45 Forward

Archive page date: August 23, 2021. Source audio release date: August 23, 2021. Louis Theodore may be a retired professor, but he is anything but the retiring type. After a distinguished career teaching chemical engineering at Manhattan College and serving as director of the Graduate Program (primarily responsible for his program achieving a No. 2 national ranking) Lou has continued to lead an ext...

Archive page date: November 8, 2021. Source audio release date: November 8, 2021. As we prepare to celebrate Veterans Day this month, today's episode features veteran Jim Smith, who served as an Army correspondent for Stars and Stripes, the Defense Department's daily newspaper, during the Vietnam War, reporting from every major city in Vietnam, from the Delta to the Demilitarized Zone. Whether it...

Archive page date: July 20, 2023. Source audio release date: July 24, 2023. One of the tragic outcomes of the coronavirus pandemic was not only the number of deaths from COVID, but the number of deaths in the nation's nursing homes—which, at one point accounted for more than a fifth of all deaths according to the federal government's estimate. And what made these deaths even more grievous was that...

Archive page date: August 21, 2023. Source audio release date: August 21, 2023. Graduating from college as an outstanding student in French, Jim Ryan began his career as a high school foreign language teacher on Long Island. But over the years, his passion for teaching would take him on an unexpected journey that would lead him to an iconic role as—in his words—a "spreader of happiness." In today'...

Archive page date: April 1, 2024. Source audio release date: April 1, 2024. It's been 21 years since the U.S. Senate declared April to be National Financial Literacy Month, and since that time, financial education has become a perennial national issue, especially among young people who need key skills to take control of their money and plan for the future. But the importance of such skills has gro...

Archive page date: April 15, 2024. Source audio release date: April 15, 2024. There are special moments in life when we experience a profound sense of awe at the planet we inhabit—such as the recent solar eclipse, when communities across America gathered in public spaces to gaze at the sky in wonder. Indeed, as we mark this year's Earth Month, we need to blend our concerns over climate change and...

Originally broadcast May 13, 2024. The archive page is dated May 9, 2024. Guests: Kristin Smith, Betsy Smith and Bess Friedman. When older Americans are asked about where they want to live during their later years, an overwhelming majority say they want to "age in place"—in the comfort, safety and security of their current home, for as long as possible. But aging at home also brings challenges. Ho...

Archive page date: July 22, 2024. Source audio release date: July 22, 2024. As we get older, we all strive to increase the years of "healthspan," along with our lifespan. But how can we plan to sustain overall wellness during elderhood—potentially into our 90s—not only our physical health, but our mental and emotional health and sense of well-being? In today's episode, Tim Daniels, an independent...

Archive page date: September 16, 2024. Source audio release date: September 16, 2024. We're in an age driven by fast-moving technology, but how do we find ways to intersect these technological changes with everyday human behavior? In today's episode, I talk with Howard Fields, a former IBM executive whose career has evolved as the Founder and Principal Consultant of Rethink Alignment Howard is a f...

Archive page date: January 6, 2025. Source audio release date: January 6, 2025. Encore presentation using the January 6, 2025 release. The first time I met Dr. Ken Dychtwald was in 1989, when I was writing a cover story about older workers as a business reporter for Newsday, Long Island's daily newspaper. I remember it well. I was interviewing job experts and workers who talked about the frustrati...

Original broadcast date: 2024-03-25. As we close out Women's History Month, we talk with the Hon. Gail Prudenti, who reflects on her continually ground-breaking career as a distinguished jurist, law school dean and now partner of a boutique New York law firm. Judge Prudenti was the first woman to hold a number of judicial posts in New York State, including the Presiding Justice of the Appellate fo...

Original broadcast date: 2024-08-26. We know that exercise is an essential factor in maintaining our health and overall well-being—and it's no less important as we get older. But often with age comes pain, the result of accidents, injuries, physical labor or the toll of daily wear and tear on our bodies. So how do we make sure to keep movement in our lives? In today's episode, I talk with Ahmed Ah...

