The Agewyz Podcast

Research has shown that positive emotions can help you bounce back from adversity, and that choosing positive emotions over negative ones profoundly affects resilience. In this episode host Jana Panarites updates listeners on her 86-year-old mother Helen’s recent move to Florida, and shares how her mother’s mostly positive outlook on life has kept her on an even keel in the face of all sorts of setbacks. A tale of resilience, long-distance caregiving and learning to let go.

Music: “Barbara” by the US Army Blues; “Swing Gitane” by The Underscore Orkestra

Barbara Frederickson’s TED Talk “Positive Emotions Transform Us” click here: https://youtu.be/hKggZhYwoys

Lisa Binassarie emigrated to the US from Trinidad when she was just three years old and she was raised in New York City. About to turn fifty, she's shocked at the ways her body is betraying her even as her mind remains sharp as a tack. But Lisa is active and eats well, unlike her 69-year-old mother, whose quality of life she worries about despite that mom shares her life with a man who’s devoted to her well-being. Lisa also wonders about her own quality of life going forward. She and her partner don’t have kids, and like many childless people, she wonders who will help care for them in their later years. In this episode Lisa shares her views on how she wants to live those later years, she reflects on the importance of being with people she cares about and the need to promote a good quality of life for her aging gay community.

Brooklyn-born Mary Buhler says you can’t prepare for older age—you have to live it. Now 82-years old, she grew up in an era when kids played stickball in the street and families gathered around the radio for nightly entertainment. In today’s podcast Mary shares the pivotal moments of her life, taking listeners on a colorful journey marked by adventure and tragedy, and years of caring for her late husband who had Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Fasten your seatbelt.

As a teenager Tim couldn’t wait to get away from his parents, but now, at age 50, he visits them regularly at their home in Connecticut. It feels far away from Manhattan, where for the past 25 years Tim has lived as an openly gay man. But the home front beckons: his father has advanced Parkinson’s disease, and his mother can barely keep up as Dad's sole caregiver. In this episode Tim tells us how his mother was finally persuaded to get outside help, he reflects on his changing views of his parents, and he tells us what it’s like to be doing chores around the house that he hasn’t done since he was a kid. Music: “History Explains Itself” by The Losers | CC BY NC | Free Music Archive

With Americans living longer than ever, there’s a good chance many of us will age in place well into our nineties. How will we gain access to health and social services? Will the most frail among us be neglected? The folks at Lifeforce In Later Years (LiLY) are determined to prevent this from happening. Their community living program, Morningside Village, serves “senior seniors” living in New York’s Morningside Heights neighborhood. In today’s episode, Director Paula Seefeldt tells us all about this innovative, holistic model of community living that can be replicated in other cities and towns. Find out more about the work of Morningside Village and Lifeforce in Later Years: http://lifeforce-in-later-years.org To read the “New York’s Oldest Old” newspaper article referred to in the podcast, go here: http://tinyurl.com/p9cu2mq

Middle school teacher Jean Boyer says that with the constant flow of medical professionals going in and out of her house it’s like living at a train station. But when it comes to caring for her daughter Jamie, a 30-year-old with multiple medical problems, Jean is in it for the long haul. A tale of extreme caregiving from Picayune, Mississippi. Music: “Mid Day Blues” by Tate Peterson | CC BY NC | Free Music Archive

By the year 2030, one in five Americans will be age 65 or older. Meeting their needs will be no easy feat, but one organization is making it easier for seniors to age in place: Arlington Neighborhood Village. ANV is a bottom-up model of community living with a dedicated staff and hands on board members. In this episode we go inside the organization with Program Manager Kim Sanz, who believes that community is all about connecting. Learn more about Arlington Neighborhood Village: http://arlnvil.org MUSIC: “Chill” by The Losers | CC BY NC | Free Music Archive

29-year-old Hilary Tone recently traveled to Oregon to celebrate her grandmother’s 98th birthday. In this episode she reflects on how Alzheimer’s has eroded her grandmother’s brain but not her spirit. Hilary also discusses her changing relationship with her own mother, and why it’s important for people in the millennial generation to talk about aging

Gina Latture Briscoe negotiates a range of family dynamics in her position as marketing sales director for an assisted living facility in Washington DC. In this episode she reflects on her “calling” as an elder care advocate and provides tips for family members thinking about placing a relative in an assisted living facility. Gina’s thoughtful approach is informed by her experience of living with multiple generations under the same roof. This episode is dedicated to the memory of Walter “Suge” Latture.

Lisa Saunders realized something wasn’t right with her parents when they got lost on a road trip near her hometown in Northern Virginia. She flew up from Florida to check in on them, and soon got a crash course in long-distance caregiving. In the intense months that followed Lisa juggled caring for her parents with holding down a full time job and managing her own hectic life. How did she do it? She tells us in this episode, and reflects on how her experience as a caregiver informs her job as an estate planner.