Public media stations across New York state are collaborating on a multi-platform project addressing social isolation among older adults through news coverage, shared personal stories, modeling healthy relationships, building community and providing resources for seniors that reduce isolation and build resiliency. Funding is provided in part by the New York State Education Department with collaboration from the NYS Office of the Aging. Listen to the stories and talk show podcasts on-demand.
Local WXXI News Coverage: Read & Listen to stories on-demand here
Reframing Aging: A local alliance wants to change people’s view of older adults (LISTEN • 5:17) from February 12, 2024. The Monroe County Aging Alliance is in the midst of a yearlong effort to change attitudes and perceptions of older adults.
New York Public News Network Audit finds state still has work to do to address nursing home pandemic issues (LISTEN • 3:57) from December 20, 2023 New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said a follow-up audit to a 2022 report by his office finds the state health department has made some improvements since the height of COVID-19, when thousands of elderly people died in the nursing homes. 
Local News For family caregivers, extra costs of tending to loved ones exact toll (LISTEN • 4:55) November 27, 2023 Research shows that providing uncompensated care for a parent, sibling or other close relative or friend can be a drain on one’s bank account.
Local News– Online resource Trualta helps fill knowledge gaps for family caregivers from November 22, 2023 For anyone thrust into a caregiver role, it can feel like drowning, having to quickly get up to speed on medications, bills, legal paperwork, assess care options — the fit, the quality and the cost. An online resource called Trualta provides free web-based training, tips and other resources.
Local News – AARP leads discussion about challenges for Rochester’s rapidly growing 65+ population from September 28, 2023 The study says that Rochester has the second-highest rate of older adult poverty of any county or city in the state, with 22% of its 65+ population living below the poverty line.
Local News– Avoiding loneliness is a challenge for some older adults living on their own May 17, 2023 About a third of people between the ages of 50 and 80 say they experience loneliness. It poses serious physical and emotional health risks. In this part of a series exploring social isolation, Jo-Ann Spring of Webster finds ways to cope. LISTEN • 4:09
Local News ‘I needed to be around people’: She didn’t want to be lonely as she aged. Here’s what she did from May 16, 2023 When her husband got dementia, Liz Sabo realized she needed to find connections with other adults. Here’s how she changed her life. LISTEN • 5:43
Local News-FDA approves first RSV vaccine for older adults from May 5, 2023. The FDA approved GSK’s vaccine, Arexvy, on Wednesday for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV in people 60 and older.
Local News–This home health care agency is working with Black church leaders to help older adults from April 19, 2023.The home health aid agency HCR Cares has launched a new initiative to get more Black families in Rochester the at-home care they need for their senior members. LISTEN • 1:36
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand outlines Master Plan on Aging during St. Regis Mohawk Tribe visit from April 13, 2023. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe recently to outline a five-point Master Plan on Aging her office is developing. LISTEN • 3:47
Connections with Evan Dawson Live Talk Show Podcasts from WXXI News
December 20, 2023 Podcast: What should we know about diagnosis and symptoms for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?
December 20, 2023 Podcast: Caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease
December 19, 2023 Podcast: Addressing higher rates of suicide among older men
October 12, 2023 Podcast: How can the arts impact our lives as we age?
May 19, 2023 Podcast: Aging Together: Thomas Connors, Jr. and Nicholas Verzella on their 90-year friendship
May 15, 2023 Podcast: Aging Together: Discussing one approach to aging in place
May 15, 2023 Podcast: Aging Together: Supporting older adults as they experience different factors of aging
September 16, 2022 Podcast: Author John Leland on his book, “Happiness Is a Choice You Make: Lessons from a Year Among the Oldest Old”
This program is part of The Aging Together In New York, an initiative funded by the New York State Education Department that has called on NYS public media organizations to create a multi-platform project to help address mental health and addiction throughout the state. The project includes broadcast offerings, online content, and special events, like this screening. The NYS stations will also work to create comprehensive digital teaching tools, online learning, and essential instructional content.
The Eternal Memory
Screening/discusssion on Thursday, September 7, 2023 at 7:15 p.m. at The Little Theatre
WXXI is pleased to be a community partner for the presentation of this ONE TAKE DOC film that shares an epic love story that transcends time and memory in the face of Alzheimer’s. See the Trailer
PROGRAMS THAT ALREADY AIRED:
Young at Heart: Empowering Older Adults Statewide Virtual Screening Event On-Demand
Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 7 p.m. online
WXXI and the other NYS stations hosted a virtual screening of Young@Heart with subject-area experts as they explore strategies for combatting senior isolation in conversation with members of the Young@Heart Chorus.
Special programming includes:
Connections with Evan Dawson
Monday, May 15, 2023 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on WXXI News/NPR
In our first hour, a special broadcast previously recorded at St. Johns in Rochester. During this conversation in front of a live audience, a panel of experts explores issues important to older adults and those who care for them. The discussion includes points about social isolation, maintaining friendships, caregiving, and how to reconcile the different factors of aging. Click here to listen to the hour.
Then in our second hour, we continue our conversation about aging by exploring one option for caregiving: aging in place. Brothers Mark and Tom McDermott founded Touching Hearts at Home in 2007 — three years after their mother was diagnosed with cancer. They say during her illness, they came to understand the importance of having qualified compassionate caregivers in her home. Click here to listen to the hour.
Young @ Heart’s 40th Anniversary Show
Monday, May 15, 2023 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV
What started out in 1982 at a Western Massachusetts elderly housing project to joyfully pass the time instead of passing before your time, The Young@Heart Chorus developed into a stereotype-defying, generation-crossing musical extravaganza. Join the world’s “oldest” rock group for a celebration of their 40th anniversary live on stage.
Show Must Go On! On-Demand
Aired Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at 7 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Four women who prove it is never too late to reinvent yourself.
Young @ Heart: Strong in Song On-Demand (See The Young @ Heart Youtube Channel)
Aired Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 9:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Meet the world’s oldest rockers: The Young@Heart Chorus! The Young@Heart Chorus continues to prove it’s “possible to grow old without growing boring.”
Lives Well Lived Watch the Trailer
Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 5 p.m. on WXXI-TV
This show celebrates the wisdom of people 75-100, and their insights for living. Click here for the trailer.
Art + Medicine: Healthy Aging On-Demand
Aired Sunday, May 21 at 7 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Exploring healthy aging with Drs. Jon Hallberg and Tseganesh Selameab through the 4M’s framework of mobility, mentation, medication and what matters to older adults, all with an artistic lens.
Music for Life: The Story of New Horizons (Watch the Trailer)
Aired Sunday, May 21 at 11 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Learn more about this music program for senior musicians whose skills range from novice to seasoned.
Aging Matters: Aging with Pride On-Demand
Aired Friday, June 16, 2023 at 8:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV
New York has the fourth-largest population of older adults in the United States, with 3.2 million individuals – about 16 percent of the population – over 65. The state’s population of those over the age of 60 is projected to grow to 5.3 million by 2030 with those over 80 years of age exceeding 1.2 million.
WXXI joins all nine public television stations throughout New York in the Aging Together in New York initiative. Stations will continue to examine the issue and share critical resources to combat social isolation and loneliness as the effort continues until the end of the year.
Special thanks to our sponsors: Lifespan of Greater Rochester Inc., St. John’s, and OASIS Rochester