The Multigenerational Challenge of Family Caregiving
November 14, 2022
Hosted by Ron Roel
[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]
Guest Information
Episode Description
November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to honor caregivers across the country, raise awareness about caregiving issues and increase support for the roughly 53 million family caregivers across America. There’s so much for caregivers to manage: concerns like legal and financial planning, coordination of health care needs, lots of household tasks—not to mention the emotional concerns of parents and their adult children dealing with the reversal of their traditional roles. That’s why many experts say that caring for an older loved one is one of the most generous gifts we can give—and perhaps one of the most challenging jobs we’ll ever undertake. In today’s episode, we talk with Iris Waichler, the award-winning author of “How to Care of Yourself and Your Aging Parents,” about her personal and professional journey as a long-time patient advocate and counselor to individuals and families. Iris will explain how she facilitates family conversations to plan appropriate care plans; how she helps family members through emotional struggles with anxiety, isolation and depression; and how she confronts issues of ageism and “youngism”—misperceptions on the part of both younger and older generations. And she’ll talk about difficult transitions toward the end of life: dealing with change loss, and grief; and helping people create “ethical wills,” finding avenues to leave behind an emotional legacy, not just physical assets, to family and friends.
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.
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