Anxiety is NOT normal with aging and can be effectively treated. Unfortunately, anxiety in the elderly often goes undetected and untreated largely due to the false belief that with age it’s normal to have a mental health problem.

Good news:  Anxiety is highly treatable in older adults!

Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

• [03:11] What is anxiety?
• [05:10] What are the different types of anxiety disorder older adults experience? 
• [05:40] Signs and symptoms of anxiety in the elderly?
• [06:55] How common are anxiety disorders among older adults?
• [07:51] What is the most common anxiety disorder among older adults? 
• [08:34] What causes anxiety in older adults?
• [10:40] Anxiety and depression commonly go together
• [11:38] What happens when anxiety goes untreated in older adults? 
• [12:31] Anxiety in elderly, treatment that works.
• [14:25] How to talk with older adults about getting mental health care

 Anxiety is highly treatable in older adults, and the earlier we can identify it and address it, the easier it is to reverse the symptoms and the better quality of life for the older adult and their family.


Click here to visit the show notes page to learn more.
Click here to listen to the podcast

Are you a licensed therapist, psychiatrist, or neuropsychologist who specializes with older adults? Download this free guide and be the first to know when the Center for Mental Health and Aging's provider directory is ready for you to join. Together, we can help older adults get the mental health care they need by helping them get access to YOU. 

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.

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DISCLAIMER: The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments Dr. Koepp may make on the TV Show, blog, or in response to an individual’s story or comments should not be construed as establishing a psychologist-patient relationship between Dr. Koepp and the individual. None of Dr. Koepp's show, website, social media, comments, or group information should be considered a substitute for individualized medical or mental health assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Dr. Koepp is only representing herself in her TV Show, blogs, and on her website.

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

There's a mental health crisis facing older adults in their families.  About 1 in 4 older adults experiences a mental health condition, including depression, anxiety, dementia, substance use and more, yet 67% of them struggle to get adequate mental health care, resulting in worse medical and mental health outcomes, like suicide. Herein lies the crisis.

In this podcast episode, I discuss the mental health crisis older adults and their families are facing and I share a big announcement about what I aim to do about it.

Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

• [03:33] What are the rates of mental health conditions among older adults?
• [05:02] What happens when mental health conditions go untreated in older adults?
• [07:16] What makes older adult mental health is a health care problem?
• [09:19] 5 ways to improve access to mental health care for older adults
• [13:07] A family faces mental health concerns at the end of life
• [15:49] What are the benefits of mental health care for older adults?
• [19:23] Learn why this topic is so important to me.
• [21:27] BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Learn what program I am creating to improve mental health care for older adults

Click here to visit the show notes page to learn more.
Click here to listen to the podcast

Are you a licensed therapist, psychiatrist, or neuropsychologist who specializes with older adults?

 Download this free guide and be the first to know when the Center for Mental Health and Aging's provider directory is ready for you to join. Together, we can help older adults get the mental health care they need by helping them get access to YOU. 

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.

--
DISCLAIMER: The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments Dr. Koepp may make on the TV Show, blog, or in response to an individual’s story or comments should not be construed as establishing a psychologist-patient relationship between Dr. Koepp and the individual. None of Dr. Koepp's show, website, social media, comments, or group information should be considered a substitute for individualized medical or mental health assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Dr. Koepp is only representing herself in her TV Show, blogs, and on her website.

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

Cancer affects individuals, families, and communities.  According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2020, an estimated 1,806,590 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the United States and approximately 39.5% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes.  

The American Cancer Society conducted an 8 year study published in 2013 and found that on average cancer caregivers spent about 8 hours per day providing care. They also stated that caregivers need a strong support system, explaining that having a system of support helps to weather the storms common with cancer, like a loved one’s recurrence of cancer or death from cancer. 

In this Psychology of Aging podcast episode, Ronni Levine, LMFT, facilitator of cancer caregiving support groups and cancer bereavement groups for the Cancer Foundation for New Mexico, discusses the benefits of cancer caregiver support and shares tips for getting your strong system of support in place. 

Here's a peek into my interview with Ronni Levine:

• [06:43] The rollercoaster of living with cancer and cancer caregiving
• [09:42] How has the COVID pandemic impacted cancer caregivers?
• [13:34] What happens when you first get a cancer diagnosis?
• [20:22] Do you know someone constantly in the caregiving role? Learn more about this phenomenon of serial caregiving
• [21:56] What are the benefits of cancer support groups?
• [27:08] What are cancer bereavement support groups? 
• [29:16] On the fence about joining a cancer caregiving support group? Learn what participating in a cancer caregiver or bereavement group is actually like. 
• [32:54] What is participating in a cancer caregiving support group actually like? 
• [36:18] How has grief and bereavement during COVID been different for cancer caregivers? 
• [40:35] How to find a cancer caregiver support group near you? 

