Unique Programs that Support Caregivers of People with Dementia
November 13, 2023
Hosted by Ron Roel
[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]
Guest Information
Episode Description
November commemorates both National Family Caregivers Month and Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, a special time to support and honor the unique challenges faced by family caregivers of older adults with dementia. In today’s episode, we talk with two dynamic and dedicated project directors from the Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation on Long Island who will discuss their roles in innovative and highly successful community programs serves family caregivers by connecting them with a circle of help that includes trained volunteers who provide an array of respite services. Dawn Hagen is Program Director of the Parker’s Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Initiative and Carmen Quinones is Program Director of the Hope and Healing Program. Dawn will describe how the Caregiver Support Initiative—as part of Parker’s “Willing Hearts, Helpful Hands” program—reaches out to family caregivers of a relative who may be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, providing an array of services, including free family consultations, caregiver education and training, support groups, caregiver companions, respite care and memory cafes. And Carmen will describe a new Parker program that supports that supports the caregivers of older adults with dementia and a history of trauma, providing person-centered approaches and services that can help promote the health and wellbeing of this vulnerable population. Together, Dawn and Carmen exemplify the tireless dedication of those who provide much-needed support to family caregivers, especially those caring for loved ones with dementia.
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.