Better Health While Aging

107 – Interview: A Guide to Better Medical Care for Families of Aging Adults

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Click above for subtitles and click the magnifying glass for a searchable transcript.

In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with geriatrician Muriel Gillick MD, Professor at Harvard Medical School, about her latest book, The Caregiver’s Encylopedia: A Compassionate Guide to Caring for Older Adults. They discuss:

• Why it’s so important for family members to be informed and proactive
• Why Dr. Gillick recommends starting by understanding your relative’s overall health state
• How to recognize frailty, and why it’s essential to be aware of it
• Whether frailty can be reversed by exercise, and the pro and cons of pushing an older parent to exercise
• The importance of “goals of care”, and what to do when trade-offs become necessary
• How to ask an older person about what matters most to them
• How to let the doctors know what an older person wants from their healthcare
• How to get older adults — and healthcare professionals — to value the involvement of the family member
• The importance of someone in the family being able to advocate for better care

Better Health While Aging

106 – Coronavirus Updates & Suggestions (3.27.20 Edition)

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00:00 / 1:41:27

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In This Episode:

Dr. K shares an update on the coronavirus (COVID19) situation and more recommendations to help older adults and people concerned about aging parents.

To watch the video version, click here.

Better Health While Aging

105 – Coronavirus Updates & Suggestions (3.20.20 Edition)

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In This Episode:

Dr. K shares an update on the coronavirus (COVID19) situation and more recommendations to help older adults and people concerned about aging parents.

To watch the video version, click here.

Better Health While Aging

104 – Coronavirus Special: Planning to Help Aging Parents (Plus Q&A)

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In This Episode:

Dr. K shares the coronavirus (COVID19) information and recommendations she presented on 3/12/20 to members of the Helping Older Parents Membership, plus answers to their questions about preparing themselves and protecting their aging parents. She covers:

• What’s most important to know about the coronavirus situation right now
• The current effort to “flatten the curve” and what that might mean in terms of how long precautions are necessary
• Issues that are likely to come for frail older adults
• How to think through care and housing options, and contingency planning
• The importance of reviewing what matters most to your older parent
• Why now is an important time to review advance care planning and preferences regarding critical care
• What to know about POLST and similar advance care planning documents
• Answers to member questions

Better Health While Aging

103 – Interview: Better Sex in Later Life

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In This Episode:

Dr. K talks about sex in later life with geriatrician Dr. Nicole Didyk, founder of the blog and YouTube channel The Wrinkle. They discuss:

• How Dr. Didyk learned more about this important topic by connecting with Nathalie Wilton, a social worker and sex therapist who focuses on older adults
• Why it’s so common for health providers — and older adults — to have low “sexual literacy”, when it comes to aging and sexuality
• How aging often affects sex and sexuality
• Common concerns that patients have brought up in her clinical practice
• What can be done if there is a mismatch in interest between two partners
• The role of solo sex, toys, and activities other than intercourse
• How being a hands-on caregiver to your partner can affect sex
• Special issues that come up when one partner develops a dementia, such as Alzheimer’s
• Tips on how to maintain and improve sexuality in later life

Better Health While Aging

102 – Interview: The Importance of Grandparents & Intergenerational Connections

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In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with Kerry Byrne, PhD, a researcher and expert in aging and family caregiving, and the founder of TheLongDistanceGrandparent.com. They discuss the importance of intergenerational connections and of grandparents in particular. They cover:

• Why intergenerational connections are so important to society, and how they reduce ageism
• What we know about the grandparent-grandchild relationship
• How Kerry’s experience living abroad led to her particular interest in “long distance” grandparents
• Why grandparents are especially important, when it comes to countering ageism
• How grandparents can more easily stay connected to grandchildren, especially if they live far away
• Tips on fostering more intergenerational connections, whether that’s with family or others

Better Health While Aging

101 – Interview: Avoiding Holiday Pitfalls with Aging Parents

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00:00 / 1:06:37

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In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with Linda Fodrini-Johnson, MA MFT CMC, a past president of the National Association of Geriatric Care Managers (now the Aging Life Care Association) and a featured expert providing guidance in Dr. K’s Helping Older Parents Membership Program.

To help families have the best holidays possible, they discuss practical approaches to help families avoid common conflicts that come up during the holidays. They also discuss adapting the holidays for aging parents with dementia. Their talk includes:

• What are geriatric care managers (also now known as aging life care professionals)
• Why adult children should avoid telling their aging parents what they “should” do, and what to do instead
• How to handle common causes of sibling conflict related to aging parents
• How to learn more about what aging parents want for their future
• What you can do if YOU are the older parent and your adult children are concerned
• How to adapt the holidays so they work better for aging parents with dementia
• What to do if an aging parent is showing signs of memory problems but hasn’t been diagnosed

Better Health While Aging

100 – Interview: Bill Thomas on Ageism, Housing & Changing Aging in 2019

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In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with geriatrician Bill Thomas, MD,  founder of ChangingAging.org. They discuss what he’s worked on during the past year, including his work fostering better aging through Minka houses, MAGIC (Multi-Ability, Multi-Generational Inclusive) Communities, and much more. They cover:

• Why ageism is so important
• Why it’s better to avoid age (and ability) segregation, when it comes to housing and community services
• The mismatch between the housing we have and the housing we need
• The problem of older adults loving houses that don’t love them back
• His own experience this year of turning 60 and of moving to a smaller house
• How cars affect aging and communities, and whether self-driving cars will change things
• Why the Village of Hope community is designed to cultivate social capital
• His recent work in value-based home health care
• Whether aging issues will become part of the election conversation
• Why it’s vital to confront our internal ageist narratives and appreciate our aging faces

Better Health While Aging

099 – Flu Shots for Older Adults: What to Know (2019 Update)

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In This Episode:

Dr. K explains what all older adults and family caregivers should know about annual vaccination against influenza. She also reports on the statistics from last year’s flu season. This episode covers:

• What is influenza, and how many people are affected every year
• Why older adults are at higher risk of harm from the flu
• How the vaccine works
• The two key ways you can protect yourself from the flu
• How pneumococcal vaccination helps protect against flu complications
• What to know about flu shots designed for older adults
• Which influenza vaccine she thinks is best for most older adults
• What to do if your older relative is unable or unwilling to get vaccinated

Better Health While Aging

098 – Interview: Medicare Open Enrollment: What to Know & When to Switch

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In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with Michelle Allen, LCSW, about what all older adults and families should know about Medicare Open Enrollment and understanding your Medicare coverage. Michelle is an experienced social worker and geriatric care manager based in Atlanta, and is a featured expert providing guidance in Dr. K’s Helping Older Parents Membership. They discuss:

• The surprisingly common misunderstandings that people often have about their Medicare coverage
• The difference between traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plan
• What is Medigap, what is secondary insurance, and what is supplemental insurance
• How to find out just what type of Medicare coverage you or your older relative has
• How to know whether it’s worth considering a plan switch during Medicare Open Enrollment
• Why it’s a good idea to request a medication review before reviewing your Part D prescription coverage
• What to consider if you frequently spend time traveling or living in other states 
• How to get free help understanding your Medicare coverage options