Learning How To Be Old
Episodes
48. The face of old age (replay)
05 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The face of old age, your own old age, takes a bit of getting used to. When I was only 74 and I still had a bad case of ageism, I didn’t like the lo...
47. Timeless, ageless gardening with Lesley and Richard Evans
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Lesley and Richard Evans discuss adventures in home gardening. Gardening is exercise, nature-bathing, achievement and fun at any age. There are so man...
What’s a podcast?
15 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
I'm often asked this question: 'What's a podcast?' Here's a simple explanation. It's obvious that the asker has not yet ventured into the wonderfu...
46. A curious centenarian role model
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
At 86 I'm hungry for role models who show me how they manage life in their 90s. Rachelle Calkoen may be 102 but she is more engaged with the world, mo...
45. Drive safely in old age with Hariata Hema
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Hey, I went carless years ago, otherwise I might be thinking these thoughts: I've been driving safely for 50 years and never had a crash, so how d...
43. What activities will still be fun in old age?
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Meena Kadri is only 56 but she already has activities that will be fun in old age. She gets great pleasure from activities with friends who are decade...
39. Dancing as you age with Jan Bolwell
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dancing as you age is starting to get traction as a belief. Ballet for adults, Zumba — multiple groups are starting and spreading throughout the wor...
43. Don’t fall into hospital – Adrian Pretorius
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Adrian Pretorius is a physiotherapist and researcher in the field of health and safety. Statistically, his work helps to keep hundreds of people out o...
42. Recording stories of older people — Judith Fyfe
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Here's a very special discussion I recorded a couple of years ago with Judith Fyfe. As a trailblazing oral historian in New Zealand she has vast exper...
New Year resolutions as you age
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
I asked about New Year resolutions (if any) from strangers from 24 to 50. I find that we all do this thing (or don't do it) our own way. Your goals ma...
41. Senior diaries enrich your later life — Tracy Farr
11 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Teenage diaries tend to be brave, passionate, exploratory, funny and heartbreaking. Senior diaries enrich your life with the clarity, compassion, and ...
38. Christmas here, now and everywhere
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Christmas is here now — and almost everywhere around the world. But how have your own celebrations changed over the years? How has your role changed...
37. A long and joyful working life — Jill Nuthall
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
My big sister Jill Nuthall learned skills as a child that were invaluable in her career as a social worker. To realise just how damn good you were in ...
36. Love in later life — with Rhonda Pritchard
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What springs to mind when you think about love in later life? In this episode, Rhonda Pritchard delivers some salutary truths about love, roles, sex,...
35. Check your balance with Vicki Thirkell
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A lively, reassuring chat about how to keep your balance — in body and in life Physiotherapist Vicki Thirkell and I talk about vertigo, dizziness...
34. Rethinking creative aging: Jo Randerson on being soft, hard, and invisible when old
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of How To Be Old, I chat with Jo Randerson, playwright, actor, director, and author of Secret Art Powers: How Creative Thinking Can A...
33. Lois Daish on food, age, and listening to your gut
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this beautifully reflective episode, Rachel McAlpine chats with her distinguished guest Lois Daish on food, aging, and how our relationship with fo...
32. How we talk about sleep in old age
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When we are old, alarming messages about sleep bombard us. My guest Associate Professor Rosie Gibson from Massey University and her colleague Mary Bre...
31. Memento mori: Simon Sweetman’s wakeup call
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you had a memento mori, a reminder of death, an OMG-I'm-gonna-die-one-day moment? Or perhaps a memento senesci, and OMG-I'm-gonna-be-old-one-day ...
30. Old people and books with Kate Camp
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast episode, Kate Camp and I go nitpicking, grumbling and enthusing on the general topic of old people reading books and old people in boo...
29. Am I fit to podcast at 85?
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Learning How To Be Old returns to the air with a timely check-up. I want to be sure that I'm fit to podcast. Hugo, aged 13, tests me for my overdue Ol...