Carol Levine, director of UHF's Families and Health Care Project, has been named one of the “2016 Influencers in Aging” by Next Avenue.
The list recognizes 50 advocates, researchers, thought leaders, innovators, writers, and experts at the forefront of changing how America ages and thinks about aging. This year's group includes “a range of leaders who have made exceptional contributions,” says Susan Donley, managing director of Next Avenue. The list cites Ms. Levine's work on developing partnerships between family caregivers and health care professionals to improve patients' transitions between health care settings, and her successful efforts to improve communications between hospitals and caregivers.
What is the one thing Ms. Levine would change about aging in America, Next Avenue asked? “Meeting the caregiving needs of older adults should be seen not only as a family duty but also as a responsibility shared with health care professionals, community leaders, employers, and public officials. Family caregivers need many sources of help to achieve the best possible health, well-being, and quality of life for both the people they care for and themselves.”
Next Avenue invited all of the 2016 "influencers" to write longer essays about needed changes related to aging in America. Ms. Levine's essay, "No Caregiver Is an Island, Though It May Seem That Way," appeared on both NextAvenue.com and Forbes.com.
Next Avenue is public media's only digital publication dedicated to covering issues for older Americans. It is produced by Twin Cities PBS in St. Paul, MN, for the PBS system; 87 PBS stations are local affiliate partners. A national network of media partners and governmental and nonprofit “allies” extends Next Avenue's reach beyond its website.