People often need to be surrounded by a circle of love as they age. They might benefit from the support of caregivers. And medical attention can be essential. But these simple statements bring to the fore more questions than they answer. Who supports the caregiver? What type of support do they need? And while it is certain that older people, as is the case with virtually everybody else, require medical care some things are much less clear. Precisely what form should this care assume? Do they need care that differs from that delivered to people in other age groupings?

Getting a bit older is not easy for the person who is adding on the birthdays or for their caregivers. And the pressures these people face sometimes demand creative responses. Our two guests today deal with that need to be creative from two very different angles.

On this program, we deal with all aspects of aging. And one part of adding on the birthdays is living with memories. Our first guests this afternoon, Deanna Adams,  has written extensively about rock-n-roll memories, detailing a more innocent time when we baby boomer were captivated by music that spoke for our generations.

People cringe at the thought that they might become incapacitated, unable to make their own decisions about their medical care or their finances. But these things do happen, and people can protect themselves by establishing contingency plans as soon as possible.  They can ensure that their wishes will be respected even if they can no longer vocalize their thoughts.

Brad Greene, a guest on this show is an elder law lawyer who can fill us in on the details. He is a partner with BartimoleGreene in Ohio .

Much has been written and said to the effect that Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia can steal away people’s intellectual processes, leaving them dependent on others. And this dialogue has translated into its becoming a greatly-feared diagnosis. Well, Alzheimer’s might impair the memory of those who are living with it and it might also slow some of their mental processes. But interestingly enough, it might simultaneously work to make them more creative.

Let’s face it. Nobody enjoys the time they spend as a patient in an emergency room. But being vulnerable to the hurried atmosphere that surrounds them, older people often find their stays in these facilities to be particularly difficult. They can become agitated within these settings and that emotional state might linger long after they have left.

Rev. Ken Dupin was instrumental in developing the MedCottage.



These structures are tiny enough to be installed virtually anywhere. But despite their small size they can serve as an alternative to nursing home care because they are specially equipped to ensure the safety and medical well-being of an elderly resident, even those who are medically fragile.

Richard Anderson’s official title is Web site and forum administrator for Well Spouse. But his duties often encompass much more than those words might imply as he helps this group meet its mission of advocating and support well spouses, people are caregivers for their marital partners. He remains a valued spokesperson for that organization.

https://wellspouse.org/

The guests for this show include: Jacqueline Marcell was a caregiver for her difficult elderly father and sweet ailing mother, both with Alzheimer's which went undiagnosed for over a year.  Her first book 'Elder Rage', evolved out of his experience and years later it is still required reading at numerous universities and considered for a film.