Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined

Through Top Sixty Over Sixty, Helen writes articles and speaks at conferences to encourage a reframed narrative of aging, one that reflects the age realities of the 21st century. She emphasizes the need for a longevity focus, encourages an entrepreneurial mindset, and cautions against internalized ageism which undermines the potential of older adults. Top Sixty Over Sixty also provides programs and courses for older adults as well as businesses and companies to help everyone benefit from our aging demographic.Connect with Helen:Email: helen@topsixtyoversixty.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-hirsh-spence-a029a010/Website: https://www.topsixtyoversixty.com

Janis Clark Johnston is a family psychologist, speaker, and author of several books, most recently Transforming Retirement: Rewire and Grow Your Legacy. When she experienced 9/11, Janis says, she became more sensitive to other’s pain and loss. Planning rituals to honor the person you lost helps you to grow during the grieving process. Keeping a gratitude journal, for example, is a process that is creative by nature and becomes a daily ritual. Janis believes that recognizing the difference between a ‘Growth Mindset’ and a ‘Fixed Mindset’ helps us to understand our own personalities. Life is better if we are more flexible. And when we can develop grit, purpose and passion, with energy as the driver, we are able to live in the present moment, which is the only time we have to make something happen. Our personalities are plastic, not plaster.  Living is a gift - this being alive in the present moment. When that’s your daily approach, everything flows from there. Attitude is really important in life.Janis applies her beliefs to her own aging. Exercise, meditation, gardening and learning something new every day form the basis of her self-care routine. Society needs to re-identify aging. It applies to everyone at every age. Janis finds life challenging and invigorating. She loves learning. It’s a wonderful way to age. There are always new things to learn. She has recently written a picture book that deals with bullying.Connect with Janis Clark Johnston, Ed.D.Author: Transforming Retirement: Rewire and Grow Your LegacyMidlife Maze: A Map to Recovery and Rediscovery after LossIt Takes a Child to Raise a Parent: Stories of Evolving Child & Parent DevelopmentWebsite: https://janisjohnston.comBlog: https://janis-johnston.com

Emily Clionsky, MD, and Mitchell Clionsky, PhD, are a physician and neuropsychologist couple who have cared for their own parents with dementia, created a test used by doctors to measure cognitive function, and treated more than 25,000 patients with cognitive impairment. They partner at a private practice, Clionsky Neuro Systems, Inc., based in Springfield, Massachusetts.  They are frequent public speakers, podcast guests, and workshop presenters for general and professional audiences.In their recent book, Dementia Prevention: Using Your Head to Save Your Brain, published earlier this year by John Hopkins Press,  they combine the most current scientific findings about Alzheimer's disease and other dementias with their experience to present a practical guide that empowers you to improve your brain's future. The authors guide you through a science-based tour of dementia, including how your brain works and how its function is affected by everything from blood circulation and blood pressure to sugar levels, medications, vision, and hearing. Dr. Emily explains: “So many people who came to my practice, above the age of 55, were having major problems in how they were thinking. I decided to do a 2nd residency concentrating on dementia. They have a full clinic. Mitch does neurological testing. I do comprehensive medical evaluations, which give me a full picture of how that person is thinking. Treatment is incredibly complex. The sooner you start, the more you have to work with.” “Eight out of 10 of us are worried about getting dementia. And that's because most of us don't know that half of the dementia cases can be prevented." Connect with Drs. Emily & Mitchell Clionsky:Book: Dementia Prevention: Using Your Head to Save Your BrainContact: rebekah.clough@braindoc.com

Diane Slezak, CEO of Age Options, talks about the pressing issues facing older adults, such as home-delivered meals and awareness of scams. She discusses the importance of advocacy for older adults and caregivers and highlights efforts to address scams targeting older adults. Diane also shares insights into promoting independence for older adults through various housing options and assistance programs. In an interview, she reflects on her caregiving experiences and emphasizes the need to change the conversation about women aging.

Since becoming CEO of The Village Chicago in 2019, Darcy hasoverseen the growth and vitality of The Village—including over500 comprehensive programs that focus on social, emotional, andphysical well-being. She promotes improved quality of life forolder adults and intergenerational collaboration at work, at home,and in the community. Darcy and colleagues delve into the rootcauses of ageism and age bias, including internal and externalageism. She advocates that age must be included in diversity,equity, and inclusion policies and practices. Darcy is committed tojoining hands and voices to empower individuals and enrichcommunities.Connect with Darcy:Email: Darcy@thevillagechicago.orgWebsite: https://thevillagechicago.org