Click here to visit the show notes page to learn more.
Click here to listen to the podcast

FREE GUIDES

• Download the Memory Loss Guide here
• Interested in working with me? 
  • For Families: Click here
  • For Professionals: Click here

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.


--
DISCLAIMER: The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments Dr. Koepp may make on the TV Show, blog, or in response to an individual’s story or comments should not be construed as establishing a psychologist-patient relations

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

Many older adults decide to stop drinking as they get older (YAY!)

There's an ageist idea circling around society, however,  that suggests that "older adults can't change". This idea is not only false, it's incredibly harmful to older adults who may just believe this erroneous statement and never get the help they need. 

Some researchers and mental health and aging groups talk about the invisibility of alcohol use among older adults, explaining that even though the number of older adults with alcohol problems is on the rise, alcohol use disorders are too often unrecognized and untreated. Some reasons for this have to do with symptoms of problematic drinking often masquerading as other health conditions in older adults like diabetes, dementia, and depression.

To complicate matters, many older adults don't seek professional help for what they often consider a "private matter" and many family members and friends of older adults with alcohol problems at some point stop trying to convince their older loved one that the alcohol use can be treated. 

Join me in making the invisible visible by learning the facts about aging and alcohol use and what you can do to help. 

Here's what you'll learn:

• The rates of alcohol use among older adults
• 3 Reasons why talking about alcohol use in older adults is important
• What may trigger older adults more vulnerable to begin using alcohol or use more alcohol than they used to?
• The warning signs of alcohol use in older adults
• 10 questions to consider if it might be time to talk with your doctor about cutting back on drinking
• How much alcohol is safe for older adults? What are the guidelines from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism versus the recommendations from the Global Council on Brain Health?
• Tips for stopping drinking or cutting back on drinking for older adults
• Tips for helping an older loved one when you're concerned about their drinking

Click here to visit the show notes page to learn more.
Click here to listen to the podcast

FREE GUIDES

• Download the Memory Loss Guide here
• Interested in working with me? 
  • For Families: Click here
  • For Professionals: Click here

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.


--
DISCLAIMER: The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments Dr. Koepp may make on the TV Show, blog, or in response to an individual’s stor

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

More than half of the people in the US living with HIV are 50 years old and older. With the use of antiretroviral medications, people who were diagnosed with HIV decades ago have been able to live well into older adulthood.  This is great news. 

Sadly, stigma due to age, sexual orientation, gender identity, and HIV status contributes to poor mental health and physical health. 

In this interview, Dr. Mark Brennan-Ing, Director of Research and Evaluation at the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging at Hunter College, the City University of New York, is on the Psychology of Aging podcast sharing important information about:

• [05:15] HIV among people aged 50 and over is on the rise in the US and the world. Learn more about the aging of the HIV epidemic. 
• [07:41] How is antiretroviral therapy helping people to live longer? 
• [14:08] What is Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP)? Does it really work? 
• [20:48] What are the social, cultural, and medical reasons that adults 55 and older live with HIV longer before getting a diagnosis? 
• [26:46]  What is "inflammaging" and how does it intersect with HIV? 
• [30:17] How does stigma affect people living with HIV? 
• [32:53] People living with HIV experience depression at 5 times that of the general population. Learn some of the reasons why.
• [43:37] What can we do to help meet the medical and mental health needs of aging adults with HIV?
• [47:02] People living with HIV have incredible reserves of resilience and survivorship. Learn more about how to resilience to promote mental wellness in people living with HIV?

Click here to visit the show notes page to learn more.
Click here to listen to the podcast

FREE GUIDES

• Download the Memory Loss Guide here
• Interested in working with me? 
  • For Families: Click here
  • For Professionals: Click here

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.


--
DISCLAIMER: The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments Dr. Koepp may make on the TV Show, blog, or in response to an individual’s story or comments should not be construed as establishing a psychologist-patient relationship between Dr. Koepp and the individual. None of Dr. Koepp's show, website, social media, comments, or group information should be considered a substitute for individualized medical or mental health assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Dr. Koepp is only representing herself in her TV Show, blogs, and

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

Over 75% of adults with developmental disabilities live at home with family. There is a growing population of aging caregivers of adults with developmental disabilities, in part due to increased lifespan and extensive waiting lists for residential services (The Arc Autism Now).  

