Welcome to the Age of Aging, a podcast about living well with an aging brain. The Age of Aging is a podcast released every other Tuesday, covering a wide range of stories in aging research. Co-hosted by Jake Johnson and Terrence Casey from the Penn Memory Center communications team, each episode they will explore what it means to age with independence and dignity in the modern world. You can expect to hear from the University of Pennsylvania’s world-class researchers, caregivers of those with cognitive difficulties, and everyday people who want to keep their brain as healthy as possible as they age.
Supported by the Penn Memory Center, Penn FTD Center, Penn Institute on Aging, and Penn Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
All content for Age of Aging is the property of Penn Memory Center and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Welcome to the Age of Aging, a podcast about living well with an aging brain. The Age of Aging is a podcast released every other Tuesday, covering a wide range of stories in aging research. Co-hosted by Jake Johnson and Terrence Casey from the Penn Memory Center communications team, each episode they will explore what it means to age with independence and dignity in the modern world. You can expect to hear from the University of Pennsylvania’s world-class researchers, caregivers of those with cognitive difficulties, and everyday people who want to keep their brain as healthy as possible as they age.
Supported by the Penn Memory Center, Penn FTD Center, Penn Institute on Aging, and Penn Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
Although the Age of Aging often focuses on science, art has been a recurring theme. In Season 2, Episode 2, “Diet, Exercise, and... Doodling?”, we explored how creativity can support longevity. However, beyond art’s apparent health benefits, making and consuming art can also help us better understand the experience of aging. In many ways, the change and loss associated with aging are best understood through art.
Today’s episode of the Age of Aging looks once again at art creation in aging through the stories and work of three artists living with brain disease.
Joe Vanek, a stage designer for more than 40 years, experienced a stroke that changed how he viewed time and creativity. Scott LaMascus left graduate school in poetry to care for his father with ALS, finding meaning through writing and reflection. Neesa Becker-Procaccino, a professional illustrator, stopped working after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis but returned to art as a way to heal and connect.
Each artist faced disruption. Yet through art, each found a way to continue creating and redefining identity in the face of illness.
Resources available on the episode webpage linked below
Watch the full video of Neesa Becker-Procaccino
Learn more about Joe Vanek
Read more of Joe Vanek’s story
Read “Dispatches from the Dark Side of the Moon” and “Hesitant Light”
Check out more of Joe Vanek’s illustrations
Saint Patrick
The Queen of Hearts
Our Lady Guadalupe
The Child of Prague
Nutcracker
The Snow Queen
Follow Joe Vanek on Instagram
Learn more about Scott LaMascus
Read
Age of Aging
Welcome to the Age of Aging, a podcast about living well with an aging brain. The Age of Aging is a podcast released every other Tuesday, covering a wide range of stories in aging research. Co-hosted by Jake Johnson and Terrence Casey from the Penn Memory Center communications team, each episode they will explore what it means to age with independence and dignity in the modern world. You can expect to hear from the University of Pennsylvania’s world-class researchers, caregivers of those with cognitive difficulties, and everyday people who want to keep their brain as healthy as possible as they age.
Supported by the Penn Memory Center, Penn FTD Center, Penn Institute on Aging, and Penn Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
