Where Do We Find the Resources to Successfully Age in Place?

October 10, 2022
Hosted by Ron Roel

[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]

Guest Information

Episode Description

As we kick off National Aging in Place Week, surveys tell us that an overwhelming majority of older adults want to remain in the comfort and security of their own homes for as long as possible. But many families are not equipped with the resources and expertise to accomplish this goal. In today’s episode, the Executive Director of the National Aging in Place Council, Tara Ballman, talks about her organization’s mission to provide families and caregivers with the education and tools they need to age with grace and dignity. Tara will describe how NAIPC has grown over the years into a proactive nationwide network of experts in health care, financial services, elder law, Medicare and Medicaid specialist, home design, home care, assisted living, and dozens of other fields—virtually every area of expertise that families might need to age in place, wherever that place might be at later stages of life. Tara, who has worked in the aging services field for almost two decades, is co-author with 19 other NAIPC members of the Council’s just-published first book, “Aging In Place Conversations: What Industry Experts Have to Say.” She’ll detail the book’s impressive array of resources and commentary, listed by NAIPC’s “Five Pillars of Aging,” as well as talk about the organization’s online tool-kits, YouTube TV channel, events, blogs and practical advice. Just as many of us made a plan to go to college (and then put our kids through college), we should have a plan for our aging years—a plan that need to be just as detailed, and just as commonplace, in our society.

45 Forward

Monday at 12 Noon Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel

Thanks to advances in medicine and health, most of us are just at half-life when we reach our mid-40s, with many potentially productive years ahead. But there’s no road map to prepare us for this period. That’s where 45 Forward comes in.

My show provides you with strategies to shift the traditional waiting-for-retirement model to a journey of compelling life chapters. Each show tackles an aspect of health, finance, family and friends, housing, work and personal pursuits as part of an integrated plan. Experts discuss topics like revitalizing relationships, creating mini-retirements, managing the maze of technology, finding your next homestead and caring for aging parents.

The show instills confidence, and hopefully some comfort, amid the stresses permeating today’s society. Fear of the future is not knowing how to prepare for it. 45 Forward does not proffer prefabricated answers, but helps you shape your life amid the daily anxieties of our time.

Ron Roel

I’m a veteran journalist who spent a wide-ranging career covering business, politics and social issues, the last two decades focusing on the blend of diverse life skills I call successful aging.

I have written extensively on aging topics, spoken at conferences, radio and TV shows, and launched several entrepreneurial ventures, discovering along the way that the path to aging well also requires an unexpected entrepreneurial vision. I spent 20 years as a writer and editor at Long Island’s daily newspaper, Newsday, helping to found Act 2, a weekly section for 50-plus readers. I created Roelresources.com, a website offering practical advice and inspirational essays for people ages 40 and above. I have been a volunteer and consultant to AARP Long Island, writing articles, advocating for seniors, and developing action plans for the AARP Age-Friendly Communities initiative.

I am active in programs and organizations that support seniors, such as the National Aging In Place Council and the Senior Umbrella Network. I have developed a special expertise in family caregiving, as one of four brothers who took care of their mother for almost 25 years. I regularly collaborate with many professionals who provide services and support for older Americans, and I am completing a book for caregivers on Long Island, “The Caregiving Navigator/How to Plan, What to do, and Where to Turn When Caring for you Aging Loved Ones. And Yourself,” scheduled for publication in early 2021.

This site is protected by Trustwave's Trusted Commerce program