In honor of World Autism Day on 4/2/21, today's podcast episode focuses on older adults who are caring for adult children with autism or other Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (IDDs).

In this interview, Lois Shingler, an attorney and co-founder of Peter and Paul’s Place shares her experience of being 70 years old while caring for Paul, her 45 year old son with Autism. She also provides several tips for other aging parents caring for their adult children with IDDs. Here's a peek inside the episode: 

• [10:45] Lois describes her experience of entering older adulthood while caring for Paul, her 45 year old son with Autism
• [17:53] Learn what you need to plan for if you're an older adult caring for an adult with special needs, from transportation, to housing, to finances, to who will assist your loved one. 
• [28:00] A man on his deathbed who feared for his son who was living with Schizophrenia. 
• [31:50] The emotional angst of planning for who will care for your son with special needs when you are no longer able to. 
• [42:31] Lois shares her secret to maintaining her mental health through it all. 

Click here to visit the show notes page to learn more.
Click here to listen to the podcast

FREE GUIDES

• Download the Memory Loss Guide here
• Interested in working with me? 
  • For Families: Click here
  • For Professionals: Click here

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.


--
DISCLAIMER: The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments Dr. Koepp may make on the TV Show, blog, or in response to an individual’s story or comments should not be construed as establishing a psychologist-patient relationship between Dr. Koepp and the individual. None of Dr. Koepp's show, website, social media, comments, or group information should be considered a substitute for individualized medical or mental health assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Dr. Koepp is only representing herself in her TV Show, blogs, and on her website.

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

When older adults begin to experience physical or mental health changes, like with dementia disorders, for example, it can be difficult to know the steps to take when aging parents need help. It can be especially difficult for family caregivers to know how to balance autonomy and independence with concerns for risk and safety.

In this episode, Dr. Sara Qualls, clinical geropsychologist and Kraemer Family Professor of Aging Studies at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS), will discuss common role transitions in older families, offer tips for balancing safety and autonomy, and provide tips on having tough conversations with aging loved ones with dignity and respect. 

Here's a peak into my interview with Dr. Qualls:

• [10:04] What are some of the common role transitions in older families?
• [13:34] Worried about your aging parent's safety or capacity to make decisions? Steps to take when your aging parent needs help. 
• [20:11] Feeling guilty about caregiving decisions? How to repair ruptures in the relationship with your older loved one.
• [22:59] Learn how to balance your older loved one's safety with autonomy
• [27:04] Every family is unique and will make changes in line with their patterns as a family. Learn more here. 
• [33:12] Why you may want to reconsider your use of the term, "parenting your parents"
• [37:51] How to invite your older loved one back into the relationship while you're caring for them?
• [45:27] Important considerations for families with a history of toxic or painful relationships.
• [47:55] Interested in caregiver family therapy? Tips for finding a family therapist.

Click here to visit the show notes page to learn more.
Click here to listen to the podcast

FREE GUIDES

• Download the Memory Loss Guide here
• Interested in working with me? 
  • For Families: Click here
  • For Professionals: Click here

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.


--
DISCLAIMER: The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments Dr. Koepp may make on the TV Show, blog, or in response to an individual’s story or comments should not be construed as establishing a psychologist-patient relationship between Dr. Koepp and the individual. None of Dr. Koepp's show, website, social media, comments, or group information should be considered a substitute for individualized medical or mental health assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Dr. Koepp is only representing herself in h

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

Researchers have been investigating brain health recommendations that help to reduce our risk for cognitive decline in older adulthood. Many of the tips  that I'm going to share today are really about how to live your healthiest life and achieve optimal physical health, brain health, and mental health in older adulthood. 

You may already be doing many of these recommendations. As you listen to this episode, take notes and make a list. Put a check mark by items that you are currently doing and a star next to the items that you need to be doing more of to achieve optimal health. At the end of the episode, give yourself some praise for what you're already doing, then choose one of the starred items to focus on to optimize your brain health and mental health. 

