Judy Karofsky - "DisElderly Conduct"
Judy Karofsky will discuss her new book DisElderly Conduct: The Flawed Business of Assisted Living and Hospice. A Q&A and book signing will follow the discussion.
At the Co-op
About the Book: The book is a personal account of unmet needs in assisted living and hospice aiming to spark discussions about new approaches for America's aging population and family decision makers. There are 30 thousand assisted living facilities in the US, but most are unaffordable for middleclass Americans and fraught with staffing deficiencies and mismanagement. Chapters on the author's experience helping her mother move from an age-restricted community in Florida to independent living in Wisconsin to assisted living will interest seniors and their family members who know the struggle of finding long term affordable care. The chapter on hospice care distinguishes it from assisted living through the author's experiences and misconceptions, then moves to a broader discussion of Medicare spending, and finally a meditation on dying of old age. The author strikes an effective balance between the personal, political, and cultural aspects of aging. Karofsky dedicates the last chapter of the book to a discussion of recent failures to protect long term care patients during the COVID19 pandemic.
About the Author: Judy Karofsky was one of Wisconsin’s first women mayors. Dur ing her term of office in the city of Middleton, she established a now- thriving senior center and emergency medical services. She served on the executive staff of a governor and held multiple roles in housing and economic development for a state agency, a nonprofit housing development organization, and her own research firm. Before organizing and providing care for her mother, Karof sky filled interim positions for a statewide women’s network— focusing on elder economic security— and for a co ali tion of state aging groups. She has written on institutional investing in seniors housing. Serving on nonprofit and municipal boards, she partici pates in policy discussions on demographic trends, affordable housing, and urban growth. Karofsky holds an A.B. cum laude from Bryn Mawr College (economics) and master’s degrees from Brandeis University (American history) and the University of Wisconsin- Madison (business). She completed eight marathons, several half- marathons, and countless 10K races. An only child, the mother of three, and grand mother of five, she lives in Madison.
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