If you are among the millions of well-traveled people who are looking for a new and enriching kind of vacation, consider volunteering in a foreign country.

Our guest, Michelle Gran of Global Volunteers explains the short programs from China to Cuba and Poland to Peru for volunteers who help provide a better life in a different part of the world. Volunteers become part of a community, explore a different culture and come home with a greater understanding of the world. No special skills required! Check out globalvolunteers.org

Brought to you by NEXTVillageSF.org

NEXT Village SF is a neighborhood nonprofit providing services and support that empowers members to live independently.

This episode deals with looking at your life and figuring out what is important. Our guest, Dr. Jordan Grumet, is a hospice doctor who listens to the regrets of dying patients and realized that the end of life can teach us how to make every moment count.

Author of "Taking Stock", Grumet gives us a guide on how to live and die well.

Brought to you by NEXTVillageSF.org

NEXT Village SF is a neighborhood nonprofit providing services and support that empowers members to live independently.

We all notice ageism, but often we don't know what to do about it. Today's guest helps us see that we tolerate, and even promote, attitudes and behaviors toward older people that we would reject and condemn if applied to any other group.

Dr. Tracey Gendren, author of Ageism Unmasked, exposes how cultural norms and unconscious prejudices have seeped into our lives, silently shaping our treatment of others based on age and our own misconceptions about aging—and about ourselves. She gives tips on how to destroy the myths of aging and lead a full life at any age.

Brought to you by NEXTVillageSF.org

NEXT Village SF is a neighborhood nonprofit providing services and support that empowers members to live independently.

Money is a tricky subject for many of us, but no one can ignore it forever. As we age, spending can be just as confusing as saving, so it is a good idea to make sure you understand your financial needs and expectations.

Our guest, Amberly Grant, is a financial educator and believes everyone should strive for financial independence.

Brought to you by NEXTVillageSF.org

NEXT Village SF is a neighborhood nonprofit providing services and support that empowers members to live independently.

When taking care of ailing loved ones becomes too hard on a family, we turn to professional caregivers. Older adults and others often hire professional help to come into their home to assist them. Who are these people, are they trained, are there standards they must meet, and how can we make the relationship between patient and caregiver better and more secure?

Vicki Hoag, CEO of the Home Care Association of America, helps us understand the issue from both perspectives.

Brought to you by NEXTVillageSF.org

NEXT Village SF is a neighborhood nonprofit providing services and support that empowers members to live independently.

Misunderstanding the senior market is a big, costly mistake. After all, we older adults have more money to spend than younger people do and there are so many of us! But image makers like advertising agencies have been slow to understand our needs and our resistance to negative images.

Paul Flowers is an advertising executive in Dallas who created an ad agency dedicated to serving Baby Boomers with sensitive and meaningful commercials. He talks about his successes and his failures and how older consumers need to push for change.

Brought to you by NEXTVillageSF.org

NEXT Village SF is a neighborhood nonprofit providing services and support that empowers members to live independently.

Professor and geriatrician Louise Aronson, author of Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, etc., talks about how the medicalization of aging has negatively affected our later years.

Dr. Aronson provides suggestions on how we can rethink aging and work to transform medical care so that our wishes for treatment and care are respected.


Brought to you by NEXTVillageSF.org

NEXT Village SF is a neighborhood nonprofit providing services and support that empowers members to live independently.

As we get older, we may notice mental and emotional changes in our friends. Didn't he tell me that story 5 times already? Isn't she reluctant to go to new places when she used to love it?

As a close friend, what is our role in supporting our friend and maintaining our relationship, changed and challenging though it may be? Our guest expert, Mary Hulme, understands the dilemma and the challenges of trying to do the right thing for our friends.

Brought to you by NEXTVillageSF.org

NEXT Village SF is a neighborhood nonprofit providing services and support that empowers members to live independently.

Learning to read is a challenge for children, and many young readers need help as they begin to comprehend the basics.

Experience Corps, a volunteer-based tutoring program, helps children become great readers and older tutors become active members of their communities. The tutors feel needed and appreciated and sharing time and experiences with young students is a benefit for all.

Experience Corps program director Sandra Strang describes the program and two volunteers share their reasons for participation.

Brought to you by NEXTVillageSF.org

NEXT Village SF is a neighborhood nonprofit providing services and support that empowers members to live independently.

No matter how young or old you are, dating can be intimidating. It is even more stressful if you haven't dated for a long time. But it is possible to get out there again, and psychologist Wendy Lyon shares tips for older adults. Dr. Lyon says being confident and clear on what you want is the best way to begin.

Brought to you by NEXTVillageSF.org

NEXT Village SF is a neighborhood nonprofit providing services and support that empowers members to live independently.