Senior Beat Podcast

Mental health issues and suicide are difficult but important issues to talk about. Join us on this month's Senior Beat to learn about local resources for suicide prevention and mental health services.

Protect your heart and your Medicare information! In our first segment, we speak with Meghan St Clair, Structural Heart Coordinator at Unity Point Health Heart & Vascular Institute, about warning signs for heart attack and stroke, and what you can do to improve your heart health. In our second segment we speak with Ingrid A. Kundinger, Senior Medicare Patrol Project Manager, about Medicare fraud. Did you know that annually $60 billion dollars are lost from the Medicare program due to fraud and error? Do your part to prevent fraud and improve Medicare.

Make sure you are counted in the 2020 census! The US census is a big part of what the federal government uses to allocate resources around the country. Don't let Madison miss out on vital federal funding, and get yourself counted. Benjamin Zellers with the City of Madison Planning Division tells us how to participate in the 2020 census in our first segment. Stick around for our second segment with Darrin Wasniewski, Associate State Director for AARP, and learn all about AARP's Livable Communities initiative.

There's a new Executive Director, new programs, and new collaborations at NewBridge. Find out all about them on this month's episode.

In this month's first segment of Senior Beat, we speak to Tiffany Tobias and Ronald Woodard about the Badger Honor Flight. The Badger Honor Flight flies veterans to Washington DC to view war memorials at the Nation's Capitol. Ronald Woodard, a Vietnam veteran, attended the trip in October. In our second segment, we speak to Brian Miller about Independent Living, Inc, and their services for seniors, such as Meals on Wheels, in-home care giving, and many others.

In this episode of Senior Beat, we talk about people with dementia and those who care for them. We are joined by Joy Schmidt, Dementia Care Specialist at the ADRC, and Paul Braun, a caregiver to his wife, Karen.

In this episode, we focus on the State Capitol, and how laws made on the State level affect residents here in the City of Madison. We are joined by Jim Schmidlkofer, who is retired from the State of Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long Term Care where he was the Supervisor of Older Americans Act Services, and Janet Zander, Advocacy & Public Policy Coordinator at Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources, Inc.

This episode of Senior Beat is all about mobility. In our first segment, Monica Kamal Spaeni speaks to us about Access Ability Wisconsin (AAW). AAW provides off-road wheel chair use free of charge to people who struggle with mobility, so they can enjoy the benefits of exploring nature. In our second segment, Patrice Blanchard tells us all about AARP's safe driving programs for aging adults.

City of Madison District 4 Alder, Mike Verveer, joins us for this month's Senior Beat. Alder Verveer represents Madison's downtown, which includes the Senior Center, and he serves on the Committee on Aging, among many others.

Do you need a ride somewhere? Do you want to take the bus but don't know how? RSVP of Dane County is here to help with volunteer drivers, the Bus Buddy program, Vets Helping Vets program, and other services provided by RSVP volunteers. If you are in need of a service, or would like to volunteer, visit RSVPdane.org

This month's episode of Senior Beat is all about breaking aging stereotypes and celebrating longevity. We are joined by Lucy Mkandawire-Valhmu, Associate Professor in the College of Nursing at UW-Milwaukee, and Betsy Abramson and Kris Krasnowski from Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging (WIHA).

On this episode of Senior Beat, we discuss affordable housing in Madison. We are joined by Cindy Julius and Gwendolyn Diemer of the Triangle Resident Organization, and Kim Kennedy of Community Development Authority.

On this episode of Senior Beat we speak with psychologist Holly Jellinek about Season Affective Disorder (SAD) and how to prevent the winter blues. In our second segment we speak with yoga instructor Ellen Millar about the power of yoga, and her experience of discovering yoga as a senior.

On this month's episode of Senior Beat we meet the new Senior Center and Services Manager, and future co-host of Senior Beat, Sally Jo Spaeni. Welcome, Sally Jo! In our second segment we speak with Marcia Hendrickson, Executive Director of NewBridge Madison, a new organization merging four senior coalitions.

In this episode of Senior Beat, we speak with Mary Brown and Margie Zutter about Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Dane County, an organization that links seniors with volunteering opportunities. Next we speak with Kate Shaw and the Cycling without Age program. Cycling without Age gives seniors an opportunity to explore the outdoors on a specially made passenger bicycle.

In this episode of Senior Beat, we speak with Jane DeBroux and Donna Bryant. Jane DeBroux , with Area Agency on Aging of Dane County, tells us about the complex nature of caregiving, how it is changing, and resources available to caregivers. In our second segment, Donna Bryant, a Medicare advocate, helps us navigate the complex Medicare system.

On this month's Senior Beat, Tom Frazier and Jim Schmidlkofer from the Wisconsin Aging Advocacy Network (WAAN) visited the show to talk about voting rights, medical care, and transportation for seniors.

On this episode of Senior Beat we talk about fall prevention with Ashley Hillman of Safe Communities and Joyce Pohl of Stepping On. In our second segment we talk about the Wisconsin Association of Senior Center with Bob Power and Jill McHone.

On this month's episode of Senior Beat, we speak with Skye Boughman and Gayle Laszweski. Skye is the Drug Poisoning Prevention Manager for the organization, Safe Communities. She talks about the risks of opioid use and what seniors and their friends and families can do to stay safe. Gayle is the Older Adult Program Manager at Goodman Community Center and she gives us an update on activities and events available to seniors.