Original broadcast date: 2025-02-19.  As we move through our fast-paced lives, year after year, trying to juggle personal, family and work demands, we inevitably face a pointed question: Has my life been a success? We'd like to think so, but how would we define success? And how would we achieve it—especially when we often find ourselves buffeted by unexpected circumstances, feeling out of balance...

Original broadcast date: 2024-12-16. Several years ago, as Scott Fisher and Ben Green approached their 70th birthdays, the challenges of aging loomed large for these two lifelong friends. Scott, an organizational psychologist, and Ben, a psychoanalyst, were curious about what kept some elders going strong while others lost interest or drive, or both. And they were determined to learn as much as po...

Archive episode date: June 7, 2021. Source audio release date: June 7, 2021. When we plan for our later years, most of us consider factors like health, housing, financial security, lifestyle and caregiving, but we tend of overlook one distinct possibility: What if end up aging alone? Recent studies have found that between 30 and 35% of older adults in the U.S. are expected to age alone within the...

Archive episode date: September 6, 2021. Source audio release date: June 7, 2021. Encore presentation of the recording also featured in episode 22. When we plan for our later years, most of us consider factors like health, housing, financial security, lifestyle and caregiving, but we tend of overlook one distinct possibility: What if end up aging alone? Recent studies have found that between 30 an...

Want more choices as you age? Start the long-term care conversation before a crisis makes the decisions for you. Ron Roel talks with care advocate and LTCareNav founder Lindsay Friedman about preparing for future care needs and helping families find a way forward. Lindsay explains why planning can feel difficult, how families can begin sensitive conversations, and why understanding available optio...

What does compassionate care look like when a family is navigating serious mental illness? Ron Roel speaks with psychiatrist Dr. Ellen Bassuk and her son, Daniel Schoonover, about their memoir, Between Two Worlds: A Psychiatrist and Her Son's Quest for Compassionate Care. Together, they share a personal account of facing a difficult mental health system, searching for effective support, and findin...

What if the greatest barriers to independence are built into everyday life? Ron Roel welcomes Mary Keating, a lawyer, disability advocate, poet, and author of Recalibrating Gravity, for a conversation about access, identity, and living fully. After a car accident at fifteen left her paralyzed, Mary built a life that challenges assumptions about disability. Her memoir in verse offers a personal per...

How can families move from feeling overwhelmed by caregiving to leading care with confidence and compassion? Ron Roel talks with Mark Wilson, author of Breakthrough Alzheimer's Care: A Guide to Finding Courage, Longevity, and Joy on the Journey, about a practical approach to supporting a loved one with Alzheimer's disease. Drawing on personal experience, Mark explores the shift from caregiver to c...

What if aging is a series of flexible transitions filled with new possibilities? Ron Roel speaks with Stuart C. Kaplan, co-author of Your Aging Advantage: The 7 New Stages of Aging, about a different way to understand the aging journey. This episode explores: • Seven flexible stages and the possibilities within them • How health, mindset, and engagement influence how old we feel • Practical planni...

For Older Americans Month, Ron Roel welcomes back Kathleen Otte, a guest on the very first episode of 45 Forward. After almost three decades in aging services, Kathleen reflects on her work with the Administration for Community Living and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This episode explores: • A career dedicated to older adults and family caregivers • The role of community suppo...

What would it mean to plan for aging before a crisis arrives? Ron Roel speaks with Greg Olsen about New York's Master Plan for Aging and the needs of older adults, families, and caregivers. This episode explores: • How the Master Plan for Aging came together • Bringing public, private, and community voices into planning • Caregiving, housing, health, and social connection • Supporting independence...

How can experienced professionals make their value clear in a changing world of work? Ron Roel welcomes Dr. Angela Mulrooney, founder of Unleashing Influence, to discuss professional identity, reinvention, and her Niche of Genius approach. This episode explores: • Concerns about ageism and artificial intelligence • Clarifying the expertise that makes you distinctive • Reconstructing a credible pro...

What can one remarkable life teach us about courage and independence? Ron Roel speaks with author Robert W. Norris about his mother Kay and his memoir, The Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. This episode explores: • Growing up during the Depression • Kay's adventurous and independent spirit • The relationship between a mother and her son • Remembering family history through storytelling B...