Staying Vertical's Ashton Applewhite features SeniorBridge's Claudia Fine's thoughts on maintaining quality of life into old age 

Staying Vertical - July 7, 2010

Author, Ashton Applewhite, spotlights the insights of Chief Professional Officer and Executive Vice President, Claudia Fine, LCSW, MPH, on how our perceptions on aging impact the way we care for people in older age.

"I took an instant liking to Claudia Fine, the Executive Vice President of SeniorBridge, a national organization that provides health and care management...

Fine makes her living helping people cope with complex chronic illnesses, and she's frank about the challenges. "Getting sick and failing, both physically and mentally, is really tough, and its tough for everyone around you. As we age the prevalence of these problems increases. But it's not the same as old....

Fine suggests we focus on the aspects of these older people that remain intact. "What are we doing to support their strengths, preserve the essence of who they are? Because if we don't, then all we have left is the sickness."

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