Rona Barrett's Gray Matters: The Podcast

While it's not possible to actually download your senior loved one's memories (yet), they absolutely can transfer them to you, all you have to do is ask! This week on Rona Barrett's Gray Matters Podcast, Rona shares some ways for the up and coming generations to stay connected to the seniors in your life. 

This week, Rona talks about "senior moments," those momentary instances of forgetfulness that are an inevitable part of the adventure of aging. Some of us joke about them, some of us deny them, and some of us worry they can only mean one thing.

Caregiving can feel like an uphill battle, and one that no one ever prepared us for! With over 44 million caregivers in the U.S., Rona Barrett proposes a new type of bootcamp, just for caregivers. Where we could learn the things we wish we had known before starting our caregiver journeys.

To celebrate the 50th episode of Rona Barrett's Gray Matters podcast, Rona shares some beautiful quotes from some wonderful seniors. "There are too many unspoken mysteries around growing up and growing older. I hope my podcast will bring people of all ages together to share freely about the experience of phasing into new stages of life." -Groundbreaking media icon Rona Barrett, now advocate for vu...

If our lives were like a screenplay, we would have three Acts. But if you have ever cared for an aging loved one, or if you are of an advanced age yourself, you also know about Act IV. This is the stage of life that many don't like to talk about, when caring for ourselves or our loved one can feel almost impossible. Today's Gray Matters is a tough story, but it leads to a helpful resource we shoul...

How do we handle disappointment? In this Gray Matters episode, Rona Barrett shares her ups and downs from high school days to her Hollywood career – and wise words from some of her heroes. Together let's find a way toward hope as we face our own ups and downs.

Hydration is crucial for seniors as we age, but many of us are not getting enough fluids each day. Dehydration and heat stroke are completely preventable, yet they send seniors to the ER far too often. If you saw all the BIG bottles of water I have placed around my home and office, you'd think I have an unquenchable thirst. There's one on my desk, one by my bed, by the TV, in my car... well, you g...

While many of us may not want to admit it, we all need a little company once in a while. This week on Gray Matters, Rona talks about how to maintain connections with loved ones as we age.

There's no getting around it, we depend on technology for just about everything. It feels like changes are coming so fast and so furious – like a speeded-up film ­–­ even people like me who used to know how to use technology are having a hard time keeping up. In this week's Gray Matters, I've put together some ideas about where to turn when you or a loved one could use a hand catching up.

I began Gray Matters as a column in 2013 with one goal :  if I can help just one senior or senior caregiver think about an issue in a different way with each column — I will reach my goal. And that goes for today's podcast: A Prescription for Disaster . If you're like me, sometimes you feel like you're a walking medicine cabinet. As senior-prescribed drug use increases in the U.S. so do related ri...

This week Rona Barrett shares a cue or two about taking risks, straight from the career of stage and screen legend Al Pacino. Tune in and get inspired to star in the role of your lifetime – right in your own community.

In this week's podcast, Rona learns from a friend's ordeal that pride goes before a fall,  literally.  Each year, one in three people over 65, and one in two by the age of 80, will have a catastrophic fall. Tune in to hear the story, and find out more about how we can prevent falls – for ourselves or our loved ones.

Letting go is a part of aging, whether our material possessions or expectations of our youth. Letting go is about realizing we have no choice but to be certain there is no certainty. Join Rona to explore the experience of "anticipatory grief" and other rites of passage,  but also the wonderful opportunity that unfolds - to learn how to be in the moment.

Music comforts us -  it brings us joy, it transports us back to special times. And music can do remarkable things for seniors and for Alzheimer's patients. In this week's Gray Matters, Rona Barrett shares her favorite tunes, and some ways to bring music into your life and to your senior loved ones.

Just because we get older, doesn't mean we stop dreaming. This week on Rona Barrett's Gray Matters podcast, Rona shares four organizations (plus the Rona Barrett Foundation) who are making dreams come true for people in their golden years. And some of the beautiful things that seniors have wished for.

While Mother's Day is a time for celebrations and for memories, if your relationship with mom is more complex, you're not alone. Rona shares her journey.

What happens when love blooms anew for your loved one with Alzheimer's… but not with you? Whatever your personal reaction is, would be, or will be to this caregiver's conundrum, the purpose of Gray Matters is to raise and discuss issues that many of us are uncomfortable thinking about – issues from which none of us will be exempt.

If your parent is part of the Silent Generation, we – because I'm one of them – pretty much regard "help" as a four-letter word! Whatever generation we're in, understanding where we're all coming from is a start to face aging as graciously as possible.

Hearing loss affects one-third of us 65 and more than half of us over 75 . In this week's podcast, Rona ponders out loud why only one in seven men who could benefit from a hearing aid will ever wear one.

Join Rona Barrett to explore the growing entrepreneurial trend for boomers as she shares her own experience of the satisfaction of a succeeding in a new career and reinventing herself as a senior advocate.

In this week's podcast, Rona Barrett reveals her secret to keeping stress at bay: giving herself something to smile about. She shares some of her favorite moments from "Live and Learn and Pass It On – People ages 5 to 95 share what they've discovered about life, love, and other good stuff" by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. – and a childhood memory of her own that makes her laugh every time.

Senior driving is one of the most emotionally tense scenarios seniors and their loved ones go through. I can't tell you the amount of times I've been asked, "So when do you take a senior's car keys away from them?" If you've been there with your senior parent, you'll recognize this moment. If you haven't – yet – I hope this may help you when it's time.

A plethora of analyses tell us that more seniors are having sex later in life - and more frequently - than any previous generation. Spring is in the air, and this week on Gray Matters, so are The Birds and the bees… and STDs. You can rely on Rona Barrett for some unflinching advice on how to have safe sex at any age.

One out of three people aged 65 and up - falls annually. That's about 14.5 million people. On this week's episode Rona shares the "wake up fall" she had back in 2015. "That experience made me realize that I, like so many others, needed a little help. And there's nothing wrong with that."

Growing older becomes a whole lot easier if you can learn to laugh at yourself. Join Rona for some of her favorite jokes about aging - and a few zingers of her own – on this week's Gray Matters .