Risking Old Age in America: The Coming Elder Care Crisis

Chia Lin-Simmons, CEO of LogicMark, describes becoming a “sandwich generation” caregiver after her experience with an embarrassing, imprecise, unattractive medical alert worn by her mother-in-law, motivating her to modernize the category with AI and IoT. Drawing on 30 years in tech (including Harman, Audible, Google, and an AI startup), she explains LogicMark’s shift from reactive fall alerts to m...

Harry interviews Ryan Frederick, founder and CEO of Here and author of ‘Right Place, Right Time,’ about how where you live influences quality of life, health, longevity, finances, and social connection—especially in the second half of life. Frederick explains his path from Silicon Valley to senior housing and writing the book during the pandemic, concluding that people lack a framework to evaluate...

Anthony Zizza, a geriatrician and chief medical officer at Element Care PACE, describes his career from Beth Israel Deaconess and Harvard to Landmark Health, a mobile interdisciplinary house-calls group serving the top 5% of complex Medicare Advantage patients, and why PACE was a natural next step. He explains PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) as a Medicare/Medicaid model for ad...

Harry talks with historian Daniel Horowitz, author of “On Retirement: How Aging Is Transforming American Lives .” He discusses his wide-ranging prior work and his move with his historian wife to a continuing care retirement community near their daughter. He describes major changes in aging and retirement since midcentury: longer lifespan and healthspan, key policy supports (Social Security, Medica...

Amy Schectman, CEO of 2Life Communities, explains 2Life’s mission to provide affordable, purpose-filled aging through deeply affordable housing and advocacy, and describes Opus Newton, a continuing care retirement community for the “missing middle” who earn too much for subsidies but can’t afford luxury options. She contrasts NewBridge’s high-income model with mixed-income Brown House and explains...

Harry talks with Susan Ryan, CEO of AgingIN, who pursued a “call to action” after seeing physical and chemical restraints used in nursing homes, including a case where a woman suffered a fractured hip and returned from the hospital with stage four decubitus ulcers. Susan moved into home care and geriatric education but found home care costly and sometimes isolating, leading her to culture-change e...

Heidi Hartmann and Jeff Hayes, both based in Washington, DC and formerly at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, discuss their study on the shifting supply and demand of care work. They found immigrant workers are increasingly essential to direct care, with a growing share of workers being people of color and about three-quarters women, while pay remains low and many workers rely on public b...

Sacramento attorney Ed Dudensing joins Harry to discuss nursing home and assisted living litigation, including his $110 million verdict against corporate owners Colony Capital and Formation Capital after a cognitively impaired 100-year-old resident with dementia wandered out an unalarmed second-floor door, was locked outside, fell, and died of exposure on a 38–39° February night. Dudensing describ...

Harry is joined by Massachusetts State Representative Tom Stanley, chair of the legislature’s Aging and Independence Committee, to discuss major elder-care initiatives, including the 2024 long-term care reform law (Chapter 197), the first major update in over 25 years. The law strengthens transparency and oversight of nursing homes and assisted living through expanded suitability reviews of owners...

Harry talks with Neal Shah, co-founder and CEO of CareYaya, a digital platform matching healthcare students with seniors for affordable companion care (~$20/hr). He critiques costly home-care agencies, underfunded social care, and looming workforce shortages, and discusses impact funding, policy changes, and planning for elder-care expenses. Visit https://www.careyaya.org/ Topics 00:00 Why Getting...

Wendy Adlerstein, co-owner of First Light Home Care of West Suburban Boston, shares her journey and experiences running a private, non-medical home healthcare agency. Wendy discusses the benefits of being part of a larger franchise, the challenges faced in recruiting qualified caregivers, and the impact of immigration policies on staffing. She also highlights the importance of licensure and regula...

George Kueppers, the research director of the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), discusses the organization's role and mission. Founded in 1996, NAC focuses on public policy needs and understanding the impact of family caregiving in the United States. George highlights the extensive work of NAC and its members to improve the health and wellbeing of family caregivers who provide care for loved...