For much of her life, Susan Cartland-Bode has shared her gift ofmusic-- as a soloist and choral singer, voice teacher, player ofpiano and violin and, most recently, fiddle. A resident of PlymouthPlace in LaGrange Park, IL, Susan performs solos, sings with thePlymouth Place Singers, and directs the Singing Sages, a groupthat offers sing-along programs for residents in the upper levelsof care. The joy of music has sustained Susan throughchallenging times in her life; she is writing her memoir in fouracts. Susan and her husband, Hank, have been living happily atPlymouth Place since 2019—"the best decision we ever made.” Intheir spare moments, they enjoy sharing time with their“blended” family - 5 married kids, 10 grandchildren (3 married)and 2 “Greats!”"I believe in the power of music for the aging mind." - Susan Cartland-BodeWomen Over 70 thanks Plymouth Place for sponsoring this episode.Connect with Susan:Email: susancbode@me.com

Rhea Zakich, age 88, touches human hearts as an author, speaker, workshopand seminar leader, and creator of the world’s popular communication gamethe UNGAME (1973)—5 million sold and still selling. Her dramatic story ofthe UNGAME has been told on TV and radio programs as well as in majornewspapers and publications such as Readers Digest, Redbook, andPsychology for Living. Rhea resides in a Christian Senior Community in SantaAna, CA where she teaches Bible study, serves as editor of the Newsletter,and plays ukulele in Sing-Alongs for residents. During the past 40 years,Rhea has lead hundreds of workshops, seminars, and retreats (over 500 bynow) on topics such as Prayer, Discovering Your Purpose, and Inner Healing.She has written two spiritual autobiographies, the most recent is He CalledMe Rhea.I invite honest sharing of feelings and experiences in anatmosphere of love and acceptance. - Rhea ZakichConnect with Rhea:Email: rheazakich@aol.comWebsite: http://rheazakich.comBooks: Everybody Wins-The Story Behind the Ungame (1979) He Called Me Rhea: My Journey from Feeling and Dealing to Healing(2019)

Catherine Hiller is inspired to write against the grain. In her current novel, Cybil Unbound, (her 10th book and 6th novel), she delicately characterizes an older woman and her new-found sexuality. Catherine believes the capacity to fall in love can strike at any age. "It is a rare depiction about sexual adventure in a woman's later years. Cybill is 42 when the book begins, 72 when it ends." An award-winning writer, Catherine’s pioneering work has been challenging social mores for decades. What she writes about is known in the real world and her descriptions seem to pose a philosophical interest. She seeks to find a language to describe our sexual emotions and is always on the quest to discover new ways to express things. Catherine asks: “Monogamy vs non-monogamy - can we be monogamous throughout our entire married lives?”  Her last novel, The Feud, is about women competing in the workplace, and the book Just Say Yes: A Marijuana Memoir, was groundbreaking. A section of it was published in the New York Times, which also interviewed her about it. Hiller graduated summa cum laude from Brooklyn College and got a PhD in English from Brown University. She has lived in Brooklyn and Greenwich Village. She now lives with her husband in Westchester County and Sag Harbor, NY. She has three sons, two granddaughters and a dog.  "Fiction can show us life's possibilities." Connect with Catherine:Email: www.catherinehiller.net Substack: The Pleasure Principle: Savoring Life After Fifty  https://catherinehiller.substack.com/ Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Hiller

Taru Fisher coaches women to make aging fearless, fulfilling, and fun. She encourages women to fully respect their own aging process and be vibrantly visible. Taru is a certified NLP Health Practitioner and NLP Coach specializing in aging. She also is a Healer Certified Medical Cannabis Wellness Advisor and a provider of Health and Wellness Coaching and Medical Cannabis Education. Taru’s coaching practice is called Seasons of Life Coaching. She writes a blog and newsletter, teaches workshops online, and is writing her autobiography. Taru describes herself as “an irreverent, wise Elderwoman with a quirky sense of humor.” Connect with TaruEmail: taru@tarufisher.comWebsite: www.tarufisher.comNewsletter: http://bit.ly/3XeX6lKCall-a-Crone: http://bit.ly/3GEKV1h for a free 45-minute virtual session Facebook: https/www.facebook.com/seasons.of.life.coachingHealer.com

In her role as a certified Death Doula (also known as an End-of-Life Doula orDeath Midwife), Julie Iverson is passionate about providing non-medical,non-judgmental, holistic care and support to individuals and their loved onesas they navigate the challenges and transitions of aging and dying. Sheeducates them about options available before, during, and after death.Drawing on her expertise as a certified Geriatric Care Manager, Julie’sspecialty is being an advocate for families and a liaison between health careproviders and families. She offers her services through her company, Agingwith Care.Connect with Julie:Email: jliverson@mac.comWebsite: https://aging-with-care.com