Episode 88 - Why We Need to Banish the Term “Anti-Aging”

In this episode of Grandma Has ADHD, Jami Shapiro sits down with Bob Roth, managing partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions, for a wide-ranging and deeply human conversation about aging, ADHD, connection, and why the term “anti-aging” may be doing more harm than good.

Bob has spent decades working in the aging space and believes strongly that aging is not something to fight against, it’s a privilege. Together, he and Jami unpack how our culture’s obsession with staying young impacts the way we view older adults, ourselves, and the aging process as a whole.

The conversation also takes an unexpected and powerful turn into ADHD, vulnerability, resilience, and how neurodivergence can shape empathy, entrepreneurship, and the way we move through the world.

What You’ll Learn

• Why the term “anti-aging” can be harmful
• How our culture stigmatizes growing older
• The connection between ADHD, resilience, and entrepreneurship
• Why many adults with ADHD develop deep empathy and adaptability
• How ADHD impacts emotional regulation and sensitivity
• The importance of movement, relationships, and community as we age
• Why loneliness and isolation are major challenges for older adults
• How curiosity and lifelong learning support healthy aging
• The role of routine and structure in managing ADHD
• Why aging should be viewed as a gift, not a failure

Why This Matters

Many people grow up fearing aging instead of preparing for it.

This episode reframes aging as something deeply human, not something to resist or hide from. It’s a conversation about embracing where we are, staying connected, and creating lives that continue to feel meaningful at every stage.

It’s also a reminder that ADHD does not disappear with age. In many ways, understanding your brain later in life can help explain decades of experiences and open the door to greater self-compassion.

The ADHD Button Question
Jami asks every guest: If there were a button that could remove your ADHD forever, would you press it?

Bob’s answer is no.

While ADHD brought challenges throughout his life, he shares that it also shaped his empathy, curiosity, resilience, and ability to connect deeply with people. He reflects on how learning to work with his brain — rather than against it, became one of his greatest strengths.

About the Guest
Bob Roth is the managing partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions in Arizona, a company he helped build with his family in 1994. He is also the host of Health Futures – Taking Stock in You on Money Radio and a nationally recognized advocate in the aging services industry.

Bob has served on Arizona’s Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging and is known for his work advancing compassionate care, healthy aging, and innovation in senior services.

Website: https://cypresshomecare.com

About the Host
Jami Shapiro is an ADHD coach, speaker, and founder of Silver Linings Transitions. Through her podcast Grandma Has ADHD, she brings awareness to ADHD in older adults, especially women, helping listeners better understand their brains and navigate life with more clarity and compassion.

Resources

• Cypress HomeCare Solutions: https://cypresshomecare.com
• Health Futures Podcast with Bob Roth
• Blue Zones by Dan Buettner
• This Explains So Much by Jami Shapiro

Links & Support

• Website: https://www.jamishapiro.me
• Silver Linings Transitions: Support for downsizing, organizing, and life transitions
• Book: This Explains So Much by Jami Shapiro

Thank you for joining us for this episode of Grandma Has ADHD! We hope Jami's journey and insights into ADHD shed light on the unique challenges faced by older adults. Stay tuned for more episodes where we’ll explore helpful resources, share personal stories, and provide guidance for those navigating ADHD. Don’t forget to subscribe and share this podcast with friends who might benefit. Remember, Make the rest of your life the best of your life.

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Transcript

Hi, I’m Jami Shapiro, and welcome to Grandma Has ADHD. I’m a Certified Senior Move Manager and owner of Silver Linings Transitions, where I help people navigate life’s big transitions.

But here’s the thing: I spent years helping families move through change while completely missing the pattern running through my own life.

I’m the daughter of two ADHD parents, the mother of three ADHD children, and yes, I have ADHD too.

For years, I didn’t have the language or understanding for what that meant. Becoming an ADHD coach and specialist has been absolutely game-changing, not just for how I work with my clients, but for how I relate to my family and honestly, for how I understand myself.

