45 Forward

Archive page date: August 23, 2021. Source audio release date: August 23, 2021.
Louis Theodore may be a retired professor, but he is anything but the retiring type. After a distinguished career teaching chemical engineering at Manhattan College and serving as director of the Graduate Program (primarily responsible for his program achieving a No. 2 national ranking) Lou has continued to lead an extraordinarily productive life as educator, scholar, author, basketball fan, coach, consultant mentor, grandfather—and most recently, inventor. At 87, he is hardly slowing down. In today's episode, Lou describes a life story that started out in New York City's Hell's Kitchen and took him to the top of a complex scientific field as an internationally recognized expert in environmental management. Lou has written 131 text and reference books, covering an expansive range of topics, including environment ethics, air pollution control equipment, nanotechnology, and most recently, a second edition of "Introduction to Environmental Management," which he co-wrote with his wife, Mary. He currently serves as a part-time consultant to Theodore Tutorials, a firm specializing in providing training needs to industry, government and academia. Along the way, Lou has also maintained his lifelong passion for basketball, supporting youth leagues and publishing a decidedly non-technical book, "Basketball Coaching 101," an eclectic compendium of personal stories, a short history of the game and a spray of tips and commentary from other coaches, player, writers and fans. (Not surprisingly, he's working on a second edition of this book, too.) Lou's life highlights the importance of keeping close social connection over the year, with colleagues, former students and basketball players—long-standing friendships as well as new ones. And as a testament to his enduing curiosity and creativity, Lou has just been awarded two U.S. patents relating to processes for obtaining drinking water from geothermal energy and the combustion of fossil fuels. There's a growing shortage in potable water across the planet, and Lou is intent on joining the search for solutions.
Original episode: https://45forward.org/45-forward-episode-33/

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Archive page date: November 8, 2021. Source audio release date: November 8, 2021.
As we prepare to celebrate Veterans Day this month, today's episode features veteran Jim Smith, who served as an Army correspondent for Stars and Stripes, the Defense Department's daily newspaper, during the Vietnam War, reporting from every major city in Vietnam, from the Delta to the Demilitarized Zone. Whether it was observing training of South Vietnamese troops by U.S. advisers, watching massive U.S. firepower take out enemy targets or reporting on efforts to repel the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive, Jim was there to witness the events.He laughed at Bob Hope's jokes, took cover during rocket attack, pulled guard duty at night in the jungle, got in trouble with the brass, and got caught up in the adrenaline rush of war. In today's conversation, Jim will draw on a number of these vignettes, which appear in his gritty 2015 memoir, "Heroes to the End." He witnessed many acts of bravery and commitment, as well as the frustrations and incongruities of the Vietnam War—dozens that were published in Stars and Stripes, and dozens that previously never made it into print. A dedicated journalist to the end, Jim will also discuss his long civilian career as a sportswriter and editor for Long Island's daily newspaper Newsday, covering the New York Giants, the New York Rangers and New York Islanders. And coming full circle, Jim will reflect on his changing views on the Vietnam War—and subsequent wars—over the years, as well as his advocacy on behalf of social and racial justice causes, and his tireless support of the United Veterans Beacon House, which provides housing for hundreds of homeless veterans and their families at 47 locations on Long Island.
Original episode: https://45forward.org/45-forward-episode-44/

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Archive page date: July 20, 2023. Source audio release date: July 24, 2023.
One of the tragic outcomes of the coronavirus pandemic was not only the number of deaths from COVID, but the number of deaths in the nation's nursing homes—which, at one point accounted for more than a fifth of all deaths according to the federal government's estimate. And what made these deaths even more grievous was that many of these elderly people died in isolation, cut off from loved ones, their essential caregivers, who were prevented from visiting them in their darkest hour. In the wake of this tragedy, there have been many critics of the nursing home system—pointing out the lack of oversight, the need for regulatory reform, and the need for high staffing levels with higher pay for the facilities staff. In today's episode, we talk with Michell Arnot, the vice president of Gray Panthers NYC and Michelle and Carrie Leljedal, a Family Advocate with the Essential Caregiver's Coalition in Illinois, who are co-chairing a dynamic, thought-provoking webinar series called Unity for Long-Term Care. Their aim? To form an alliance of advocates dedicated to improving the quality of life in the nursing home space across the nation. It's not an easy task, and there are many entities and constituencies, with different opinions, ideas and strategies about how to fix the system. Michelle and Carrie will describe several of these efforts, not only to address specific issues, but how we could fundamentally rethink the way we view and provide long-term care. What are some of the alternatives to our current models? What does good "patient-centered care" look like? What can individuals do to make a difference in changing our complicated patchwork system of long-term care? It's easy to dwell on the negative history—and hard to agree on a cohesive path forward. But Carrie and Michelle are steadfast in their view: To transform long-term care over the long term, those who advocate for change may disagree on specific issues, but must agree to move forward together.
Original episode: https://45forward.org/45-forward-episode-133/

