My guest today on Specifically for Seniors is Emmy winner, international acclaimed journalist, executive producer, food and travel lover, and creator of the beloved groundbreaking show Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, David Page takes us deep into the world of chefs, restaurateurs, and everything “foodie” on his new podcast Culinary Characters Unlocked, featuring incisive, entertaining and uninhibited conversations with culinary stars, future stars, as well as chefs and owners who run beloved local classics and mom-n-pop restaurants from coast to coast.

My guests today on Specifically for Seniors caught my attention in an Opinion piece in the Washington Post.  Professors Ben Katz and Pamela Teaster urged “an objective, scientific conversation about mental and physiological aging - both for our leaders and for the rapidly aging populations around the world” realizing that these conversations are both difficult and obligatory.

My guest today on Specifically for Seniors is a practicing magician, but his story goes way beyond slight of hand and deceptions. Richard Hatch holds two graduate degrees in physics, but found it easier to apparently violate ther laws of physics than to discover them. Dick has always had a fascination with books on magic, but one book, in particular, led him a deeper understanding of the Jewish people during the holocaust.

Dick discovered and translated, from the German, a book entitled DIE JUDEN IN DER ZAUBERKUNDST - Jews in Magic published in Berlin in 1933 wirtten by a Jewish author named Gunter Damman. Researching the book, Dick, who is not Jewish, came to a deeper understanding of the plight of the Jewish people during the holocaust which we talk about during the podcast.

This is a story you have not heard about the holocaust and one that you must hear.

An unfortunate fact of life at our age is that sooner or later we are going to face a hospital admission whether due to an illness, an injury or pain, and that can be confusing and frightening. Many of us need help in preparing for an Emergency Room and/or hospital visit. Once in the hospital learning how to navigate hospital care and advocate for ourselves is essential

So I called on Dr. Monique Nugent, author of Prescription for Admission: A Doctor's Guide for Navigating the Hospital, Advocating for Yourself and Having a Better Hospitalization for advice.

Dr. Nugent is a praciticing hospitalist and Associate Director for the Division of Hospital Medicne at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, MA. She completed her medical school training and residency training at Loma Linda University Medcal Center in southern California and completed her Master in Public Health at the Harvard Schoo f Public Health.

Dr. Nugent and I talk about what to do before you face a hospital admission and how to advocate for yourself once in the hospital. Her well-organized book is essential readng for older adults.

Book is available everywhere books are sod and at Amazon.

Prescription for Admission

My guest today on Specifically for Seniors is a practicing Rabbi and stand-up comedian.  Bob Alper has been seen on Good Morning America, Showtime, The BBC, CNN and was featured on Extra, TV’s top rated entertainment program, immediately following a segment on the size of Jennifer Lopez’s butt.

Bob and I talk about how a Rabbi got started as a stand-up comedian, why he feels that humor is holy, hs 'gentle' humor, his book - Life Doesn't Get Any Better Than This - and how his father used to shower with the lady next door.

Bob talked about performing and explained several of his programs - The Spirituality of Laughter and his Laugh in Peace Tour where he performs with Christian and Muslim comedians.

Bob enlightened me on Albana's role in saving Jews during the holocaust and how Albania was in contention for becoming a Jewish state.

We got serious at the end of the podcast about the war n Gaza, anti-semitism and the pro-palestinian protests in New York City.

Books:

Life Doesn't Get Any Better Than This: The Holiness of Little Daily Dramas

Thanks I Needed That

I have a friend who just celebrated his 100th birthday. He was a bombadier during World War II. He is in great physical ad mental health, has written a play about his experiences and is trying to cast that play at the senior residence he considers home. This got me wondering if there was a way that more of us could live well into old age, so I called on Noelle Nelson, PhD author of “The Longevity Secret, How to Live Happy, Healthy & Vibrant Into Your 70s, 80s, 90s and Beyond” for the answer.

One of the best parts of doing this podcast is that it gives me the opportunity to meet and talk with some remarkable people who've done exceptional things after retirement. Chad Richardson was a Detroit police officer who gave himself the gift of filmmaking when he retired from law enforcement. On today's episode of Specifically for Seniors takes us on his journey to fulfill his dream after retirement.

Maggie Scarf is a former visiting fellow at the Whitney Humanities Center, Yale University, and a fellow of Jonathan Edwards College, Yale University. She was for many years a Contributing Editor to The New Republic and a member of the advisory board of the American Psychiatric Press.

There is an organization in Massachusetts that is focused on caring for an aging population, that develops services that meet older adults’ needs and preferences and advocates for us. I had not heard of this organization before so we invited Elissa Sherman, the President of LeadingAge Massachusetts. to explain it to us.

Rick Mater is a longtime runner and Emmy-nominated TV executive living in Los Angeles. He was born in Pinner, England, and grew up in California, New Jersey, and Munich, Germany.

A miler in high school, he lettered in cross-country in college and has run the Grand Canyon twice as a cardiac patient. A heart attack survivor, he has four stents in his left anterior descending artery and a defibrillator implanted in the side of his chest. He is the author of Six Hours: Running for My Life in the Grand Canyon.Rick and I talk about overcoming medical problems and facing the challenge of a 17 mile run in the Grand Canyon - twice.

Rick's books:

Beat - https://www.amazon.com/Beat-Richard-Lewis-Mater/dp/1736823019

Six Hours: Running for My Life in the Grand Canyon - https://www.amazon.com/Six-Hours-Running-Grand-Canyon-ebook/dp/B0BGQNPWMK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39ETR5NAJTFZ3&keywords=beat+by+rick+mater&qid=1707662706&sprefix=beat+by+rick+mater%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-1