I even wrote a book about it called This Explains So Much.

This podcast is for all of us discovering ADHD later in life. Each week, I bring you conversations with industry experts and people sharing their own ADHD journeys — real stories, real strategies, and often a little too much information.

If you’re loving what you’re hearing, please share this podcast, leave us a review, and find me at jamishapiro.me.

Whether you’re over 50 and just getting diagnosed or recognizing patterns you’ve lived with your whole life, this is your space to navigate ADHD with others who get it.

So grab your coffee, get comfortable, and let’s dive in.

If you’ve been listening to Grandma Has ADHD for any length of time, you’ve probably heard me talk about the Sparkler Society and how it’s launching in July.

Well, waiting is hard — even for me — so in June we’re opening the doors for a free trial run.

This is an opportunity for you to join the community, see what it’s all about, and help us work out the kinks.

If you’re looking for authenticity, if you want to come as you are, and if you want to get your life together alongside other people trying to do the same thing, I’d love for you to join us.

Visit jamishapiro.me and join the waitlist for the Sparkler Society.

We’re kicking things off with our first 14-day challenge, and yes, we’re tackling the bathroom.

I can’t wait to get started.

Get ready to meet someone who’s been transforming home care in Arizona for three decades.

Our guest today is Bob Roth, Managing Partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions, a company he helped build with his family back in 1994 that has become a pillar of compassionate care in the community.

Bob brings decades of experience across consumer products, healthcare, and technology to the home care industry, and his leadership hasn’t gone unnoticed.

He’s been named CEO of the Month, a Healthcare Heroes finalist, and won the Better Business Bureau’s prestigious Better Business Ethics Award twice.

But Bob doesn’t just run an award-winning agency. He’s also a voice for aging adults through his radio show, Health Futures: Taking Stock in You, on Money Radio, and through his monthly Aging Today column.

In 2017, Governor Doug Ducey appointed him to Arizona’s Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging, making him the first home care agency owner in the council’s 40-year history to serve in that role.

He also sits on the board of directors for the Home Care Association of America, works with Duet Partners in Aging, and in 2019 received the Home Healthcare News Future Leader Award.

When he’s not championing better care for older adults, you’ll find Bob with his wife Susie, their three daughters, and their pet therapy dogs, Ruby and Lacey, probably on a golf course, tennis court, or hiking trail.

Please join me in welcoming Bob Roth.

And yes, for anyone wondering, Bob is a member of the ADHD club.

Jami:
I met Bob at the Certified Senior Advisor Conference and heard him speak. I thought it was one of the best presentations there.

And of course, when I hear somebody who clearly has ADHD energy, I have to ask the question.

Bob said yes.

So I told him, “You have to come on my podcast.”

And by the way, I keep the stumbles in because when you have ADHD, mistakes happen constantly. I don’t beat myself up about it anymore. I want people to see that it’s okay to fall down, laugh, and keep going.

Bob:
I’m completely honored to be here.

And I love being vulnerable. I’m okay with that.

I sent you an older bio, by the way. It’s actually 45 years of experience now, not 36.

But honestly, I love what we do.

There’s no greater honor than caring for people who once cared for us.

I’ve found so much passion in this work.

And yes, it’s a cliché, but if you do what you love, you never work a day in your life.

You embody that too, Jami. You help people through major transitions.

There are so many people like us who went undiagnosed for years.

But at the end of the day, we have to know our weaknesses and turn them into strengths.

Take our kryptonite and make it our superpower.

You’d never know now, but I used to have a speech impediment.

And now I’ve been hosting a radio show for 13 years.

Jami:
Some of the strengths of people with ADHD are that we tend to be entrepreneurs. We notice what’s missing. We’re creative problem-solvers.

We also tend to have a strong sense of justice and a desire to serve.

So take us back to little Bob Roth.

