Aging Matters

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.

Conversation w/ Susan I. Wranik, MS, MA, CCC-SLP, Linguist and Speech-Language Pathologist, about problems and disorders treated with speech therapy, treatment techniques, and benefits of speech therapy for older adults.

Conversation w/ Michael DiGeronimo, CTRS, Director, Arlington (VA) Adult Day Program, and William Zagorski, CEO, American Senior Care Centers, and Board Chair, National Adult Day Services Association, about adult day program services and how the program supports family caregivers.

Conversation w/Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, President, The John A. Hartford Foundation, and Ken Dychtwald, PhD, Founder/CEO, Age Wave, about key findings of a national survey, “Meeting the Growing Demand for Age-Friendly Care: Health Care at the Crossroads,” and how geriatric health care can be improved.

Conversation w/ Michelle Thomas, Coordinator, Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program, about Medicare parts and enrollment, Medicare Advantage Plans, and State Health Insurance Assistance Programs.

Conversation w/ with Damon Iacovelli, MAcOM LAc, Acupuncturist and Herbalist, Alleva Acupuncture, about acupuncture therapy, how it affects the body, health conditions treated, and the therapy session experience.  

Conversation w/ Stephanie Hoopes, PhD, National Director, United for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), and Rosie Allen-Herring, MBA, President and CEO, United Way of the National Capital Area, about ways to measure financial hardship and how United Way programs/services help ALICE older adults and families in need.  

Conversation w/ Christy Cole, Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer, Arlington Community Foundation, about the meaning of philanthropy, suggestions for older adults to make a contribution to their communities, and creation and implementation of a strategic plan for philanthropic giving.

Conversation w/ Claire Hannah, Executive Director, Association of Immunization Managers, about Covid-19, flu, and RSV vaccines in addition to other immunizations older adults need to avoid health complications and stay healthy.

Conversation w/ Larry Payne , PhD, yoga therapist, Founder, Samata International Yoga and Health Center, and Founder, International Association of Yoga Therapists, about yoga types, how to practice yoga, and benefits for older adults.

Conversation w/ Greg Ferro, EdD, U.S. history and presidential election lecturer, about older adults’ role in previous presidential elections, and how and for whom they decide to vote; also, the 2024 election, how it differs from previous elections, and factors likely to determine the winner.

Conversation w/ Amy Sanders, MD, Dementia Neurologist, Sunday Health, and Clay Ackerly, MD, Primary Care Physician, Co-Founder. Ackerly McBride Group, and Senior Clinical Advisor, Sunday Health, about cognitive decline among older adults, cognitive assessment tests and treatment, and how the condition can be prevented.

Conversation w/ Eileen Bogdanoff, ancestry advanced researcher, about how tracing family roots through genealogy benefits older adults and their families, and ways to conduct genealogy research to ensure success in learning about one’s family history,

Conversation w/ Kira Vanderlan, CEO/ Owner, Zestful Design, and Joan Palmquist, Member, AARP Speakers Team, MN, about effective ways to declutter and downsize and how professional organizers can help.

Conversation w/ Anne Marie Farage-Smith, pet loss grief counseling professional, and author, Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss, An Animal Lover’s Guide to Grief,   faragesmith.com , about emotional challenges older adults face when relocating and parting with beloved pets, and ways to adjust to life without a pet. 

Conversation w/ Kelly Bulkeley, PhD, psychologist of religion and dream researcher, www.faragesmith.com, about the meaning and incidence of dreams among people of different ages, dreaming among older adults, and how dreams can help them address unresolved issues. 

Conversation w/ Jessica Wynter Martin, Master AI Consultant, about why AI-enabled technology holds the potential to improve older adults’ well-being, examples of how AI currently serves this population, and pros/cons to be addressed as the technology evolves.