your evolving needs? And how can you stay connected to your neighborhood and community—fulfilling your social, recreational, health and mobility needs? There’s one solution that has helped millions of older homeowners across the country: NORCs, or Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities. These housing developments were not originally designed for older adults, but over time evolved into a place where a large percentage of older adults live. In today’s episode, we explain how different NORCs develop; how they can be supported through government programs; and the range of health and social services that may be available to older residents. And we’ll offer an unusually vibrant picture of NORCs through the personal experiences and reflections of Bess Friedman, a NORC resident in the Queens borough of New York City; Kristin Smith, who oversees the NORC Program for the state’s Office for the Aging; and Betsy Smith, an administrator who has overseen several New York City NORCs and innovative programs. You’ll be inspired by this unique approach to aging that can serve a broad range of senior populations, and yet offer “concierge social services.”

As we kick off Older Americans Month, what better way to celebrate their contributions than to highlight the perspective and achievements of an extraordinarily active octogenarian. In today’s episode, we talk with Dr. Ronald Kaiser, an innovator in the field of positive health psychology, who has developed the concept of “Rejuvenaging: the Art and Science of Growing Older with Enthusiasm.” During his half century of helping others, Dr. Kaiser has evolved an approach to working with people at all ages that emphasizes their abilities to take charge of their lives and build emotional strength to overcome obstacles and improve general mental health. He’ll talk about how we can own the aging process; master the 7 keys to Rejuvenaging; build strengths to overcome adversities; and experience the joy of “feeling your age.” He will describe his broad range of individual psychotherapy and coaching programs, as well as collaborative training programs with business and community organizations, including active adult communities. Growing older, Dr. Kaiser notes, is not a spectator sport. At the same time, he sums up his philosophy with this statement: “If I knew how much fun old age would be, I’d have grown older faster.”

Across the country, many aging homeowners want to age comfortably in place—but they often face a number of obstacles. Sometimes, their homes, intended for their once-larger families, are too much to maintain for empty-nesters. In other instances, older parents want to stay close to their adult children and grandchildren—but the cost of housing in nearby communities is prohibitively expensive for young families. Enter ADUs, or Accessory Dwelling Units. They go by several names, like granny-flats, mother-daughter houses, in-law suites, or casitas. ADUs are secondary homes on the property of a main house that have their own entrances, and at least a bathroom, a kitchen or kitchenette, and a sleeping area. They can be separate units or attached to the primary home. And they’re one of the fastest growing types of residential construction today. In today’s episode, Sheri Koones, an award-winning author and recognized national authority on home construction, will explain all the in’s and out’s of the nationwide ADU trend. She’ll recount the history of ADUS; describe the array of configurations and formats; the costs and financing options; the opportunities for multigenerational living, as well as the restrictions people may face from local zoning and design regulations. The author of the recently published book, “ADUs: The Perfect Housing Solution,” Sheri, will highlight a number of compelling stories of attractive, well-designed ADUs that will stir your imagination and offer resources to explore the possibilities of this new housing during our older years.

On December 31, 1999, Ellen Smiley left the airline industry, after a career spanning more than 30 years with British Airways. She took a few interim jobs, eventually landing at a large credit union on Long Island, where she soon found herself in the business development department. It was there that first learned about financial literacy—a subject she knew nothing about. But It didn't take Ellen long for her to see the incredible value of financial literacy, and what a difference such knowledge could have in people’s lives. By the time she left the credit union in 2013, she was teaching between 125 and 150 classes a year. In today’s episode, as 45 Forward continues our recognition of National Financial Literacy Month, we talk with Ellen about her many insights and experiences as the owner of her own financial literacy consulting practice. Working with individuals and groups, she teaches commonsense basic skills—which many people lack—like setting up sensible budgets and how to improve their credit scores. She has worked with people across multiple ages and generations, from high school students to college students, to mature families and older adults. Financial literary provides knowledge that is increasingly necessary as the world gets more complex, and Ellen will explain how her programs and practices lead to significant stress reduction and free up money that can be used to improve their lives of families, no matter what stage of life they’re in.

There are special moments in life when we experience a profound sense of awe at the planet we inhabit—such as the recent solar eclipse, when communities across America gathered in public spaces to gaze at the sky in wonder. Indeed, as we mark this year’s Earth Month, we need to blend our concerns over climate change and environmental sustainability with a rekindled sense of awe at our lives and our place in nature. In today’s episode, we talk with Martha Blackwelder, a creative entrepreneur who founded Unexpected Adventures NYC, an educational company offering creative team-building events, including “Awe Walks” in Manhattan’s Central Park to encourage people to get outside in nature and find more moments of joy, aliveness, and awe. Martha, a widely recognized Asian art historian, is endlessly curious about the connections between art, culture and nature, and is passionate about inspiring others to slow down, reengage their senses and reclaim their own vitality for life.

When we graduate from college, we often have little idea of where we’ll find ourselves in the second half of life. We wonder how our career will evolve; how we will grow a family and move into our middle ages; what surprises will be revealed; and what legacy we will leave our family and friends—and the planet. In today’s episode, we talk with Leslie Danoff, a long-time friend who graduated in the ground-breaking first freshmen class of women at Yale; embarked on a career in professional broadcast journalism and documentary filmmaking; raised a family of three sons; and took an unusual turn into the world of conservation, co-founding Global Forest Generation, a nonprofit whose mission is to accelerate meaningful forest restoration—and help stave off the scourge of climate change. Leslie will offer her wide-ranging observations about lifelong learning and how she made unconventional moves into uncharted territory later in life, and how we can all continue to grow—45 Forward.

It’s been 21 years since the U.S. Senate declared April to be National Financial Literacy Month, and since that time, financial education has become a perennial national issue, especially among young people who need key skills to take control of their money and plan for the future. But the importance of such skills has grown dramatically for older people, too, as they live much longer than previous generations and need to plan for retirement security during rapidly changing economy times. In today’s episode, we lead off Financial Literacy Month with Peter Janowsky, a long-time retirement planning specialist and “holistic financial planner,” who takes a broad conceptual approach, blending the emotional with the fiscal realities of planning. Peter, whose oldest client is 103, will talk about how to plan for “slow aging,” without significant hardships, only to be faced suddenly “very fast aging” requiring substantial financial adjustments. He’ll explain about how to prepare for working effectively with an array of financial, legal and health care professionals. And as the co-founder Project S.A.F.E. (Seniors Against Financial Exploitation), he’ll share strategies for how adult children caring for their parents can guard them against fraud and financial scams.

As we close out Women’s History Month, we talk with the Hon. Gail Prudenti, who reflects on her continually ground-breaking career as a distinguished jurist, law school dean and now partner of a boutique New York law firm. Judge Prudenti was the first woman to hold a number of judicial posts in New York State, including the Presiding Justice of the Appellate for the Second Judicial Department. Subsequently, she serves as New York’s Chief Administrative Judge of the Courts, supervising the operation of the statewide court system, with 3,600 state and local judges and 15,000 non-judicial employees. Judge Parenti will assess the challenges older women have faced in the workforce, especially the courts. She’ll describe her dynamic tenure as dean of Hofstra University’s Maurice A Deane School of Law, spearheading its 50th anniversary celebration and her multi-faceted efforts to strengthen the school. And she’ll discuss how her wide range of experiences in the legal system has shaped her perspective over the years, and the importance of the public confidence in the courts and other public institutions.