Front Door

“Hospice: Bringing Care and Compassion Together” opens the door to having a conversation about hospice. Tracy Wodatch, President and CEO of the Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home, delves into how hospice can help support the family and the individual’s quality of life—at the end of life.

In this episode, Candace Lowe, formerly the Executive Director of Independence Unlimited, and now an independent consultant that helps create communities of belonging, shares her story about downsizing her home. She talks openly about the challenges, support and comfort she experienced during this move. Find out how Candace is living her life to the fullest in the place she now calls home.

La Dra. Mónika Lopez, Profesora Asociada de Economía en Connecticut College, investiga el cuidado familiar centrándose en el creciente rol del hombre como cuidador.  La Dra. Lopez ve a los cuidadores y a quienes reciben el cuidado como una sociedad y examina de qué forma el género y las diferencias culturales impactan en esta dinámica—fortalecida por una comunidad de apoyo. Entérate por qué necesitamos velar por el cuidador y descubre cuál es el futuro del cuidado familiar.

Dr. Mónika Lopez, Associate Professor of Economics at Connecticut College, explores family caregiving with a focus on the expanding role of men as caregivers. Dr. Lopez looks at caregivers and care recipients as a partnership and examines how gender and culturally-based differences impact this dynamic—made stronger by a more supportive community. Learn why we need to take care of the caregiver and find out where the future of family caregiving is headed.

Christy Kovel, Director of Public Policy for the Alzheimer’s Association Connecticut Chapter, shares her own story of “Life After Loss.” Christy lost her partner of 20 years after a long illness. While being public about her loss—speaking at public venues and helping her local hospital start a new support group—Christy takes us on her personal journey as a younger widow who is remaining open and moving forward.

“Live Well with Cognitive Change” explores how a holistic model of care can positively impact the lives of people living with memory change. Stephani Shivers, COO of Live Well Alliance, and Daniel Belonick, Director of Counseling Services for Live Well Dementia Specialists, help us understand what it means to live in a dementia-friendly environment and why aging with resiliency can make all the difference in quality of life.

Kristopher Thompson, Coordinator of the New England Assistive Technology Center, shares his vision of the future in “Assistive and Smart Technology: Getting More Out of Life.”  With smart technology built in to our electronic devices, we are “leveling the playing field” for people of all ages and abilities. With new opportunities for customization, learn how more people are leveraging technology to get just what they need to help live their best lives.

“Getting It Right for LGBT” looks at how an important initiative in Connecticut is helping LGBT older adults and people with disabilities have a welcoming and inclusive experience when accessing long-term services and supports. Molly Gavin, President of Connecticut Community Care (CCC), explains how the Getting It Right initiative she helped champion has created openness, sensitivity and in turn, positive outcomes. Learn how the quality of life is evolving for our LGBT neighbors, one family at a time.

"Livable Cities: Ready When You Are” explores how New Haven is creating a more livable community for people at every stage of life with respect to transportation—the hub of any community. Doug Hausladen, Director of Transportation and the Acting Director of the Parking Authority for the City of New Haven, delves into how the city is creating more livability by connecting to people’s everyday lives. Learn what New Haven is doing to take care of “the whole person, their whole life.”