Pollution Solutions: "Old Ladies” are Saving the Planet

With the proliferation of smartphones, photography has never been a more accessible hobby. Today, older adults are embracing smartphone photography to flex their creativity, build communities online, and get involved in citizen scientist projects.In this bonus episode of Aging Rewired, you’ll hear a discussion with three older adults (Robert, Suzanne, and Vivian) who all came to smartphone photography later in life and have found surprising benefits from taking up this new interest. Additionally, you’ll learn tips from Zeke, a Senior Planet trainer, on how to take better photos using your smartphone.To join the Fun with Photography group and start sharing your own photos, visit community.seniorplanet.org. To explore Senior Planet’s other smartphone photography resources, such as our free online intro class, visit seniorplanet.org/creativity or call our toll-free hotline at 888-713-3495. 

Summer travel is heating up! So we decided to revisit one of our favorite episodes from Season 2. In this audio journey, we invite travel writer and on-air travel expert, JetSetSarah, to share practical tips for older adults on how to stay budget friendly, exercise safely while away, utilize technology and much more. Additionally, we learn about a special program offered by Senior Planet in partnership with Discover Live, where older adults tour some of the world’s most stunning attractions, all from the comfort of their own home.Explore all of Senior Planet’s free travel resources at seniorplanet.org/travel! Join free classes on technology for travel, download a travel checklist, participate in virtual tours with Discover Live, and much more!

In the final episode of Season 3 of Aging Rewired, we’re talking about making and protecting your money as an older adult. Many older adults have no interest in retiring – or need to stay in the workforce to keep money coming in. In fact, roughly 20% of Americans over 65 are still working.Host Sheila Solomon interviews Washington Post Personal Finance Columnist Michelle Singletary about how older adults can stay on top of their finances. You can read Michelle’s column, “The Color of Money” every Wednesday and Sunday. To find more of her work, follow her on Instagram @singletarym.Later, two older adult entrepreneurs talk about their experiences using the technology skills they learned at Senior Planet to elevate their businesses. Learn more about Yukie’s Lumpia business here and Lorena’s Life Coaching business here. To find out how Senior Planet can help you stay on top of your finances, visit  seniorplanet.org/work-and-money or call our toll-free hotline at 888-713-3495.

According to AARP, nearly four in ten adults have a close friend who’s at least 15 years older or younger than they are. Almost 50% of these close bonds have lasted at least 10 years and 20% of them have lasted for more than two decades.This episode of Aging Rewired explores how we can use tech to help foster these enriching intergenerational connections, both within the family and outside of it. First, Senior Planet Web Editor, Virge Randall, interviews Sharon Wood, the founder and CEO of Happy People Games and The New Forevers, about her evidence-based video game company dedicated to memory wellness and boosting familial connection. To learn more visit happypeoplegames.com. Next, Sheila Solomon interviews Margaret Morgan-Hubbard and Kayla Agonoy from ECO City Farms about the power of intergenerational work and volunteer communities. To learn more, visit ecoffshoots.org.

A recent AARP study showed that eight in ten adults 50-plus report having used some form of AI. So how are older adults currently using AI and what new applications can they look forward to in the future? In this episode of Aging Rewired, we explore that question through two different conversations. First, we are joined in the studio by Fan Zhang, Principal Engineer, Accessibility Innovation at Meta. Fan and Sheila discuss how older adults can harness the power of AI through wearables, such as Meta’s AI glasses, to make their daily lives more accessible. To learn more about Meta’s AI glasses visit meta.com/ai-glasses.Then, you’ll hear from two Senior Planet employees (Katherine Lam Bellacero, Curriculum Manager and Wanda Woods, Technology Trainer) about what they’re hearing from older adults in the classroom, how Senior Planet develops AI curriculum, and what future improvements to aging they hope AI will bring. To explore Senior Planet’s free AI resources, visit seniorplanet.org/ai.

How can seniors use technology to help clean up the environment? In this episode, you’ll hear the stories of two older adults who are harnessing social media to build community and improve the world around them. First, we speak with Susan Baur, the founder of Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage (olaug-ma.com). Next, you’ll hear from Sokie Lee, the founder of NYC Clean volunteers (facebook.com/groups/nyccleanvolunteers/).To learn more about Senior Planet from AARP and our free programs for older adults, visit seniorplanet.org or call 888-713-3495.

Older adults are using the internet to create virtual safe spaces where they can talk openly about death. In today’s episode, we hear from Bre Clark, an end-of-life doula, who runs Senior Planet’s Death Cafe, as well as two frequent participants, about their experiences talking about grief and end-of-life preparation online. To join Senior Planet’s Death Cafe and more online discussion groups, visit: https://seniorplanet.org/classes. To learn more about Bre’s services, visit: https://www.eclipseintoharmony.com. Senior Planet from AARP is a community of older adults who are learning to thrive in the digital world. Senior Planet programs are offered free of charge online and in-person to help older adults build technology skills to allow them to improve their health, make new friendships, save money, and advocate in their communities. To learn more, visit www.seniorplanet.org or follow @SeniorPlanet on social media.

On average, Americans outlive their decision to stop driving by ten years. With limited access to public transportation, what tech and community-based solutions are there to ensure that older adults have access to affordable and reliable transportation? We hear three different perspectives in this season premiere. Guests include Katherine Freund, President & CEO of ITNAmerica (itnamerica.org); Cheryl Stewart, a founding member of the all-women's Sirens Motorcycle Club (sirensnyc.org); and Alain Kornhauser, a professor at Princeton.Senior Planet from AARP is a community of older adults who are learning to thrive in the digital world. Senior Planet programs are offered free of charge online and in-person to help older adults build technology skills to allow them to improve their health, make new friendships, save money, and advocate in their communities. To learn more, visit www.seniorplanet.org or follow @SeniorPlanet on social media.

In this bonus episode, we dive into three stories told by participants of Senior Planet from AARP, the nonprofit behind Aging Rewired, to explore how community members are harnessing the power of technology to connect and grow. Every year, thousands of older adults join free Senior Planet programming and leave with the skills and confidence they need to change their lives. Giving Tuesday is the largest fundraiser of the year for nonprofits. To support Senior Planet’s Giving Tuesday campaign, visit seniorplanet.org/givingtuesday. Thanks to a generous match from AARP, your tax-deductible donation will DOUBLED, dollar for dollar, up to $75,000.

Do you own your stuff or does your stuff own you? Decluttering expert Tracy McCubbin shares her top tips on how to navigate the difficulties of downsizing. Tracy is the CEO and founder of dClutterfly. Visit her website to take the “What’s Your Clutter Block?” quiz and explore her decluttering task lists. She is also the author of two best selling books: Making Space, Clutter-Free: The Last Book on Decluttering You’ll Ever Need and Make Space for Happiness: How to Stop Attracting Clutter and Start Magnetizing the Life You Want. Senior Planet from AARP is a community of older adults who are learning to thrive in the digital world. Senior Planet programs are offered free of charge online and in-person to help older adults build technology skills to allow them to improve their health, make new friendships, save money, and advocate in their communities. To learn more, visit www.seniorplanet.org or follow @SeniorPlanet on social media.