RLTV to Premiere Taking Care With Joan Lunden

RLTV to Premiere Taking Care With Joan Lunden

A New Program Exploring the Challenges and Rewards of Caregiving

BALTIMORE, Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Retirement Living TV (RLTV) today announced the premiere of a groundbreaking new show, Taking Care With Joan Lunden, on Monday, November 22nd at 8pm. Taking Care with Joan Lunden is a four-part series that will air Monday - Thursday, November 22nd - 25th, at 8pm exclusively on RLTV. Taking Care With Joan Lunden is a comprehensive, sensitive, and courageous new series that explores the sometimes difficult subject of caregiving. This original four-part series underscores the urgent need for understanding the complexities that often arise: the potentially stressful relationship that can evolve between carers and those being cared for, the need for developing and managing expectations, and the guidance available to support families and those responsible for providing care. Using real families grappling with these issues, Taking Care With Joan Lunden examines the crucial issues surrounding caregiving from all sides, highlighting options and comprehensively exploring realistic strategies.

"The next big health crisis facing older Americans is going on right inside our homes. Family caregivers bear about 80% of the burden of long-term care services in the U.S., sacrificing not only their time, but also their physical and economic well-being in the process. Some of these challenges can be relieved with some expert intervention, which is why RLTV has teamed up with a broad spectrum of caregiving thought leaders to share these insights on Taking Care With Joan Lunden," said Elliot Jacobson, SVP of Programming and Production for RLTV.

Taking Care With Joan Lunden delves into the physical, mental, emotional, and lifestyle adjustments associated with caregiving:

Mind: Dementia, as we all know, is a devastating condition that often overwhelms families and caregivers. Understanding what to expect is essential for optimizing care, not only for the afflicted, but also for the families. Planning and preparation is key to reducing the ravages of this painful situation.

Body: The body is a complex, interconnected system that tends to respond to ageing and potential degeneration in different ways and in different times. Fully understanding this complex set of interrelations can help anticipate and manage potential problems.

The Spirit: Depression, guilt, and feelings of isolation are major issues affecting care-giving and adult dependency, and commonly care-givers can become overwhelmed at the sheer workload. This series examines these problems with clear insight and offers viable solutions; teaching carers how to find support systems that are readily available.

The Environment: The environment, choosing to 'age in place' or seeking institutional care, can be a heart-wrenching decision. This is especially important for families who are geographically separated. In Taking Care With Joan Lunden experts undertake a home makeover, using cost effective and universal design elements, to adapt existing home environments. They also explore and provide invaluable advice about the options for institutional care.

RLTV takes it personally. Taking Care With Joan Lunden has enlisted a first-rate group of experts to join Ms. Lunden, the Emmy Award-winning journalist and former host of GMA. These experts include Elinor Ginzler, AARP's Director of Livable Communities, author and caregiving expert, who, along with Emmy-Award winner and certified social-worker, Sherry Parrish, join forces with Sherri Snelling, Chairman of the National Alliance for Caregivers and lifestyle gerontologist Alexis Abramson, PhD, to take an exhaustive approach to the challenges associated with care giving. With the support from AARP, the national Association of Area Agencies on Aging, and the National Alliance for Caregivers, our experts help families develop successful coping strategies for both caretaker and recipient.

About Joan Lunden

One of America's most trusted journalists, Joan Lunden hosted ABC's Good Morning America for nearly two decades making her the longest running host of early morning television. Like so many Americans, Joan is part of the sandwich generation; as a mother of seven, including two young sets of twins, Joan finds herself facing the challenges of juggling motherhood and care giving to her 91 year old mother. A long-time heath and family advocate, Joan Lunden has dedicated much of her career to helping women find health, happiness, and balance in their lives. Five years ago she created Camp Reveille, a women's wellness retreat; and most recently she launched Joan Lunden Home, a line of home decor. Joan is an internationally known speaker and a best-selling author. Her books include Healthy Cooking, Healthy Living, Growing Up Healthy, and a Bend in the Road is Not the End of the Road. For more information on Joan Lunden please visit www.JoanLunden.com.

About Retirement Living TV

Retirement Living TV (RLTV) is the only cable network dedicated to serving the needs of adults 50+ with information and entertainment that inspires and enhances the perception of aging. The network has Emmy Award-winning programming that features a variety of genres that address a variety of subjects including health, finance, travel, reality, comedy, and drama. It is RLTV's vision to be the top television network, online destination, and media brand for adults 50+. For more information, log on to WWW.RL.TV.

SOURCE Retirement Living TV

Retirement Living TV

CONTACT: EJ Conlin, Retirement Living TV, +1-410-402-9652 (office), +1-860-839-0904 (cell)

Web Site: http://www.rl.tv

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