In the Media
Know (and Celebrate) Your Assets in the Aging Process (Part 1)
In this first of a two-part interview with solo living advisor and advocate Carol Marak on her Solo and Smart channel, I discuss the realities of aging, with an emphasis on the cognitive and behavioral assets we accumulate as we get older --- of which most people are completely unaware. I also explain the important social roles that older adults can play, first coined by Maggie Kuhn, the founder of the Gray Panthers.
How to Disrupt Ageism in Our Own Lives! (It's very freeing!!) (Part 2)
In this second of a two-part interview with solo living advisor and advocate Carol Marak on her Solo and Smart channel, I offer strategies for counteracting the ageism we experience from others --- or even within our own heads. I also introduce my "What's your AND?" strategy, an unexpected and refreshing new way to view aging, and I explain what I mean when I say that older adults are Master Climbers and Master Changers.
too young, too old, or just a woman? How to fight stereotypes of "gendered ageism"
In this segment on NPR's Here & Now broadcast, I join fellow gerontologist Christina Peoples and host Deepa Fernandes to discuss the challenges of "aging while female" as well as effective strategies all of us can use to reduce the ageism that plagues us at any age.
The benefits of an older brain
On the “Glowing Older” podcast, in addition to discussing general issues about aging and ageism, Nancy Griffin and I talk about aging in senior living communities, the impact of the pandemic on perceptions on aging, and three trends addressing the realities of aging that might help us defeat ageism at last.
assets of aging: a social gerontologist's view
In The Big Middle podcast from London, I speak with Susan Flory about why old age is a fluid concept, the importance of using ideas, words, actions to end the scourge of ageism, and why we're at a tipping point of global efforts to stop socioeconomic ageism. We focus our discussion on the need to be aware of the positive aspects of aging and to share that knowledge with others.
A social gerontologist telling the "Real story about aging"
In her Boomer Best U newsletter, Paula Marie Usrey profiles my journey as a social gerontologist and my reasons for being committed to changing people's minds about aging.
How to Deal With Ageism From Doctors and Nurses
In Next Avenue, Judith Graham, the Navigating Aging columnist for Kaiser Health News, interviews me and others on ways older adults can receive effective and respectful medical care.
tips to communicate better with your doctors
On this Los Angeles morning show, I speak with host Michaela Pereira about specific ways in which older adults can make the most out of visits to their doctors' offices. We discuss why older patients may experience problems with being understood and getting their needs met, as well as ways to self-advocate and be active partners in their care.
Episode 18: Why Fighting Ageism is Important
I appeared on Ian Thompson's "Your Longest Life" podcast to discuss timely topics on aging, including the assets of the older brain, the advantages of intergenerational work teams, and the need to challenge ageism everywhere.
On Don Akchin’s podcast “The End Game,” I describe the myths we have come to believe about aging and why we need to change these wrong perceptions not only for the benefit of older adults but also for society as a whole. We discuss ways in which ageist language is used to marginalize people in their later years and why intergenerational activities are effective ways to counteract the pervasive negative messages found and promoted in our media. We’re all aging, and that includes our children –– all the more reason to tackle ageism now rather than leave them the burden of dealing with it in the future. And I provide some insights into the value of expressive writing and personal mythmaking as tools for greater self-understanding as we age.
On the Prime Spark podcast, I talk with host Sara Hart about the ways in which aging and ageism impact women throughout their lives. Gendered ageism is particularly harmful to women's ability to earn a living, establish themselves in the workplace, and age in empowered ways. We also discuss the concept of intergenerational communication and whether or not we should even be referring to generations as such. And we talk about how children and young people's exposure to realistic older-adult role models can help toward abolishing ageism in society.
On the "Badass Women at Any Age" podcast, host Bonnie Marcus and I discuss how ageism manifests itself in the workplace and in healthcare. I share my H.E.A.L.T.H. tips on how to be your own best healthcare advocate as well as how to take individual actions to change people's minds about aging. (Yes, it can be done!)
