What We Learned From Hackman: Planning for Caregiving Emergencies
The tragic story of the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, shocked the world and reminded us that care receivers with dementia and their caregivers are vulnerable to sudden and potentially fatal emergencies. In this highly interactive workshop with psychologist Barry J. Jacobs, Psy.D., co-author of the forthcoming book, The AARP Caregiver Answer Book, we’ll discuss adopting a “just-in-case” mindset, creating social networks and technological monitoring, and developing contingency plans to prevent caregiving emergencies or, if need be, survive them.
Date April 15, 2025
Hosted By WellMed Charitable Foundation
Tags caregiving, Jacobs, caregivers, Barry J. Jacobs, elderly, family, seniors, Health and Wellness, caregiver, Support, Aging, Barry
Barry J. Jacobs, PsyD
Barry J. Jacobs is a clinical psychologist, family therapist, and Principal for Health Management Associates, a national healthcare consulting firm. For 24 years, he was the Director of Behavioral Sciences for the Crozer-Keystone Family Medicine Residency Program in Springfield, Pennsylvania. He is the co-author (with Julia L. Mayer, Psy.D) of AARP Meditations for Caregivers—Practical, Emotional and Spiritual Support for You and Your Family (Da Capo, 2016) and the author of The Emotional Survival Guide for Caregivers—Looking After Yourself and Your Family While Helping an Aging Parent (Guilford, 2006). He is a co-editor of the e-book, Collaborative Perspectives—A Selection of CFHA’s Best Blogs From 2009-2015 (CFHA, 2017).
Dr. Jacobs has given more than 500 presentations on family caregiving for family caregivers, community groups, and medical and mental health professionals. He is the national spokesperson on caregiving for the American Heart Association and an honorary board member of the Well Spouse Association. He has served on the expert panel for the Caregiver Crisis Great Challenge for TEDMED.com and as a board member of the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association, a national organization on the integration of mental and physical healthcare. In 2016, he received its lifetime achievement award, the Don Bloch Award. He has held adjunct faculty positions with the Temple University School of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and the Department of Psychology of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
A blogger on family caregiving topics for AARP.org and, previously, the Huffington Post, Dr. Jacobs received his bachelor’s degree from Brown University and his doctorate in psychology from Hahnemann/Widener Universities.