When I'm 64

Do rules created when most people lived only to 50 or 60 still make sense when more and more people live to 100? Longer lives are, at once, among the most remarkable achievements in all of human history and one of the great challenges of the 21st century. How can we ensure that our lives are not just longer, but healthy and rewarding as well?Century Lives, the new podcast from the Stanford Center on Longevity, is here to start the conversation. In our first season we explore the “New Map of Life,” bold ideas for rethinking how we live our lives in light of longer life spans. Join us as we venture into the world of education, work, healthcare, urban design and more to see how our 100-year lives can be healthier and more productive ones.

Today on “When I'm 64” we talk to Sian-Pierre Regis the director and producer of the movie DUTY FREE, and his mother Rebecca.  We hear how Sian-Pierre decided to film a documentary that follows his 75 year-old mother who, after being fired from her hotel housekeeping job, goes on a bucket list adventure to reclaim her life.

We often talk about family and paid caregivers as two distinct categories, but in reality these groups overlap...a lot. Especially in communities of color. On this episode we hear from a home health aide and family caregiver, Zulma Torres, about the difficulties she faces. And we hear an excerpt from a Longevity Project Virtual Event where Jean Accius of AARP, Karyne Jones of NCBA and Kezia Scales of PHI discuss the barriers people of color face with health care and caregiving, and what steps we can take towards more equitable care systems. 

Who says men don't care?  Host Ken Stern talks to caregiver Rey Castuciano, author Dr. James Gambone, and Marc Heyison, founder of the nonprofit “Men Supporting Women with Cancer.” They join Ken to discuss the special challenges and sometimes negative stereotypes that men face – providing care to loved ones.

There's a new president in office, and with him comes a new infrastructure plan, including a plan to improve care infrastructure. But what does the proposed plan entail, and can Washington come together on making it a reality? We got three perspectives. Aisha Adkins is a caregiver and constituency organizer at Caring Across Generations. David Dayen is the Executive Editor of an independent political magazine, The American Prospect. And Terry Fulmer is the President of the John A Hartford Foundation, dedicated to improving the care of older adults

There are 5.4 million young caregivers in America who are stepping forward as frontline heroes.  Today we meet five of them who appear in the new documentary film “Sky Blossom, Diaries of the Next Greatest Generation” directed by MSNBC and NBC news anchor Richard Lui.  We talk to Lui about directing the film, and about what's he's learned from his own journey taking care of his father with Alzheimer's disease. 

What would you do if doctors said you weren't allowed in your partner's hospital room, or if you saw your loved one being discriminated against and denied care? Today, we talk to Christopher MacLellan about the hurdles he had to jump through as a caregiver to his late partner Richard Schiffer. And we talk with Amy Whelan, Senior Staff Attorney at NCLR, and Joey Costello, Assistant Director of Care Management at SAGE, about how the caregiving journey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people is made that much harder by discrimination

What have we learned about taking care of our loved ones during one of the worst health crises of our time? Today we talk to three caregivers who share how they've coped with a wide array of challenges. Then we talk to two leaders in the field to discover what they've learned: Grace Whiting the President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving, and Jennifer Olson, the Executive Director of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers

We often think of older adults as care recipients, but for parents of adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD), their caregiving journey can extend into their final years. What can a parent do to plan for their adult child's care after they're gone? Today we hear from Paula Gann about this and other questions she faces as a caregiver to her daughter Kyle, who lives with Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's. We also talk to Kristin Rains, an Independent Dementia Care Trainer, and Shawn Ullman, Senior Director of National Initiatives at the Arc to hear their advice on future planning for caregivers, and for society. To find documents to help with future planning, visit https://futureplanning.thearc.org/ and if you have questions for Kristin, you can reach out to her directly at kristinjrains@gmail.com. 

Who takes care of our wounded warriors when they return home?  Today we look at the challenges military caregivers face, in a conversation with Shanna Morin and her caregiving coach Dee Blascyk who both participate in the Operation Family Caregiver program from the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. We also talk to Rajeev Ramchand, an epidemiologist and senior behavioral scientist at the RAND corporation and Conwell Smith – the director of the Operation Family Caregiver program at the Rosalynn Carter Institute, about better ways to support and advocate for military caregivers.

In this episode we meet the founders of Rezilient Health and Memory Well, entrepreneurs who are working on solving the problems they faced as caregivers.  We also hear from experts on the future of innovation in caregiving.

It seems every caregiver struggles with questions about finances, yet it can be one of the hardest aspects of caregiving to discuss openly. In this episode we hear from three caregivers who share how they managed finances for themselves and their loved ones. We'll also hear from three experts about how to be more financially secure as a caregiver.

Episode 7- It's a Little Bit Funny  - Humor is a powerful tool that can bring us together in unexpected ways.  Today we meet a caregiver who was inspired to create a company that creates connection – one laugh at a time.   And we meet two experts who dive into the reasons humor brings so many benefits. 

The enormous task of taking care of those with Alzheimer's and dementia falls heavily on family and loved ones.  Today we share stories – and insight on ways to cope with that burden.   

For caregivers, technology offers powerful solutions to even the most challenging obstacles for people who both give and receive care.In this episode, we learn about how technology allowed Harry Wittenberg to maintain his autonomy and independence even while fighting ALS, and how it affected his wife and primary caregiver, Mary Ann Wittenberg. Later, we are joined by Ken Smith of the Stanford Center on Longevity and Kari Olson of Front Porch, who discuss how technology can revolutionize caregiving.  

In this special episode we talk to comedians Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen who reveal what it was like to care for Lauren's mother who suffered from early onset Alzheimers when Lauren was just 25.The Rogens share a few of their coping mechanisms -  a sense of humor, brain healthy behavior - and the creation of their Alzheimer's foundation - Hilarity for Charity (HFC).CONTENT ADVISORY: This episode contains strong language 

We typically think of caregivers as middle-aged or older, but more than ten million millennials and members of Gen Z are caregivers to family members.In this episode we hear the story of Libby Brittain, who was 24 years old when her mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. We are joined by Jean Accius from AARP and Amanda Cavaleri from Connect the Ages - who share insights on how younger caregivers can find their way. 

Isolation and loneliness pose significant challenges to both caregivers and their loved ones, especially during a pandemic. Jane Mathias shares what it's been like to take care of her neighbor who is separated from family and friends. Then Laura Carstensen from the Stanford Center on Longevity and Steve Cole from UCLA Medical School talk about the very real physical and psychological costs of isolation that many of us are facing right now. 

Covid-19 has added a new and unprecedented layer of complexity to caregiving.John Stagliano shares what it was like to take care of his 82-year old parents, both of whom contracted Covid-19 in March 2020. We then hear from New York Times correspondent Paula Span and Grace Whiting from The National Alliance for Caregiving who talk about the impact of the pandemic on America's 53 million caregivers.