Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®

Claudia Apfelbaum, licensed clinical social worker and founder of Claudia Listens, joins Honestly Aging for a heartfelt conversation about friendship, loneliness, resilience, and the importance of meaningful connection as we age. 

We explore how friendships evolve over time, why social connection is essential for emotional well-being, and the ways older adults can begin building new relationships later in life. From ...

In this Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR® episode we welcome Mike Liskai, Director of Program Operations at Zemplee and Beth Morley, Care Coordinator at Friends Life Care. This episode explores the impact of Zemplee's passive AI monitoring system in the homes of at-risk Friends Life Care members, highlighting how non-intrusive sensors and data-driven alerts su...

In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, we explore the powerful connection between community engagement and vibrant aging with guests Kerry Roeder, Executive Director of Historic Fair Hill, and Jean Hurd, a Friends Life Care member and dedicated volunteer.   

Located in North Philadelphia, Historic Fair Hill is a Quaker burial ground turned community hub, where literacy, green space, and so...

In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, we're joined by Caróle Sinclair-Thompson, a massage therapist with nearly four decades of experience, to explore the role of therapeutic massage in the aging journey. From her unexpected path from New Zealand to Pennsylvania, Caróle shares how her passion for the mind-body connection has shaped a career focused on helping people feel better, move better, and reconnect wi...

In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, we're joined by Karen Hirst, an occupational therapist in long-term care and the founder of Elevate Aging. 

Karen shares her personal journey from working with older adults across the continuum of care to becoming a caregiver for her own mother as she experienced cognitive decline. She opens up about the emotional complexity of recognizing changes in a loved on...

In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, we speak with Vicky Hart, founder of A Gathering of Minds, about how families can stay meaningfully connected with loved ones experiencing memory loss. 

Drawing on her personal experience supporting her father through dementia and her background in music, Vicky shares practical strategies for communicating with someone whose cognit...

In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, we welcome back Darshan Bhatt, PT, MS, DPT, MBA, President of FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers in Spring House, PA, along with Kelsey Jachimowicz, PT, DPT, Clinical Director and Certified Vestibular & Balance Physical Therapist.  

Together, they explore two specialized areas of physical therapy that can significantly&...

In this reflective episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, we're joined by Patti Nesbitt, retired hospice and palliative care nurse, and Eileen Stanzione, PhD, clinical social worker and grief counselor, for a compassionate conversation about mortality, dying, grief, and what continues after death.  

Through a Quaker lens grounded in listening, presence, and love, Patti and Eileen share personal ex...

In this episode of Honestly Aging, we're on-site at The Hickman, a warm and vibrant senior living community in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Together with three members of The Hickman's team, we explore the many senior living options available today and how to think through which choices may be the right fit as needs and priorities change over time.  

Our conversation begins with an overview of The Hickman's on-site of...

Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) is a lesser-known form of dementia that often affects people in their 40s and 50s, bringing profound changes in behavior, personality, and language.   

In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, we're joined by Esther Kane, Support & Education Director at The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), and Liz Zadnik, an AFTD Ambassador for Pennsylvania...

In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, we talk with Holly Beebee, a Friends Life Care member who reinvented her life after leaving a 38-year corporate sales career.  

Holly shares how burnout led her to a bold leap of faith and into a joyful second chapter: creating a successful Dancin' Chairs program for older adults, performing music as part of a vocal duo, and becoming a published ...

In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, we explore an important part of vibrant aging: staying confident on your feet. Our guest, Judith Sachs, founder of Anyone Can Move, brings decades of experience as a dancer, movement educator, and certified instructor in Dance for Parkinson's, balance and gait work, and fall-recovery training.  

Judith shares how movement became her life's mission and why she b...

In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, we're exploring what it really means to care for a loved one in today's world and how technology can make that journey a little lighter. 

We're joined by Traci Lamb, Business Development Specialist at OdessaConnect, a platform that helps older adults stay connected through the most familiar screen in the home – the TV. Drawing from both her professional experi...

Grief is a universal experience, yet each person's journey through it is deeply personal. In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, we're joined by George Salloom, a retired social worker and long-time bereavement support facilitator with over 30 years of experience. 

George shares insights from his decades of work in hospitals, long-term care, and hospice settings, as well as from leading eight-week bereav...

In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, we're joined by Alan Silverblatt, a Friends Life Care member and information technology expert with decades of experience helping individuals, nonprofits, and small businesses navigate the digital world. Now retired, Alan continues to share his knowledge by teaching, consulting, and empowering older adults to use technology with confidence and safety.  

Through...

Aging is more than growing older – it’s an opportunity for wisdom, connection, and meaning. In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, we welcome Sheila Smolens Sorkin, Aging Support Coordinator at Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM), to explore the Quaker approach to aging, care, and support.  

Together, we discuss: 

• The Quaker values that shape aging services 

• 10 ke...

What does it take to age vibrantly and independently? In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, we're joined by Mario Mascioli, certified athletic trainer, strength and conditioning coach, and founder of Mass Movement. Drawing from his experience with professional athletes and his work with older adults, Mario shares insights into building a strong foundation for healthy aging through personalized fitness, nutri...

What if aging wasn’t defined by milestones like retirement or physical decline but instead by mindset, purpose, and possibility?

In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®, Becky Blue, the author of ‘Turning: The Magic and Mystery of More Days’ joins us to explore how rethinking the way we view aging can open the door to a more fulfilling, empowered life. You’ll hear fresh perspectives on h...

What happens if you don’t plan ahead for the end of life? You may be leaving behind a stressful mess for your loved ones. In this episode of Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR® Susan Hoskins, LCSW, Executive Director of Friends Foundation for the Aging discusses how we can all take thoughtful steps to prepare. 

Susan shares practical tips on: 

• The essential documents everyone needs 

• How to...