Century Lives

• Rick Steves

  Look around you: Our communities are filled with people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, even 90s, doing things that would have been unthinkable at their age a generation ago. By 2030, the entire Baby Boomer generation will be 65 and older.  But what does it mean to be old in an era of much longer life?    Welcome to Century Lives: The New Old, from the Stanford Center on Longevity. In this season, we interview six extraordinary people who are challenging the way we think about aging. Today: Rick Steves. In 1978, he was a piano teacher with a touch of wanderlust.  Two months traveling overland from Istanbul to Kathmandu changed that. The trip ultimately made him what he is today: a storyteller, a critical source of information about travel in Europe, and our country’s foremost cheerleader for the value of travel. For the past half century, Rick Steves has taught his fellow Americans how to travel better, through his guidebooks, radio program, app, TV series, and bus tours. He recently turned 70, and many of his globetrotting followers are now older adults, too. We’re here to talk with Rick Steves about how he has reinvented himself—and his industry—as he ages.

  --------  

  28:27

  --------

  28:27
• Fran Drescher

  Look around you: Our communities are filled with people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, even 90s, doing things that would have been unthinkable at their age a generation ago. By 2030, the entire Baby Boomer generation will be 65 and older.  But what does it mean to be old in an era of much longer life?    Welcome to Century Lives: The New Old, from the Stanford Center on Longevity. In this season, we interview six extraordinary people who are challenging the way we think about aging. Today: Fran Drescher. You might know her as Fran Fine, the star of the hit 1990s TV show The Nanny. After a bout with uterine cancer in her early 40s, she started Cancer Schmancer: a non-profit focused on prevention, early detection, and policy change. More recently, she took on a new role: President of SAG-AFTRA, the union she’s been a member of for decades. Fran Drescher is now 67. She’s here to talk to us about how she has reinvented herself—and her industry—as she ages.

  --------  

  29:31

  --------

  29:31
• We Want to Hear from You!

  A future season of Century Lives will take a deep dive into the subject of housing. Our focus is inspired by a striking fact: The US is already facing a major shortfall of housing suitable for seniors, and the number of Americans over 65 is expected to grow by 30 million by mid-century. So… we want to hear from you! Please share your concerns and questions, whether it’s about: Cost Aging in place Finding community Moving Arranging care Navigating family ... or anything else related to housing as you age. We may use your question on the final episode of our upcoming season. Please call and leave us a message telling us what’s on your mind at ‪(412) 467-6356. You can also email us at [email protected]. We may be able to use your question on the podcast. Make sure to include your name, age, phone number and a brief description of your circumstances.  Ken Stern, the host of “Century Lives”, will be joined by special guest Ryan Frederick, a renowned author, expert on the intersection of health, longevity and place—and a leading voice in the emerging field of place planning, which helps people make more intentional decisions about where to live for each stage of life. Thanks, and we look forward to hearing from you!

  --------  

  1:38

  --------

  1:38
• FemTech

  Sometimes a single question can open up a whole new world. About ten years ago, a young doctor named Sara Naseri was trying to think of how the field of medicine could be more preventative. It was so difficult to get information about what was going on inside people’s bodies, before they were sick enough to go to a doctor for a blood draw. Suddenly it dawned on her: Women bleed every month. What can we learn from that blood, and why has no one looked at it before? A rigorous scientific study followed—and eventually, a Silicon Valley start-up called Qvin, which produces menstrual pads used for testing women’s blood. Dr. Naseri represents a new generation of women coming up with innovations to close the women’s health gap. We travel to Silicon Valley to meet her, and we talk to two venture capitalists about the impact women in venture are having on private sector efforts to improve women’s health.

  --------  

  47:05

  --------

  47:05
• The Mobius Strip

  Two of the biggest social factors that contribute to health problems are financial insecurity and caregiving for family members. And it’s no coincidence that the burden of both falls more heavily on women. We hear the moving story of a woman named Amy Goyer, whose responsibilities as a caregiver landed her in bankruptcy and prevented her from taking care of her own health. She is now the national caregiving expert for the AARP.  We also talk to three experts about how women’s lower financial status leads to health problems, how health problems lead to lower financial status, and how both are tied to women’s roles as caregivers: Chloe Bird, Director of the Center for Health Equity Research at Tufts Medicine, Ana Hernandez Kent of the Federal Reserve and Heather McCulloch of the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program.

  --------  

  43:39

  --------

  43:39

More Health & Wellness podcasts

Trending Health & Wellness podcasts

About Century Lives