Harry interviews Dr. Sara Zeff Geber, who coined the term 'solo agers' to describe individuals without reliable family support as they age. They discuss the growing population of solo agers, particularly among baby boomers, and explore the challenges and opportunities in planning for later life. Key topics include the importance of having a robust estate plan, the role of licensed professional fid...

Harry speaks with Dr. Dawn Carpenter of the Milken Institute about the concept of financial longevity and the importance of maintaining financial security and dignity as people age. They discuss the definitions and implications of financial longevity, the psychological aspects of personal finance, and the role of uncertainty in financial planning. Dr. Carpenter shares insights from her personal ex...

Harry discusses the impending elder care crisis with Richard Moore of Dignity Alliance Massachusetts. With the first wave of baby boomers approaching 85, the age at which many will need assistance, the conversation covers the Alliance’s founding during the COVID-19 pandemic and its initiatives, including legislation, education, advocacy, and litigation aimed at improving conditions for older adult...

The guest is Jane Tavares, a researcher from the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass Boston, details a study conducted in partnership with the National Council on Aging (NCOA) that highlights the financial vulnerability of older adults. Key findings include that 80% of older households lack the resources to handle major financial shocks and the stark mortality gap between wealth quintiles. The convers...

Harry welcomes Laura D. Quinby, associate director of research, employee benefits and labor markets at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College; and Luc Schuster, Executive Director at Boston Indicators to discuss the economic challenges facing older adults in Massachusetts. Their conversation revolves around a recent report by the Boston Foundation and the Center for Retirement Resear...

Harry interviews Bonnie-May Shantz of the Executive Office of Aging and Independence about Massachusetts' newly released Age-Friendly State Plan. They discuss the plan's history, spanning ten years of development starting from local initiatives to joining AARP's age-friendly network. The plan encompasses six goals, including economic security, community empowerment, livable spaces, health and well...

Harry speaks with Peyton Whitney about the findings from a recent report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies. The discussion delves into the concept of 'housing burden,' where households spend more than 30% of their income on housing, and its severe implications for older adults. They explore the escalating costs of housing and long-term care, particularly home-based care, and how these costs...

The guest is Catherine Buell, the former director of Amazon's Housing Equity Fund. The conversation delves into why many baby boomers stay in their homes, how this impacts the housing market, and potential solutions such as wellness and multi-generational communities. Katherine shares her insights from her experience managing public housing and the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, emphasizing the impor...

Joe Seldner, the founder of the Senior Poverty Prevention Project, discusses his motivations and experiences in raising awareness about senior poverty, which he noticed during his own financial struggles after a lengthy custody battle in the late '90s. The project primarily aims to highlight the lack of awareness surrounding senior poverty and encourage public discourse and policy changes. The con...

Harry welcomes Howard Gleckman, Senior Fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, to discuss the implications of proposed Medicaid cuts under President Trump's administration. They delve into the technical aspects and potential consequences such as reduced home health coverage, the effects on long-term care for older adults and people with disabilities, and the anticipated challenges for Med...

In this episode, Harry interviews Ben Veghte, executive director of the Washington Cares Fund, about the fund's initiative for public long-term care insurance in Washington state. They discuss the urgent need for such a system due to the aging population and caregiver shortages. Ben explains how the program works and its benefits, including the potential for supplemental private insurance. Additio...

Harry is joined by Jim Lomastro to discuss the state of long-term care and nursing homes, particularly focusing on the differences between the systems in Massachusetts and Canada. Jim shares his extensive experience working with the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and his observations about the superior quality and regulatory rigor of Canadian facilities. Key issues discussed include sy...

Harry speaks with Dr. Derenda Schubert, executive director of Bridge Meadows, a unique senior housing concept based in Portland, Oregon. Bridge Meadows communities are designed to support both elders and families impacted by foster care, creating an intentional intergenerational living environment. Derenda explains the layout and features of these communities, the financing and subsidies involved,...