The Next Chapter
Get trustworthy information on the issues you care about most
KET’s special initiative, The Next Chapter, is focused on the issues facing Kentucky’s aging population and their loved ones.
We’re dedicating productions—including KET Forums and episodes of Kentucky Health, Kentucky Tonight, and more—to addressing a variety of aging-related topics.
Here, you can explore a carefully curated collection of local and national programs, articles and other helpful resources. Check back often, as we regularly update this space.
The Next Chapter is funded in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.
In the Spotlight
Featured Program
Medicare Enrollment 2025 Call-in: A Next Chapter Forum
Enrolling in the health insurance program for Americans aged 65 and older can be complex. In this new Next Chapter Forum hosted by Renee Shaw, experts answer viewer questions about how Medicare works, the enrollment process, coverage options, supplemental plans and more. Funded in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions. A 2025 KET program.
Featured Article
Shelter Volunteers Do More Than Walk Dogs
Animal lovers are needed for all sorts of tasks at understaffed shelters, from photographing pets for adoption to making treats that dogs love.
Tune in
Financial Planning for Seniors Call-In: A Next Chapter Forum
From Social Security and retirement benefits to maximizing tax credits and deductions and having your estate in order, financial planning in the golden years can seem daunting. Renee Shaw hosts a panel of financial advisors and experts who offer guidance for securing your financial future. A 2025 KET production.
The Caregiving Experience: A KET Special Report
This special report examines the hidden costs of caregiving, strategies for maintaining positive relationships and the programs and support services available to alleviate the stress of this vital role. Funded in part by Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. A 2025 KET production.
Watch Now
Learn about the Process of Dying at Home
In these seven short videos, KET’s Renee Shaw talks with Andrea Sankar, the author of Dying at Home: A Family Guide for Caregiving, to learn what is involved in dying at home.
- Common Myths about the Dying at Home Process
- The Cost of the Dying at Home Process
- How Death Doulas Assist in the Dying at Home Process
- Understanding Hospice’s Role in the Dying at Home Process
- Watching Advanced Directives Unfold in the Dying at Home Process
- What Does it Mean to Get Your Affairs in Order?
- When Your Loved One Stops Eating During the Dying at Home Process
Aging & Healthcare: A KET Special Report
With support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, this program explores the barriers to healthcare and the factors contributing to the poor health status of senior citizens in Kentucky. It also provides information about available resources and services. Renee Shaw hosts. A 2024 KET production.
Aging in America: Survive or Thrive
This documentary, narrated by Martin Sheen, celebrates the promise of increased longevity while addressing crucial and unprecedented public policy challenges. Using Dr. Robert Butler’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Why Survive? as a guide, the film explores critical topics such as ageism, healthcare, economic insecurity and Alzheimer’s disease.
Aging in Place: A Next Chapter Forum
Renee Shaw and a panel of experts and advocates discuss how to live independently as we age. They explore the options for home-based care, making a home safe and accessible, the costs of home-based care and when at-home living is no longer safe or comfortable. A 2025 KET production.
Art + Medicine: Healthy Aging
Artists and healthcare clinicians create alternative perspectives on disability through stories and performances, and redefine what we perceive as normal. Hosted by artist and storyteller Kevin Kling, Jessica Horvath Williams, PhD, and Dr. Tsegaensh Selameab. Created in collaboration with the Center for the Art of Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Caregiving
From Executive Producer Bradley Cooper, Caregiving brings audiences into the daily experiences of six family and professional caregivers across the U.S. as they share the realities associated with providing care full-time and the often complicated challenges and extraordinary moments, including joy, that are part of the care relationship.
Caring for Caregivers
There are more than 600,000 family caregivers in Kentucky. While rewarding, caregiving can bring emotional, financial and physical burdens. Moderator Wayne Tuckson, MD, and experts discuss preparing family caregiving plans, exploring in- and out-of-home options, support systems, community resources and how caregivers can care for themselves.
