CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson +1 303-810-1816

Email:   Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com

Golden, Colorado – August 15, 2021

The Caring Generation® Parents Getting Older

Golden CO- Caregiver subject matter expert Pamela D. Wilson hosts The Caring Generation® podcast show for caregivers and aging adults. This coming Wednesday, August 18, 2021, Wilson shares insights for adult children caregivers about noticing changes in aging parents that indicate help may be needed. Guest Dr. Claire Ankuda from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai shares research about homebound older adults.

Wilson releases new shows for The Caring Generation series each Wednesday. Featured are tips and conversations about aging, caregiving, family relationships, and health. Also shared are interviews and research from experts worldwide about health prevention and planning for the future to avoid caregiving stress and unexpected situations. The Caring Generation is available on Wilson's website, podcast, and music apps worldwide.

Things to Know About Parents Getting Older

The process of aging is a lifelong journey. Noticing parents age can be a scary feeling for adult children.

During this program, Wilson offers Information about the aging process related to the body and mind. While it can be difficult for younger adults caring for middle-aged or older parents to empathize with physical challenges, these caregivers can gain beneficial knowledge.

While chronological age is one factor about how old an individual feels, many adults feel 10 to 20 years older or younger than their age. As a result of these beliefs, perceptions about aging and participation in daily activities significantly impact how adults approach changes associated with aging. Some beliefs are cultural. Some societies place a higher value on the elderly and the responsibility of the family to provide care.

The primary caregiver in the family often goes to great lengths to provide care, many times ignoring their own health issues. Caregivers also hesitate to place burdens or worry on an elderly parent or a spouse. While many families prefer to keep loved ones at home—and this is the desire of many elderly—isolation associated with living alone can speed along health concerns.

In families, a time may arise when the needs of aging parents exceed the skills or time available by persons in the family. Research offered by Dr. Claire Ankuda confirms that older adults who are homebound experience higher mortality levels than those living active lives in the community. Community living may offer more day-to-day support and increased socialization that benefits aging adults.

For caregivers, noticing changes in aging parent's abilities beginning in middle-age can help all adults learn more about the benefits of preventative care to minimize frailty and isolation. Family caregivers benefit from researching, seeking education, and creating plans to care for aging parents that can help all generations in the family. Wilson shares suggestions for caregivers to begin conversations with parents as small changes are identified.

Early identification helps families to make plans for when parents may need more significant amounts. By doing so, crises situations may be avoided as well as pressured decision making.

Program Guest Dr. Claire Ankuda  - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Claire K. Ankuda, MD, MPH, the guest for this program, is an Assistant Professor in the Geriatrics and Palliative medicine department at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She earned an MD from the University of Vermont and an MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health before going to the University of Washington for a family medicine residency. She was then a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the University of Michigan, during which time she conducted a 6-month policy externship at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

Following this, she completed a Palliative Medicine fellowship at Mount Sinai. Dr. Ankuda is a health services researcher who aims to assess the impact of payment policies and health systems on outcomes for seriously ill older adults and their families.

Wilson works with family caregivers, groups, and corporations worldwide to educate about the role strain that caregivers experience, managing, and planning for health and aging issues. More about Wilson's online courses for elderly care, individual elder care consultations, caregiver support, webinars, and speaking engagements are on her website www.pameladwilson.com. Pamela may also be contacted at +1 303-810-1816 or through the contact Me page on her website.

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