Age of Aging

What changes when dementia care becomes personal? In this bonus conversation, neuropsychologist Dr. Emma Rhodes sits down with Penn Memory Center Director of Social Work Alison Lynn to talk about caring for her father with Alzheimer’s disease, balancing caregiving with work, and how the experience has changed the way she sees patients and families.

• Watch the full interview with video on our YouTube channel
• Listen to the ...

At the Age of Aging, we often speak with researchers and clinicians who have devoted their careers to understanding dementia and caring for the people living with it. Less often, we hear what happens when dementia becomes personal for those same experts. 

In this episode, neuropsychologist Dr. Emma Rhodes shares her experience caring for her father, Jack, following his diagnosis of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease...

What makes a house a home? And what happens when that home no longer works for the person living in it? In this episode, we explore the emotional and practical challenges of downsizing and moving later in life — from letting go of decades of possessions to navigating dementia, family dynamics, and the fear of what comes next. 

Inside this episode: 

1:06 – Deconstructing Home: Dr. Jason Karlawish explores ...

Welcome to our annual summer bonus episode of the Age of Aging, where our Penn Memory Center experts reflect on the latest research from the annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC). On today’s episode, Age of Aging Executive Producer and PMC Co-Director Dr. Jason Karlawish sat down with Co-Director Dr. David Wolk and Dr. Chris Brown to unpack their biggest takeaways from their time ...

At the Age of Aging, we are sometimes lucky enough to have too many great stories to fit into a single podcast episode. We ran into this fortunate circumstance last season with our episode, “Ambiguous Loss,” which shared the stories of two caregivers grappling with their loved one’s decline from dementia. On today's mid-summer bonus episode, we share a third story we recorded that didn&rsq...

At The Age of Aging, we know that the stories we tell about dementia shape the perceptions, resources, and, ultimately, the lived experience of people with the condition. As such, it is our number one priority to understand what narratives serve an aging population and which ones are better left in the past.  

For the Season 5 finale, our team reflects on a special report from Hastings Center for Bioethics,...

The air around us is invisible, but its effects on the brain are becoming harder to ignore. Research now links long-term exposure to air pollution with increased Alzheimer's pathology, cognitive decline, and greater dementia risk, and older adults face the greatest threat. 

On this episode of The Age of Aging, we go inside that science. Dr. Eddie Lee shares new findings from the University of Pennsylvania connecting lifetime p...

A longer lifespan is one of humanity’s greatest achievements. It also raises urgent questions about caregiving, financial security, and how we prepare for life after 65. On this episode of The Age of Aging, we take a look at the financial challenges that come with living longer. 

First, Terrence Casey moderates a wide-ranging conversation with Surya Kolluri of the TIAA Institute and Dr. Mary Naylor of...

The history of dementia research is a story of scientific progress stalled and derailed for nearly a century. 120 years ago, psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer made a groundbreaking discovery in the brain of a 55-year-old woman named Auguste Deter. Unfortunately, social and political turmoil would mean that his findings would not be widely understood until the end of the 20th century.  

On this episode ...

What does it mean to age well? For soprano Lucy Shelton, the answer may lie in music itself. At 82, Shelton recently made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera — performing in the world premiere of Innocence, a Finnish opera about a school shooting, sung in nine languages. On this episode of The Age of Aging, Dr. Jason Karlawish sits down with Shelton to explore her remarkable career, the relationship betwee...

Exercise is one of the greatest things we can do for longevity and, according to Dr. Art Kramer, it’s never too late to start. On this episode of The Age of Aging, we look at one of the most accessible forms of exercise: running. We hear from competitive older runners about how they started, what keeps them going, and what running has given them over time. 

Inside this episode:&nb...

How do you grieve someone who is still standing in front of you? In this episode, we go beyond the medical diagnosis to explore Ambiguous Loss, the “long goodbye” that defines the dementia experience. It is a journey of grieving every day while the person you love is still living. 

Inside this episode: 

• 2:59 – "I Want to Go Home": Dr. Jason Karlawish uses poetry to dissect a fading m...

 Nearly a year and a half ago, we released the Season 2 episode “In Sickness and in Health,” which explored new anti-amyloid therapies for Alzheimer’s disease, lecanemab and donanemab, known commercially as Leqembi and Kisunla. 

After more than three years of lecanemab and nearly two years of donanemab in clinical use, how do patients, caregivers, and clinicians view these treatments today? 

In this epis...

We often think of dementia as an interior condition, one that happens within a person’s mind, independent of the outside world. However, as dementia and design experts note, we are in constant contact with our environments, and people with dementia are profoundly impacted by the spaces they occupy. How do we design a world for people with cognitive change? And what do the environments traditionally designed for older adults s...

Being intentional about our diet is one of the best things we can do for the health and longevity of our brain. But what exactly is a healthy brain diet—and how do we make it realistic?  

 In the season 5 premiere of the Age of Aging, we break down the science and strategy behind the MIND diet and what it looks like to shop and eat for cognitive longevity. 

Inside this episode: 

• Terrence sits do...

In season 4 of the Age of Aging, we decided to end every interview with the same question: what do you wish people understood more about aging?  

In this special bonus episode of the podcast, we share some of their answers. They remind us of the prevalence of ageism, the many benefits of old age, and that we always have the ability to grow and change at any age.   

Special thanks this episode to Lucy Dav...

The year 2025 was full of breakthroughs, debates, and big questions in Alzheimer’s research. One event that shaped many of these conversations? The Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) Conference. It may not have been on everyone’s radar, but its impact was undeniable. 

In this special episode, Penn Memory Center Co-Directors Dr. Jason Karlawish and Dr. David Wolk share what stood out at CTAD, what&...

Art that tries to teach you things “stinks,” says playwright and actor Jake Broder. 

“And yet there is a profound need for education, for awareness, for reducing stigma, for supporting the community and for medical education,” he said. A few years ago, while writing his latest play about the two individuals with frontotemporal dementia, he wrestled with how he could do both. 

In the season 4 finale...

If you asked most caregivers, they would probably say there’s nothing funny about caring for someone with dementia. The stress, grief, and frustration can feel overwhelming. But what if the principles of improv comedy — being present, saying “yes,” and working together — could make caregiving easier and more joyful? 

In this episode of the Age of Aging, we explore the surprising connection between...