On Dr. Gillian Lockitch's "Growing Older, Living Younger" podcast, we have a lively discussion about the nature of age discrimination, how it differs from other forms of prejudice, and what we can do to abolish ageism, chiefly by busting the myths and stereotypes that promote it. (And yes, we also talk about the problematic use of "younger" in her podcast's title.)
Charlotte And The Aging Boom: Are We Ready?
In this Charlotte, N.C., Public Radio talk show episode, three Charlotte aging-services experts and I discuss how cities can better meet the needs of their growing elder populations. I describe Portland, Oregon's participation in the World Health Organization's Age-Friendly Cities & Communities program and urge Charlotte to participate in it as well.
do we become invisible as we age?
In this Healthline article, I and other anti-ageism advocates are interviewed by journalist Rich Eisenberg on how the social invisibility of older adults is caused by systemic ageism.
Older Generations Are Reclaiming Rites of Passage
For this piece in which The New Old Age columnist Paula Span reports on efforts to provide opportunities for holding elderhood rituals, I discuss why such rites are lacking in our society and why they are important .
what do i do about sneaky ageism?
On the Zestful Aging podcast, I talk with host Nicole Christina about why ageism exists and how best to handle situations in which it arises. We have a "zestful" conversation about the ways older people change over time --- ways that acknowledge the physical realities but also, and especially, include some wonderful assets of cognition that most people don't know about and appreciate.
how to advocate for care as an older adult
On the Hey, Boomer! podcast, I talk with host Wendy Green about ageism in the healthcare industry. Healthcare professionals have been exhausted after several years of dealing with the pandemic. Many have left the profession. How can we advocate for ourselves in an environment where doctors and nurses a feeling stretched to the limit? And what must we do to be smarter patients?
In an article for the Silver Century Foundation, I offer a personal anecdote that illustrates why rituals that celebrate adults' passage into elderhood are important for themselves and for society as a whole.
being a caregiver for aging parents
In Part 1 of a two-part podcast, I talk with host Amy Palmer about the important considerations, plans, and decisions involved in caring for older parents. Our lively discussion is Jam-packed with strategies as well as suggestions for how caregivers can attend to their own mental and emotional wellness during such a challenging --- but rewarding --- time
Who will take care of us when we're old?
In Part 2 of a two-part podcast, I talk with host Amy Palmer about how to be our best self-advocates as we care for our aging selves, including partnering with our healthcare providers, planning for our own needs, and enlisting those close to us to help us meet the future challenges of living solo.
What would it look like if aging was unbound by ageism?
In this brief clip for Changing the Narrative's "Aging Unbound by Ageism!" campaign, I share my impressions of a world in which discrimination against older adults wouldn't exist.
The Wonderful Assets to Getting Older
On this engaging podcast, I talk with host Jane Leder about the common misperceptions about aging, some important advantages of having an older brain, the value of intergenerational relationships, and what women can do to push back at the gendered ageism encountered in daily life
McConnell, Feinstein Illustrate Challenges Of Congressional Age And Term Limits
In this Forbes article, contributor Sheila Callaham quotes a passage from my Ageful Living blog post, "Power to the 'Old' People?" regarding the reality of the current longevity of public officials when compared with their peers from history.
Ageism in the Media: An Insider’s Perspective
In this article for the American Society on Aging's publication Generations Today, journalist Richard Eisenberg cites my comments on ageism in two Next Avenue articles regarding depictions of older adults in online article photographs and video advertisements.
At what age do you become a senior citizen?
In this Forbes article, contributor Jennifer Lagemann cites my ideas about the fluid concept of age, its many definitions, the emotional benefits that can some with advancing years, and why it's important to abandon the reliance on false and limiting stereotypes when referring to older adults.
the paradoxes, problems and potentials of aging
I join gerontologist Tracey Gendron on Christine A.Smith's "Aspects of Aging" podcast to discuss the challenges of ageism as well as ways to dispel it.