Solo Aging and Family Caregiving Expert

NOTE:  Due to the personal nature of Joy’s programs, she does not allow filming of in person presentations. We do have some videos of virtual programs. Please ask if you are interested in learning more.

Joy Loverde, Path Carver and Visionary

Best-selling author of  The Complete Eldercare Planner: Where to Start, Questions to Ask, and Where to Find Help and Who Will Take Care of Me When I’m Old?  Joy Loverde is one of the most visible spokespersons on the topics of solo aging and family caregiving.

You may have seen her on The TODAY Show, CBS Early Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Fox News and listened to her interviews on NPR and SiriusXM among others. She has also conducted numerous podcast interviews and written hundreds of articles and blogs.

During her career, she has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP, TIME Magazine, New York Times, Washington Post, Money Magazine, Kiplinger, Parade Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest, Chicago Tribune, Employee Benefit News, Psychology Today, HR Magazine, and a host of others. USA TODAY ran a four-part series on Joy’s family-caregiver workshops.

Joy’s awakening to the challenges of old age began as a high school student volunteer visiting nursing-home residents on Thanksgiving morning. That day changed her life forever.

Upon entering the nursing home, she observed seven residents sitting motionless in the dark. No one was talking. No one was smiling. Everyone was staring into nothingness. Unnerved at what she was witnessing Joy grappled for answers to questions that no one was asking:

Who are these elders?

What series of life events led them to end up alone in their old age?

And why are they not with their families on Thanksgiving Day?

Since that day, Joy has devoted her life’s work to creating a quality of life for the older adult population.

Joy wrote and self-published the first edition of  The Complete Eldercare Planner in 1985. Employers were the first responders who recognized the advantages of adding eldercare to their employee benefits package. “When The Complete Eldercare Planner is in the hands of the employee, everyone benefits,” says Employee Services Management Association.  The healthcare industry also chimed in. “The book is the best we saw,” quotes the American Medical Association.

Joy’s sequel book, Who Will Take Care of Me When I’m Old? has gained equal attention. Critics hail this resource “illuminating, eye-opening, and required reading for everyone over 40.” Today, nearly a third of America’s population aged 45 to 63 is aging alone with no known family member or surrogate to act on their behalf. In response, Joy’s presentations are a call to action for us all to plan ahead.

Joy’s presentations are highly engaging and interactive. Attendees leave her presentations feeling empowered and more in control of their future.

Keynote sponsors include senior-housing developers, employers/human resources, women’s associations, alumni and retirement groups, healthcare systems, financial, legal, and insurance companies, industry association conferences, clergy and religious organizations, fundraisers, government and public health agencies, LGBTQ+ organizations, city and village events, senior expos, universities and libraries, book clubs, private membership forums, and retreat centers among others.

Community service is an important component to Joy’s efforts to influence people to plan for the future. She is an active member of Chicago’s historic St. Joseph Church. Also the recipient of Italian Women Impressa Award and DePaul University Woman of Substance award. She was also awarded the Certificate of Appreciation by Mayor Richard M. Daley for exceptional contributions to the City of Chicago.

An avid advocate for the prevention of elder abuse, Joy established the Center for Older Adults at The Fourth Presbyterian Church located in the heart of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Industry-related memberships include Females & Finance, The Transition Network, and the Italian American Joint Civic Committee. She is also an active board member on Where You Live Matters sponsored by the American’s Senior Housing Association and the Life Planning Network.

Joy has years of personal experience as a family caregiver. She currently manages the care of numerous family and friends. She is married, grandmother of ten, and resides in Chicago.

Most Popular Topics:

Solo Aging: Who Will Take Care of Me When I’m Old?

Aging solo? You’re not alone. According to the Journals of Gerontology, “one in three Baby Boomers falls into the category of separated, divorced, widowed, or never married.” Millennials are also following this trend. Committed couples aren’t out of the woods when one partner outlives the other. Adding fuel to the fire is the care worker crisis and the decline in the number of people available to provide in-home care, including family members. Longevity, singledom, and isolation is a recipe for disaster.

Upbeat, educational, and highly interactive, this presentation offers attendees strategies to plan now to safeguard their quality of life as they journey toward old age. Every individual attendee (including couples) gets a signed copy of Joy’s book, Who Will Take Care of Me When I’m Old?

Format:

• 60- to 90-minute Presentation (depends on audience interaction)
• PowerPoint delivery with video
• Highly Engaged Audience Participation

Helping Aging Parents Who Refuse Help

Opening the dialogue with parents and talking about sensitive topics like finances, driving, and moving out of the family home among others is never easy. And what can be done when parents refuse to talk about tomorrow or accept help?

Upbeat, educational, and highly interactive, this presentation offers adult children communication strategies to approach their family eldercare situation immediately. This program also establishes the sponsor as a trusted source of support in the family-caregiving process. Every individual attendee (including couples) gets a signed copy of Joy’s book, The Complete Eldercare Planner, 4^th Edition.

This event is for adult children and other caregivers only. Parents are NOT invited.

Format:

• 60- to 90-minute Presentation (depends on audience interaction)
• PowerPoint delivery with video
• Highly Engaged Audience Participation