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381 Joan Greene: A Lifelong Advocate for Aging and Mental Health

  1. 381 Joan Greene: A Lifelong Advocate for Aging and Mental Health Gail Zelitzky and Catherine Marienau 35:16

Joan Greene, 84, trained to be a teacher but found her true calling as a social worker and innovative advocate for older adults. In New York State, she helped create programs from the ground up—from nutrition services and Meals on Wheels to case management and Family support. When her accomplished daughter was diagnosed with severe mental illness, Joan’s work took on new urgency and personal meaning. In this conversation, she reflects on key turning points in aging, gerontology, and mental Health care, while urging our culture to recognize mental health as an essential part of overall health. Joan calls for greater advocacy, research, and access to providers for older adults and families alike. Stay to the end to hear how knitting has become an unexpected source of connection, creativity, and advocacy.

Connect with Joan

Email: [email protected]

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Shining the Light on Age-Wise Collective, a group of women podcasters championing pro-aging voices. This week we highlight Beverley Glazer, a transition coach and strategic thinking partner whose podcast—Aging with Purpose and Passion—showcases the raw, empowering stories of high-achieving women who have navigated the most extreme life transitions with unshakeable resilience.

https://www.agingwithpurposeandpassion.com

Gail Zelitzky & Catherine Marienau Women Over 70 - Aging Reimagined

The decades that begin in our 70s require resilience to deal with new challenges, gratitude for living longer, and inspiration to enrich our own and others’ lives. Hosts Gail Zelitzky and Catherine Marienau are two such women. Their stories and the stories of the over 200 women they have interviewed celebrate women’s enduring courage, compassion and contribution. Our compelling stories shatter the myth that we become irrelevant as we age.