Episode 10: The Baby Boomer generation—adults born between 1946 and 1964—represents 44% of the US population, and in the next 5 years, they’re projected to hold 70% of US disposable income and buy 49% of total consumer-packaged goods.

This generation continues to smash cultural expectations and redefine the playing field. In this episode, we delve into the mind of the Boomer to understand what’s next for this active, opinionated, and powerful demographic.

Do you consider age a number or more of a mindset? How has this affected the choices you’ve made about your future? Share your stories with us at [email protected] or find us on your favorite social media platform.

Links:

Boomer Consumer by Matt Thornhill and John Martin

Episode 09: Discussing your parent’s wishes can be a difficult process, but Dick Edwards is here to help. Dick has spent 36 years in the eldercare field and is currently an administrator of the award-winning Charterhouse, run by Mayo Clinic. Edwards is the author of the book Mom, Dad, Can We Talk? A guide on how to have more loving and productive conversations around the changing age of parents. He joins the podcast today to discuss his best tips and methods to avoid.

Links:

• “Mom, Dad… Can We Talk?” By Dick Edwards

What’s Next?

How do you plan on talking to your parents about their plans? Share your stories with us at  [email protected] or find us on your favorite social media platform.

Episode 08: Dr. Maureen O’Connor is the Associate Director of Boston University’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center Education Core and Director of Neuropsychology at the Bedford VA Hospital. She has dedicated her career to studying dementia and cognitive decline and hopes to assist families in patients through the difficult transition. She joins the podcast today to define what dementia is, explain the impact of a positive outlook, and encourage listeners to discuss any changes they see with their primary care provider. 

Links:

• Six Steps to Managing Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia: A Guide for Families By: Dr. Maureen O’Connor
• Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory: What's Normal, What's Not, and What to Do About It By: Dr. Maureen O’Connor

Episode 07: Cindy Martin is the Vice President of Quality for the RiverWoods Group. Cindy is a registered nurse with more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare field in a variety of settings. In the past 15 years at RiverWoods, she has set the standard for nursing within three communities. She currently leads quality efforts within the RiverWoods group, including maintaining state and federal quality guidelines. She joins the podcast today to discuss assisted living and types of long-term care.

Links:

• Compare Long Term Care Facilities Here

What’s Next?

Is your loved one a night owl or early bird and what do they want their days of retirement to look like? Share your stories at [email protected]

Episode 05: In 2015, award-winning New York Times journalist John Leland set out to meet members of America’s fastest-growing age group – adults over the age of 85. He anticipated learning of the challenges of growing old, of isolation and decline of health. What he discovered was the opposite, revealing that the later stages of life can be, in actuality, quite the opposite. 

In this episode, Leland shares some surprising insights gleaned from conversations with the six octogenarians he followed for his book, a few hilarious anecdotes from 87-year-old Fred, and, the real secret to enduring happiness.

• Jonas Mekas
• New York Times articles by John Leland
• “Happiness is a Choice you Make”  By John Leland

Episode 06: Kate Grondin is an experienced professional move manager and started her own transition management company, Home Transition Resources, in 2008. The company has since been acquired by WayForth, the largest full-service provider of total home transition solutions. In her current role, Kate serves as Vice President of New Business Development. Kate has helped hundreds of families and multiple generations to downsize with grace, calm, and ease. In this episode she joins the podcast to discuss some of the challenges of downsizing and offers insight into making the process easier.

• WayForth Move Management

Episode 04: Ashley Campbell has recorded two records, The Lonely One (2018) and Something Lovely (2020). She is the daughter of Glen Campbell, popular American entertainer, who passed away in 2017. Ashley accompanied her father on his last tour playing banjo and was able to help him navigate his final years as he struggled with Alzheimer’s. We listen as Ashley shares Remembering, a song written about her father and featured in the documentary that followed Glen Campbell’s goodbye tour.

• Ashley Campbell’s Website
• Remembering by Ashley Campbell
• Glen Campbell’s Website

Episode 02: Longevity, according to Martin Pazzani, has been increased by pharmaceuticals and surgery, not by the quality of life and mind. The alternative to increasing your life span is using fitness as preventative medicine —fitness can prolong the cognitive and physical decline of your body. He proposes that the simple activity of getting outside and walking can have an immense effect on mood and physiology. In this episode, Pazzani explains how the fitness industry has failed us, offers a better alternative, and explains the powerful impact of JOBO – the Joy of Being Outside. 

Episode 03: Dan Heath is a New York Times best-selling author previously known for his work as one-half of the Heath Brothers. In his first solo book, Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen, Heath explores the concept of “Upstream Thinking,” and identifies barriers like tunneling, problem blindness, and a lack of ownership. Upstream Thinking could be as simple as purchasing a second power cord, or scheduling time to go on a walk. Whatever the outcome is, upstream thinking helps us avoid problems and save time.

• Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath
• Irving Zola
• Marcus Elliott
• Community Aging in Place—Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE)
• Anita Tucker

Episode 01: Dr. Robert Waldinger, a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, currently serves as the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. The longest of its kind, this longitudinal study has been following two groups over the last 75 years to identify the psychosocial predictors of healthy aging. The surprising result of this research revealed one important lesson about what really makes for a happy and healthy life — and it’s not what you’d expect.

• Harvard Study of Adult Development
• Dr. Robert Waldinger
• Lifespan Research Foundation
• “Good genes are nice, but joy is better” The Harvard Gazette