Queens, NY — September 27, 2017 — Dr. Vasundhara Kalasapudi, founder and Executive Director of India Home, a non-profit serving South Asian older adults in New York has been named one of Next Avenue's Influencers In Aging for 2017. She joins a high-powered list of honorees that includes among others, Senator Amy Klobuchar and Paula Span, reporter for the New York Times.
Next Avenue is public media’s first and only digital publication dedicated to covering issues for people 50 and older, has released its third annual list of the top 50 Influencers in Aging, which includes advocates, researchers, thought leaders, innovators, writers and experts at the forefront of changing how we age and think about aging. People are honored from each of the five areas that Next Avenue covers: Health & Well-Being, Caregiving, Money & Security, Work & Purpose and Living & Learning.
Dr. Kalasapudi trained as a physician, becoming an expert on geriatric psychiatry. Early in her career, she couldn’t have predicted that she would one day use her expertise in neurological disorders to diagnose her own father, who developed dementia in 2003. Living in the United States as a young physician, Kalasapudi traveled several times a year to care for her father in India, and became acutely aware of the lack of culturally appropriate services and care facilities for older South Asians in the United States.
So she decided to do something about it. Kalasapudi founded India Home, a revolutionary nonprofit that serves elderly South Asians in New York City. India Home provides food, health care, social support and advocacy rooted in strong South Asian values. Under Kalasapudi’s leadership as president and executive director, the organization has grown to serve hundreds of older South Asian adults.
When asked by Next Avenue if she could change one thing about aging in America, what would it be, Dr. Vasundhara Kalasapudi said, “I would advocate to better integrate social and medical services for older adults. Senior centers are integral institutions to help Americans age in place and prevent or delay many health issues, but medical professionals are unaware of such social services.â€
The highest honor, Influencer of the Year, was presented this year to Elizabeth Blackburn, the Nobel Prize-winning president of the Salk Institute whose groundbreaking research about telomeres in the aging process is presented in a bestselling book, The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer, which was co-authored with Elissa Epel, a 2016 Influencer in Aging. Published in January, the book describes how the way we live influences our “healthspan,†or the length of time we live healthy and active lives.
“Next Avenue is proud to honor these 50 people who are transforming aging in a time when this work is especially crucial,†said Next Avenue Editorial & Content Director Shayla Stern. “More than 100 million Americans are over age 50 now, and as life expectancy increases, it is imperative that policies, housing, science, technology and culture all evolve to better serve our population. These honorees on our list of Influencers in Aging are on the leading edge of this revolution.â€
For a complete list of honorees and further information about Next Avenue’s 2017 Influencers in Aging, please visit: nextavenue.org/influencers.
About Next Avenue
Next Avenue is public media’s first and only national service for America’s booming 50+ population. Their mission is to meet the needs and unleash the potential of older Americans through the power of media. They do this by providing information and advice to help their audience navigate their lives and inviting them to join in an ongoing conversation about the issues and transitions we all face. Twin Cities PBS produces Next Avenue for the PBS system. Over 35 million people have visited nextavenue.org since we launched in 2012. Our content extends far beyond our website to reach over 15 million people monthly through social media and our national network of media partners and government and nonprofit allies. For more information, please visit nextavenue.org.
Meera Venugopal
Communications and Development Manager
India Home Inc.
Better Senior Care the South Asian way
Tel: (718)-200-4124
www.Indiahome.org
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