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Archive page date: August 21, 2023. Source audio release date: August 21, 2023.
Graduating from college as an outstanding student in French, Jim Ryan began his career as a high school foreign language teacher on Long Island. But over the years, his passion for teaching would take him on an unexpected journey that would lead him to an iconic role as—in his words—a "spreader of happiness." In today's episode, Jim will talk about how his career evolved through a series of shifts across the educational and business worlds to a moment when he decided to take a volunteer job teaching prisoners locked up for multiple DWI convictions. It was then that he had an "Aha!" moment, realizing that his true passion was teaching personal development. Jim will talk about how this epiphany led to his widely popular book, "Simple Happiness: 52 Easy Ways to Lighten Up," and to his current career as a motivational speaker and author, sharing his "Simple Happiness" message through empowering seminars across the country and sending out a weekly email of "Aha Moments" to thousands of people every Wednesday. Jim has discovered that he has the ability to turn profound concepts into easily understood solutions, and with humor, anecdotes and song, his presentations have folks leaving excited about the possibilities of living a better life.
Original episode: https://45forward.org/45-forward-episode-137/

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Archive page date: April 1, 2024. Source audio release date: April 1, 2024.
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.
Original episode: https://45forward.org/45-forward-episode-169/

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Archive page date: April 15, 2024. Source audio release date: April 15, 2024.
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.
Original episode: https://45forward.org/45-forward-episode-171/

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Originally broadcast May 13, 2024. The archive page is dated May 9, 2024. Guests: Kristin Smith, Betsy Smith and Bess Friedman.
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."
Original episode: https://45forward.org/45-forward-episode-175/

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Archive page date: July 22, 2024. Source audio release date: July 22, 2024.
As we get older, we all strive to increase the years of "healthspan," along with our lifespan. But how can we plan to sustain overall wellness during elderhood—potentially into our 90s—not only our physical health, but our mental and emotional health and sense of well-being? In today's episode, Tim Daniels, an independent wellness planning expert, talks about his pioneering journey carving a path through the health and wellness landscape, shifting the focus of care toward proactive wellness improvement. He'll explain how he creates comprehensive wellness plans for individuals that include nutritional balance, supplementation, age-appropriate exercise, quality sleep, a healthy home and effective engagement with healthcare providers. Tim likens his role to that of a financial manager who provides strategies to support the fiscal health of individuals, but then transfers his knowledge and skills, empowering people to take charge of their own wellness. He'll also talk about his approach to managing pain, employing a non-pharmacological tool called PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) that studies have shown can significantly reduce acute and chronic pain. And with a diverse background that includes executive roles in the technology and home-care fields, as well as personal experiences as a collegiate wrestler and practitioner of Chinese internal martial arts, Tim will talk about how he focuses today on serving the elderly, retired professional athletes, corporate executives and entrepreneurs--meeting people where they are, while helping them lead their best lives.
Original episode: https://45forward.org/45-forward-episode-185/

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Archive page date: September 16, 2024. Source audio release date: September 16, 2024.
We're in an age driven by fast-moving technology, but how do we find ways to intersect these technological changes with everyday human behavior? In today's episode, I talk with Howard Fields, a former IBM executive whose career has evolved as the Founder and Principal Consultant of Rethink Alignment Howard is a future-focused leader, who takes a holistic view of problem-solving, spurring innovation and helping companies overcome and realign multiple issues that are limiting their bottom-line. There are very few new problems, he says, only better ways to solve them. A long-time, out-of-the-box thinker, Howard helps individuals and organizations and individuals envision how problems may be solved in the future—before the future slaps them in the face!
Original episode: https://45forward.org/45-forward-episode-193/

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Archive page date: January 6, 2025. Source audio release date: January 6, 2025. Encore presentation using the January 6, 2025 release.
The first time I met Dr. Ken Dychtwald was in 1989, when I was writing a cover story about older workers as a business reporter for Newsday, Long Island's daily newspaper. I remember it well. I was interviewing job experts and workers who talked about the frustration they felt being overlooked by employers—especially at a time when most companies, facing acute labor shortages, could ill afford to do so. Ken was the author of a best-selling book, "Age Wave," (he now has written 19 books) and was the founder of an acclaimed think tank bearing the same name. At the time Ken explained what has become commonly known today: that the U.S. was experiencing a "senior boom." Older workers were living longer; the baby-boom generation was turning forty-something; and the nation's birth rate was continuing to decline. "A young country is growing old," Ken told me. He foresaw a time when most older workers would routinely work longer and leave jobs in their 50s for entirely new careers. "It will happen within the next decade," he said. "We're tiptoeing on the edge of the ice, testing the surface." Well, folks, we are now at center ice. Ken Dychtwald was absolutely right—as he has been about many observations in the field of aging. In today's episode, you'll get to hear an array of Ken's latest thoughts—observations, reflections and sage advice from America's foremost thinker regarding the many consequences of our aging society. He'll talk about how we can close the gap between our lifespan and healthspan; how we need to recast the conversation about what older people really want as they age; and how many of us are choosing to redefine our legacy from success to significance. All that, and much more!
Original episode: https://45forward.org/45-forward-episode-209/

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