Aging Matters

Conversation w/ Julius Birnbaum, MD, MHS, Associate Professor of Rheumatology, and Division Chief of Rheumatology, Mercy Hospital, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Author, about types of rheumatic diseases including risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and disease management.

Conversation w/ Lance A. Slatton, The Senior Care Influencer, and Host, All Home Care Matters podcast, about home-based care services, hiring and working with a home care agency, and scope of home care assistant skills.

Conversation w/ Mary Tinetti, MD, Gladys Phillips Crofoot Professor of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, about Patient Priorities Care, a method of aligning patients’ healthcare decisions and treatment plans with their individual goals and preferences, rather than relying only on medical guidelines or treatment protocols.

Conversation w/ Hey-Jin Kong, MD, Primary Care Physician, about the physical and mental health effects of job loss on government employees and their families, and how health care providers are helping to navigate the challenges that come with unemployment.

Conversation w/ Jose Rivera, Playwright/Director, about writing the play “Your Name Means Dream,” and how artificial intelligence (AI) may enhance older adult lives and impact all people in the future.

Conversation w/ Mary Hyde, PhD, Director, Research and Evaluation, AmeriCorps, about benefits of volunteering for older adults and AmeriCorps Seniors Program services and volunteer opportunities.  

Conversation w/ Brad Moore, MD, Director, Lifestyle Medicine Program, George Washington (GW) University, about basic components of lifestyle medicine, use for assessing older adult health care needs, and recommended approaches and treatments to help patients take control of their health outcomes.

Conversation w/ Emma Violand-Sanchez, Ed. D., Immigrant, Educator, and Author, Dreams and Shadows, An Immigrant’s Journey, about life in Bolivia and as a U.S. citizen, and her work as an educator of children who speak little English and students who want to overcome immigration barriers in pursuit of higher education. 

Conversation w/ David Bernstein, MD, Geriatrician and Author, Senior Driving Dilemmas, Lifesaving Strategies, Second Edition, about health issues older adults face as they age, signs it’s time to stop driving, alternative transportation options, and tips for family conversations about hanging up the keys. 

Conversation w/ Neil Caporaso, MD, Emeritus Professor in Public Health, about alcohol use among older adults including health risks, types of cancer linked to alcohol consumption, and ways to reduce or stop alcohol use. 

Conversation w/ Stan Goldberg, PhD, Professor Emeritus, San Francisco State University, about living with Parkinson’s disease (PD), signs/symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, and how people with PD can maintain quality of life.

Conversation w/ Doug Elwood , MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, and Mark Hanson, PhD, Adviser, Sunday Health, about the interrelationship between biomarkers and artificial intelligence, and other promising diagnostic tools and therapies, which enhance early detection and personalized treatment strategies for MCI and mild dementia.

Conversation w/ Celeste Barry , Program Associate, The Sentencing Project, and Jose Saldana, Director, Release Aging People in Prison, about characteristics of people serving life sentences in the U.S., efforts to change sentencing laws, and findings of the report, “A Matter of Life: The Scope and Impact of Life and Long-Term Imprisonment in the United States."

Conversation w/ Melissa Andrews, President and CEO, LeadingAge Virginia, about middle market member characteristics, factors preventing utilization of current care models, and development and implementation of an alternative living and care option for this population.

Conversation w/ Elexa Waugh-Quasebarth, Clinical Manager/Occupational Therapist, Safe at Home-Home Care Partners, about why older adults should plan ahead if they want to stay in their homes as they age and what to know to successfully age in place.

Conversation w/ Marcella Johnstone, Cosmetologist and Master Stylist, about specialized hair and beauty services tailored to older adult needs, effects of aging on hair, skin, and nails, and settings where beauty care services are provided.

Conversation w/  Elizabeth Gray, Attorney at Law, McCandlish Lillard, about why estate planning is recommended for older adults and how an attorney can assist in creating a plan that best reflects their wishes both before and after their death.

Conversation w/ Linda Siam, Project Director, Northern Virginia Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), and Liz Berke, PhD, Director, Program Operations - SCSEP, National Council on Aging,about current status of age 50+ adults in the workplace, challenges when seeking employment, and how SCSEP can help those who are unemployed find new jobs.

Conversation w/ Patricia D’Antonio, MS MBA, Executive Director, National Center to Reframe Aging, about how ageism impacts our society, why raising awareness of an implicit bias toward older people is needed, and how the National Center is rethinking aging in America.

Conversation w/ Maimoona Bah, LCSW, Division Director, Arlington (VA) Aging & Disability Services Division, about changes over the past decade regarding older adult needs, and how community agencies serve these residents and their families to promote healthier lives.

Conversation w/ Michelle McLeod, PhD, Director, Osteoarthritis Clinical Research Programs, Arthritis Foundation, about diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention of arthritis, and research to find a cure.

Conversation w/ Santa Claus about aging in place with Mrs. Claus at the North Pole, toy production with elves, decision-making about who’s naughty and who’s nice, worldwide travel issues, and retirement considerations. 

Conversation w/ Jack L.B. Gohn, Playwright, Critic and Author, about writing a play called Quitting Time , topics for future works, and productions featuring aging-related themes written by other playwrights.

Conversation w/ Tracey Gendron, MS, PhD, Gerontologist and Chair, Department of Gerontology, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Author, Ageism Unmasked: Exploring Age Bias and How to End It, about how aging and ageism are related, why older adults are targets of ageism, and how to reduce and eliminate it.

Conversation w/ John Kirn Wenderlein III, Hospice Chaplain and Author, Remember Me, about his experiences as a hospice chaplain, and how he and others in that role provide end of life support and help address concerns of terminally ill individuals and their families.