Let's dive in to the 12 evidence-based brain health recommendations to reduce your risk for cognitive decline and dementia and promote mental well being:

Here's a peak into the episode

• [02:55] Brain Health Recommendation #1: Engage in your social life by spending time with friends and in your community
• [07:29] Brain Health Recommendation #2: Avoid excessive alcohol & other harmful substances
• [09:49] Brain Health Recommendation #3: Eat a nutritious diet 
• [13:54] Brain Health Recommendation #4: Maintain heart health (cardiovascular health)
• [16:01] Brain Health Recommendation #5: Engage in physical activity
• [19:36] Brain Health Recommendation #6: Get 7-8 hours of sleep a night (consistently)
• [23:33] Brain Health Recommendation #7: Find a sense of meaning and purpose in life
• [25:11] Brain Health Recommendation #8: Think positively about aging
• [30:22] Brain Health Recommendation #9: Engage in enjoyable activities
• [30:55] Brain Health Recommendation #10: Be mindful of medications contraindicated for older adults
• [32:32] Brain Health Recommendation #11: Avoid smoking and other environmental toxins
• [33:52] Brain Health Recommendation #12: Get treatment for mental health conditions, like anxiety and depression
   

Click here to visit the show notes page to learn more.
Click here to listen to the podcast

FREE GUIDES

• Download the Memory Loss Guide here
• Interested in working with me? 
  • For Families: Click here
  • For Professionals: Click here

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.


--
DISCLAIMER: The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments D

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American spends only 7% of their entire life outdoors. 

Our guest today, Dr. Paula Hartman-Stein, geropsychologist and author, discusses the importance of Vitamin N for Nature by sharing current research about the importance of incorporating nature into our daily lives and provides actionable strategies you can use to reduce "nature-deficit disorder" by incorporating nature into your daily life, even if you cannot leave your home. 

Here's a peak into my interview with Dr. Paula Hartman-Stein:

• [02:47] From growing up a coal miner's daughter to writing over 150 articles on aging, today's guest will inspire you with her biography. 
• [08:16] There's a little known but very important vitamin - Vitamin N for Nature. Learn more about Vitamin N for "Nature" here. 
• [16:49] Simply being in nature or forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, as they call it in Japan, benefits the brain. 
• [18:57] Human-animal interactions have even shown reduction in blood pressure and less anxiety. 
• [29:17] Dr. Hartman-Stein answers the question: how often should people be going into nature to receive maximum benefit for mental health and brain health?
• [31:34] Can't make it out in nature? No problem. Learn about how simply looking at photographs of nature stimulates the brain. 
• [36:26] Learn 4 proven strategies to prevent dementia - these are tips you can start using today
• [45:23] For people have been living in assisted living communities and are unable to leave during the pandemic, Dr. Hartman-Stein shares some of the benefits of including plants and photographs of nature living spaces. 

Click here to visit the show notes page to learn more.
Click here to listen to the podcast

FREE GUIDES

• Download the Memory Loss Guide here

Interested in working with me? 

• For Families: Click here
• For Professionals: Click here

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review: 

--
DISCLAIMER: The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments Dr. Koepp may make on the TV Show, blog, or in response to an individual’s story or comments should not be construed as establishing a psychologist-patient relationship between Dr. Koepp and the individual. None of Dr. Koepp's show, website, social media, comments, or group information should be considered a substitute for individualized medical or mental health assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Dr. Koepp is only representing h

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

In today's interview, Dr. Jason Karlawish, Neurologist and Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center is on the podcast answering some of your burning dementia questions, like: 

• What is mild cognitive impairment? 
• Describe the difference between Mild Cognitive Impairment Vs. Dementia Vs. Alzheimers.
• What are the best tips for staving off dementia when you have mild cognitive impairment?
• What are the pros and cons of an early diagnosis of a dementia disorder, like Alzheimer's Disease? 

Dr. Karlawish and I go deep in our discussion of how we as a society value human life, and talk about:

• Why dementia should be seen as a disability that deserves accommodations
• Why we need to stop using harmful metaphors (e.g., "zombie, "vegetable") of people living with dementia. 

Click here to visit the show notes page to learn more.
Click here to listen to the podcast

FREE GUIDES

• Download the Memory Loss Guide here
• Download the Caring for Aging Parents Checklist here.

HAVE A QUESTION:

• Have a question you'd like me to answer on the podcast? Submit your question here

Interested in working with me? 

• For Families: Click here
• For Professionals: Click here

Help others find this show and get tools for mental health, brain health, and caregiving while aging:

• My mission is to give you tools for caring for aging parents so you have peace of mind knowing you're doing everything you can to help your older loved one live their best life.
• You can help by sharing episodes, and subscribing to the podcast. Click here to subscribe in  iTunes!
• Then, leave a review. Your review will help other people find this podcast.

I read them all. Thank you!

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DISCLAIMER: The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments Dr. Koepp may make on the TV Show, blog, or in response to an individual’s story or comments should not be construed as establishing a psychologist-patient relationship between Dr. Koepp and the individual. None of Dr. Koepp's show, website, social media, comments, or group information should be considered a substitute for individualized medical or mental health assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Dr. Koepp is only representing herself in her TV Show, blogs, and on her website.

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits