Rona Barrett's Gray Matters: The Podcast

We sincerely hope that all seniors have people in their lives to support them when they need a bit of help, but that's not always the case. In this week's podcast, Rona tells a story about one such senior in her life, and provides resources for "Orphaned Seniors" to help in their time of need.

Grief and loss have been close to home for so many of us during the pandemic On this week's Gray Matters podcast, Rona discusses how grief affects seniors in particular, and how family, friends, and caregivers can help.

Valentine's Day is coming up. Cupid is on the way and our minds are on romance. Or… something else? Rona Barrett re-imagines how celebrities, writers and comedians might respond to the AARP survey "You're Old, I'm Not: How Americans Really Feel About Aging."

In 2016, in good health, but feeling rundown, Rona Barrett discovered she needed a stent. Hear all about her coronary adventure - with a healthy dose of humor - to help raise awareness of heart health during February's Heart Month.

As we wrap up this month of resolutions, Rona chooses from two very different suggestions on how to find our purpose, ease our anxiety and make a rest-of-your-life personal business plan to achieve 'soul-satisfying success.'

This month while many of us are sharing our New Year's resolutions and dreams of the future, many others are facing the uncertain tomorrows that come with caring for a loved one with dementia. Even Hollywood has deemed dementia a worthy subject area with films like Iris and Still Alice.

At our age, anything that promises to add more years to our lives catches our attention. A recent study shows that book-readers live an average of almost two years longer than those who do not read books. Do you keep books on your shelves that you revisit like long-time friends? Come meet some of my special friends – join me for an insider's tour of my very own bookshelf!

If you haven't yet made your New Year's resolutions, feel free to borrow from Rona's caregiving manifesto a (tongue-in-cheek) New Year's resolution list for the 35 million Americans who care for a beloved elder: Let's Resolve to Take This Job and Love It!  

The new year is starting. Are you thinking about your path ahead? We don't always know where it's going to wind up, but I know where it always seems to begin. After thirty years in the "business," and becoming "Miss Somebody," I had that old feeling that change must come. Once again, I put one foot in front of the other and followed a new path.

In It's a Wonderful Life , George Bailey was given the gift of seeing what his family's life and his community would be like had he not existed. I, too, have been given a gift — a challenge from the past and a glimpse into the future. What we can do for to give our seniors in need the golden years they deserve. With a nod to the spirits of the Past, Present and Yet to Come, take my arm and let's h...

This week, join Rona Barrett in the play-along-at-home version of Gray Matters, where we get to ask – and answer – some burning questions about ourselves…! Let's get started. Favorite word?

Join Rona for a personal story of living with grief, and thoughts about how to take comfort when you or a loved one are finding the holidays a bittersweet time. Stop by for a few moments for Tidings of Joy and Comfort, this week on Rona Barrett's Gray Matters: The Podcast.

"A very interesting thing happened today," my girlfriend told me in a conversation years ago. Her son Max had come home from school excitedly exclaiming, "Ma, I had a fun time today. We went to see the old people…" Well, the 'old person' turned out to be none other than… you guessed it, my own dad. A sweet memory for me. I look forward with hope to our world getting back to normal, and seeing more...

These days, I'm counting my blessings more than ever – and making a list of all that I'm thankful for. But first, I'd like to share this little-known story I have filed under "Thankful", and … under one of my other favorite headings: "It takes a woman..." This Thanksgiving Holiday, I'm thankful for YOU!

Remember when Dorothy faces The Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz? Well, that's exactly how I felt when I finally got up the courage to ask my boss if I could take a day off. By the way, I am my own boss! Please take some time to be good to yourself so you can be good to others.

Rona Barrett's entertainment industry career was built on curiosity about what makes people tick. With holiday visits coming up, or anytime you are connecting with family and friends, here are some tips to help you learn more about the loved ones in your life.

When your brain acts like a washing machine, whizzing away, ruminating about the past and worrying about the future, what can you do to stop it from spinning out of control? I'd love to share some of the ways that work for me -  in today's Gray Matters. Let's take good care of ourselves, so we can take the best care of our loved ones!

Halloween special edition! What better time to talk about fears of aging than during the countdown to All Hallows Eve? I'll tell you about my fears if you tell me about yours.    

If not for Alice, and Thelma, and Sallee, and… Did you ever feel like someone was watching over you? I certainly have. And I've come to realize that the path of a guardian angel can be a magical two-way street. Who are the guardian angels in your life? The ones without whom your milestones would still be only dreams?

'With all the bad news we are bombarded with, people keep asking me, "How do you manage to keep a smile on your face?" I'll tell you, Frank-ly, here are the ways I get back on an even keel! ' Join Rona Barrett, groundbreaking entertainment media icon, now advocate for seniors in their time of need for Gray Matters: The Podcast.

Was it the Golden Globes or the Oscars? Was it the Ambassador Hotel or the Hilton? Whichever! The mirror in the ladies' room was not the place I was expecting to come face to face with my future! That's where I learned it's never too late to ask ourselves what we want to become.

So tell Dr. Rona how you're feeling. Exhausted? No time to rest? Working fulltime? How about life changes? Caregiving your elderly parent in your spare time? Bingo! Today's Gray Matters is "Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's Over The Brink I Go..."

How could two such different travelers have so much in common? One was "Mighty 90." The other? Let's just say it might have been Yours Truly. Today's Gray Matters is " A Tale of Two Very Different Travelers."

Can we battle the stereotypes of aging – and keep a sense of humor? Let's find out in today's Gray Matters, "The Old-Age Farce Awakens."  

It could happen to anyone at any time. At any age. We're never ready to lose someone we love. There are as many ways to grieve – and to heal – as there are people on this earth. Today's Gray Matters is "Be Prepared To Be Unprepared."