In this July 2018 edition of Senior Beat, we speak with Ann Albert, Executive Director of SAIL (Sharing Active Independent Lives). SAIL provides services and resources, as well as educational and social opportunities. We also speak with John and Jane Wegenke about their photography exhibit in the Senior Center, showcasing their photography from Antarctica and the North Pole.

A conversation with Amelia Levett, Madison Police Department South District Neighborhood Resource Officer, and Shari Gray-Dorn, Dane County Department of Human Services Adult Protective Services Supervisor.

A conversation with Laurie Bibo, Intergenerational Coordinator with the Madison Senior Center, and Shelby Connell, Intergenerational Coordinator with RSVP of Dane County, Inc. Janet Bollig with SSM Health at Home also speaks about the problem of social isolation among seniors.

Dr. Mary Crave UW and Mary O’Brien from the Rotary Club of Madison.  In a segment called Change HERstory, about a trip by 9 Rotarians to Ghana and a project which provides feminine sanitary products to young women, keeping them in school.   In honor of April National Volunteer Week, a discussion on the R.E.A.D.I. group from Oscar Meyer, a longtime volunteer opportunity for Oscar Meyer retirees.  Once OM was no more, what happened to this valuable resource of volunteers?  United Way to the rescue, to reinvent and revitalize this effort.

Hosts Laura Hunt and Tom Frazier sit down for a conversation with Lynn Riley, Information and Assistance Supervisor for Aging and Disability Resource Center. Later, they speak to Mick Rusch and Jessy Stammer from Metro Transit

A conversation with Marcia Hendrickson, Executive Director, South Madison Coalition of the Elderly, and Katie Gallagher, Executive Director of the West Madison Senior Coalition.

On this month's episode, Dane County Executive, Joe Parisi,discusses the Dane County budget, the jail remodel project, and local water quality.

This month's guest is Jay Heck with Common Cause Wisconsin, an organization promoting "issues concerning the promotion and maintenance of "clean," open, responsive and accountable government." He came to the studio to talk about redistricting, voter ID, and many other topics.

On this episode of Senior Beat, we speak to Toriana Pettaway, Equity Coordinator for the City of Madison about the City's Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative. We also speak with Sheryl Kato and  Serena Breining of the Rainbow Project about grandparents raising grandchildren.

A conversation with Rosa Plasencia, Regional Quality Specialist Supervisor of Office for Resource Center Development and Anne Olson, Director of Office for Resource Center Development in the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

This month on Senior Beat we are joined by Jason Hafeman and Bobweirough to hear about Project Home and Mary Fandrich a Community Engagement Librarian at the Madison Public Library.

This month on Senior Beat we talk about Madison School and Community Recreation what they do and the Goodman-Rotary 50+ Program they have.

This month on Senior Beat we are joined by author and housing advocate Vivian Probst and Bob Kellerman, Executive Director of the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging.

This month we are joined by State Representative Dianne Hesselbein to talk about the state budget and other state wide issues affecting seniors.

This month on Senior Beat we are joined by Dr. Brian Fick from First Choice Dental and Shari Gray-Dorn of the Dane County Adult Protective Services Department.

This month on Senior Beat we are joined by US Professor Emeritus Dennis Dresang to talk about the fall election and its impacts on the state and seniors.

This month on Senior Beat we are joined by Dr James Firman to talk about the National Council on Aging's Mastery Program.

This month we are joined by two people from the WI Division of Trade and Consumer Protection to talk about ways to protect yourself from scams.

This month on Senior Beat we are joined by Donna McDowell the new President of Wisconsin AARP and Rodrigo Valdavia from the North/Easide Senior Coalition

On this episode of Senior Beat we talk about guardianship programs with the South Madison Coalition of the Elderly and upcoming events at the Madison Senior Center.

This month we are joined by Jean Kalscheur from the Wisconsin Council for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Lynn Green, the Director of Dane County human Services.

This month on Senior Beat we talk about PLATO, the Participatory Learning and Teaching Organization and Safe Communities efforts to make Dance County safer for all.

This month on Senior Beat we discuss Independent Living Inc and its new housing project as well as upcoming events at the Madison Senior Center for Older American's Month.

This month on Senior Beat: we discuss transportation options that Madison Metro provides to seniors in the community and the history and events of the LGBT Senior Alliance

This month on Senior Beat we focus on health care. We are be joined by optometrist John Bonsett-Veal and from the Dane County ADRC Dementia Specialist, Joy Schmidt.

This month we talk with Madison Police Chief Mike Koval.

This month we discuss issues related to aging and different local and state programs that provide resources.

On this episode of Senior Beat we talk about winter, how it can affect your mood and emotions and how to get help with home chores like snow removal.

One this episode we talk about upcoming holiday events at the Madison Senior Center and with Janet Bollig from home Health United about sleep issues and seniors.

One this episode we talk with Tom Popp, a volunteer for the Malawi Orphan Project and Kaitliln Knopp from the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art about the upcoming Gallery Night.

One this episode we talk about the 40th anniversary of the local senior coalitions and the upcoming Health and Resource Fair at the Madison Senior Center.

This month we are joined by new Wisconsin State Assembly Representative Lisa Subeck to talk about the State Budget and what it means for senior services.