A Veteran Leader Reflects on How to Better Serve Aging Families
November 11, 2024
Hosted by Ron Roel
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Guest Information
Episode Description
As we celebrate National Family Caregivers Month, it’s important not only to honor the contributions of 48 million family caregivers nationwide, but understand how they fit into our government-supported care system for older adults. In today’s episode, I talk with John Cochran, the Chief of Staff for New York State’s Office for the Aging, who has worked on a wide range of aging issues for decades. With a career spanning high-level staff positions in government, the state legislature and the field of government relations, John brings a rare perspective and keen insights to the challenges of serving the needs of older Americans, including how to support community empowerment and civic engagement, advocate for long-term care reform, emergency response planning, and home care support for individuals aging in place. John will describe the state’s comprehensive Master Plan for Aging, set to be unveiled next year, and outline how ideas, goals and recommendations were gathered from stakeholders across the state, highlighting what experts have found not only in New York, but across the country: That our fragmented systems of aging services and healthcare delivery lack the coordinated approach that we sorely need to serve our growing aging population.
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.
Episode Directory
November 2024
- 11/25/2024: A Different Perspective on Family Caregiving—from Hong Kong Coming Soon
- 11/18/2024: Can We Stay on the Crest of Ken Dychtwald’s Age Wave? Listen Now
- 11/11/2024: A Veteran Leader Reflects on How to Better Serve Aging Families Listen Now
- 11/4/2024: Want to ‘Age with Attitude’? Check Out Senior Planet Listen Now
October 2024
September 2024
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