Aging Matters

Conversation w/ Elizabeth Field, Chief Operating Officer, Elizabeth Dole Foundation, and Pattie Cullum, 2025 Dole Caregiver Fellow, about family member caregiver duties and responsibilities for military and veteran family members, and the mission of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to provide support.

Conversation w/ Erica Wood, JD, Consultant on Law and Aging, about adult guardianship, what it means for a court to declare a person “incapacitated,” and duties and powers of a guardian as well as qualifications needed to serve.

Conversation w/ Suzanne Lapierre, Virginia Room Librarian, Fairfax County Virginia Public Library, about innovative programs and services being developed by libraries to meet diverse characteristics and circumstances of older adults. 

Conversation w/ Rob Haynie, Managing Director, Life Insurance Settlements, Inc., about pros and cons of buying life insurance and what to know about life settlements.

Conversation w/ Jim Joseph, CFP, President, FSA Wealth Partners, about factors to consider when planning for and after retirement, hiring a financial professional, and ensuring best approaches to personal financial growth and security.  

Conversation w/   Shawn Smith, Director, Virginia Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP),   about the differences between Medicare fraud, abuse, and billing errors, and how SMPs help beneficiaries handle complaints related to these practices.

Conversation w/ Carter Florence, Vice President, Programs, Meals on Wheels America, and Mary Tugwell, President, Meals on Wheels of Arlington, about Meals on Wheels services, program enrollment, and volunteer opportunities.

Conversation w/ Sara Margolin, PhD, Associate Professor, SUNY Brockport, and Author, about falsehoods and myths perpetuated about aging, and the positive aspects of the aging process

Conversation w/ Jocelyn Wittstein, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon and Co-Author, about aging-related changes in older adult joints and bones due to osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, and food/beverages, dietary supplements, and exercises to help improve bone and joint health.

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.