Bob:
I definitely had learning disabilities.

I remember being tested as a child, and they basically told my father that I tested “off the chart” in a bad way.

They actually called me an idiot.

My father was furious.

I struggled with reading comprehension. I lost track of my thoughts constantly.

I was in special classes in first and second grade and rode the short bus to a special school.

That’s actually the first time I’ve shared that publicly.

But I worked hard.

I wanted to keep up with my older brother.

I took Ritalin when I was younger, but I don’t take medication now.

What’s difficult today is how fast the world moves.

The distractions are endless.

Email, texts, social media, Teams, LinkedIn — information is constantly coming at us.

I write down my priorities every night because otherwise it’s hard to stay focused.

And honestly, I think ADHD gets harder as we age because there’s even more information to process and prioritize.

Jami:
I don’t like the word “disability.” I think ADHD is a brain wiring difference.

And one of my biggest soapboxes is the term “anti-aging.”

I had cancer at 34.

Trust me, I wanted to age.

So calling aging something negative feels wrong to me.

Bob:
I completely agree.

Aging is a blessing.

At 63, I’ve lost classmates and friends.

I want to age.

I want to grow.

Experience matters.

Relationships matter.

One of the hardest parts of aging is loss, but I’ve learned to continue building new relationships.

People come into our lives for different seasons.

And when those seasons change, it doesn’t make anyone a bad person.

Life is more than just a journey.

I love life.

And I don’t think we should be so fixated on “anti-aging.”

Bob:
One-third of older adults are aging alone.

Humans are meant for connection.

We crave touch.

Babies are touched constantly, but there are older adults who might go weeks without physical contact.

We need hugs. Handshakes. Human connection.

We need more fellowship.

I’ve lived in the same house for 32 years, and there are neighbors I’ve never met.

We’ve lost a sense of community.

Aging shouldn’t be something we fear.

It should be something we honor.

Jami:
If you could press a button and make your ADHD disappear forever — past, present, and future — would you press it?

Bob:
No.

I had to think about it for a second.

But ADHD made me who I am.

It gave me empathy.

It changed how I see people.

It shaped my career and my relationships.

My kryptonite became my superpower.

Bob:
People are aging differently now.

Baby boomers are staying active.

They’re walking, hiking, doing yoga, playing pickleball.

Movement matters.

Diet matters.

Connection matters.

There’s a reason Blue Zones focus so heavily on movement, relationships, and purpose.

I have a client who just turned 108.

She lives independently, does crossword puzzles, plays bridge, and stays mentally active.

That’s what healthy aging looks like.

Jami:
One of the gifts of ADHD is curiosity.

We don’t tend to have superficial conversations.

We want to know how things work.

We want to understand people.

That curiosity helps keep us connected and growing as we age.

Bob:
That curiosity is exactly what helped me become a better public speaker.

I studied people who were great at it.

I learned from them.

I leaned into my weaknesses until they became strengths.

Jami:
What has helped you manage your ADHD?

Bob:
Routine.

My dogs get me up early every morning.

I do yoga — sometimes five or six days a week.

By 7 AM, I’ve already had my first win.

Yoga helps me clear my mind and reconnect with my breath.

It’s become my natural version of medication.

Jami:
ADHD 2.0 actually talks about yoga helping the ADHD brain because balancing supports the cerebellum.

So there’s science behind that.

Bob:
One of the biggest challenges facing society is how we’re going to care for aging adults.

People are living longer, but many haven’t planned for long-term care.

We need to start preparing earlier.

But we also need to stay connected.

Be mindful of the people around you.

Check in on your neighbors.

Notice the people who may be alone.

And most importantly, embrace where you are.

Aging is not something to fight.

It’s a privilege.

Jami:
What a beautiful conversation.

I’m committed to helping people make the rest of their life the best of their life.

Thanks so much for listening.

The opinions expressed on Grandma Has ADHD are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical condition or mental health concern.