Maintaining Dignity in Aging

by Skip Cohen

This has very little to do with imaging, but it does have to do with something EVERYONE has to deal with... the challenges that come with aging.

With this week's first full "Before They Take Away My Keys" podcast, Pam Polowski joined the discussion. Pam is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and Alzheimer's Trainer here in South Florida. She's very well respected and a good friend to so many of us who have had to deal with a loved one fighting Alzheimer's and dementia.

Pam shares a lot of good tips in this new podcast, but there's another aspect to the series I want to share. It's simply something new I wanted to launch. With a whole lot of help, thanks to my wife Sheila, co-host Chamira Young and several members of the community, it's becoming a reality. In another week, there'll be a website, but for now, if you're interested, please join us in the Facebook group.

Most of you know me from all my years in the photography world. While most people my age have retired, I'm not ready yet!  I had one last project I wanted to get off the ground. When my family was dealing with my mother's fight with Alzheimer's, we couldn't have done it without help from the Sarasota community, specifically the Senior Friendship Centers and their Caregiver Resource Center.

My relationship with the Centers started 14 years ago and led to a long list of different programs/projects involving so many different aspects of aging. The challenges my wife and I are experiencing with our own aging have led us to want to pay it forward and start programming that would help more than just us. This is a forum where we can all exchange ideas and benefit from the experts who will be joining us on future podcasts.

Whether you're in your 40s and dealing with the challenges of a more senior member of your family, or you're noticing changes of your own as you get older, we're going to do our best to cover all the bases in this new series.

Please join us in the Facebook group and then link to the trailer and our first podcast guest. Coming up next is Erin McCleod, CEO of the Senior Friendship Centers and recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024, who will be joining us. She is an expert as a full-time advocate helping people establish and maintain dignity in aging.

Thanks for being one of my readers. Your support is so appreciated. Please help us spread the word on the new group. I know we're going to have a lot to offer. Just click on the links below.