Caring for the Aging: A KET Forum
Dr. Wayne Tuckson and a panel of experts discuss caring for the aging, including options for in-home and out-of-home care, the skills required to render care at home, support for caregivers and other issues. A 2024 KET production.
Dementia and Living Well
Over 6 million people are living with a type of dementia in the United States without a cure. Research is important, but what about those living with the disease now? Follow individuals living the best they can with a form of Dementia. With the support of loved ones and a network of new paradigm organizations, they live well and are change-makers in their communities.
Empowered by Parkinson’s
Discover the stories of individuals who suffer from Parkinson’s disease and have been able to reclaim their lives by mitigating their symptoms. The documentary explores a holistic approach to wellness for people living with Parkinson’s and illuminates the benefits of continued exercise in the lives of real patients. The film also introduces cutting-edge possibilities for future treatment.
End-of-Life and Estate Planning Call-in: A KET Forum
Preparing for life’s uncertainties with the right documentation can prevent hardship for families in the future. Join host Renee Shaw for this call-in forum answering viewers’ questions on getting your financial and medical affairs in order. A panel of experts will discuss wills, estate planning, medical and financial decisions and more. A 2024 KET production.
Going Your Way
This program focuses on the personal, medical and spiritual issues surrounding end-of-life care, the options available and steps that can be taken to put those wishes to practical use. Hear from experts and real people who share stories on end-of-life planning and how it can be less painful.
Healthy Aging: A KET Forum
Dr. Wayne Tuckson and an expert panel discuss ways to promote optimal health as we age with the maintenance of physical, social and mental wellness practices. A 2024 KET production.
Independent Lens: Life After
Disabled filmmaker Reid Davenport investigates assisted dying and uncovers how ableism, policy, and systemic failures can make death seem like the only option. With gripping stories and a personal mission, Life After explores who gets real choice, and who doesn’t, in life and death.
The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause
This is the first documentary film to address the marginalized or ignored health crisis faced by millions of women as they go through menopause.
Medicare Enrollment Call-in: A KET Forum
Enrolling in the health insurance program for Americans aged 65 and older can be complex. Host Renee Shaw and an expert panel will field viewer questions about how the program works, the enrollment process, coverage options, supplemental plans and more. A 2024 KET production.
Power Over Parkinson’s
This upbeat and inspiring two-part series profiles individuals taking control of managing their disease in surprisingly easy ways: through the simple act of exercising and moving. Researchers have found that exercise, particularly boxing and tango dancing, can delay the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Senior Scams: A Next Chapter Forum
Americans lost $47 billion to identity fraud and scams in 2024, an increase of $4 billion from the previous year, according to data released by the AARP. Renee Shaw and a panel of experts examine the scams frequently targeted at the elderly and other forms of fraud, and offer ways to prevent falling victim to identity theft and fraudulent schemes. A 2025 KET production.
Senior Moments
Debra K, host of Journey Into Wellbeing, uncovers the secrets to healthy, happy aging. The program includes exclusive content with top wellness experts, including 94-year-old Deborah Szekely, known as the “Godmother of Spa”, entertainers from Dollywood, and the chef from the world-renowned Mayo Clinic.
Seniors and Medication: A Next Chapter Forum
Host Wayne Tuckson, MD, and a panel of experts examine the benefits and risks of multiple medications and supplements seniors take to optimize health and manage chronic conditions. They explore the importance of lifestyle and dietary modifications and vaccinations as we age. A 2025 KET production.
Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Join host Dr. Wayne Tuckson for this forum, taped before a studio audience, that examines the latest science on treatments, screenings and resources for Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. A 2024 KET production.
Wills & Estate Planning Call-in: A KET Forum
In this follow-up to the very popular End-of-Life & Estate Planning Call-in forum, experts provide advice and answer viewers’ questions about financial decisions related to retirement and later life. Renee Shaw hosts. A 2024 KET production.
