A Message from the Planning Committee

Each year the Institute for Culture and Society gathers regional, local, and community scholars and resources together for a concerted focus on a relevant topic – this year the focus is Successful Aging. We have worked for over two years to bring these resources together to facilitate a community-wide dialog highlighting the research, myths, and realities of aging. If you leave with new information, awareness, understanding and compassion then we have succeeded! A key part of successful aging is social support – thank you for joining us in the community-wide experience.

Sincerely,

Janice Broder, Jason, Genovese, Tresa Imparato, Marion Mason, and Sue O’Donnell

Successful Aging Conference

April 8 – 9, 2011

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

“The Importance of Community Integration and Social Engagement”

Friday Evening Address
7:00 pm, Ballroom, Kehr Union

John Michael Hall – Former Pennsylvania State Secretary of Aging

Mr. John Michael (Mike) Hall was appointed Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging by Governor Edward G. Rendell in 2008 and served two years in that capacity. Mike also served the commonwealth as Deputy Secretary of the Office of Long-Term living guiding the program, policy and fiscal operations of long-term living in the departments of Aging and Public Welfare. Mike is a nationally-recognized expert on long-term care and Medicaid who has helped to lead efforts in other states to rebalance their long-term care systems. Mike has a master’s degree and was Eagleton Fellow at the Rutgers University Eagleton Institute of Politics. He received his law degree from the School of Law at Washington University in St. Louis and his undergraduate degree in political science and economics from Blackburn College in Illinois.

Saturday Conference Sessions in Kehr Union

Community Room, Multipurpose Room A
Open from 11:00 to 3:45

Educational Materials, Screenings, and Light Refreshments

This central location will be open to guests during the entire conference. Conference attendees will find take-home materials as well as posters, displays, free chair massage sessions, blood pressure and hearing screenings and much more. Topics include nutrition, recommended screening guidelines, and the normal aging process among many others. Totes will be distributed for those that attend with information to take home to friends and family.

Noon to 1:00 Workshops

Looking Back: Strengthening Memory Creatively
Multipurpose Room B
Eric Stouffer, Ph.D., Psychology Professor, Bloomsburg University
Sue O’Donnell, M.F.A., Art Professor, Bloomsburg University
Dr. Stouffer will begin the presentation by discussing the ways the brain stores and retrieves memories. Ms. O’Donnell will then share her creative research which utilizes memories from her own life. Topics will include Ms. O’Donnell’s memory mapping and related artwork from her students, and Dr. Stouffer’s research on memory and steps that can be taken to help maintain precise and vivid memories during the aging process.

Identity Theft
Multicultural Center
Mike Shapeero, Ph.D., CPA, CMA, Accounting Professor, Bloomsburg University
Identity theft strikes up to nine million Americans each year. According to the U.S Department of Justice, it is one of the country's fastest growing financial crimes. Learn how thieves steal your personal information and what you can do avoid becoming a victim.

Movement – The Rhythm of Life
Room 340A and 340B
Debbie Traugh, M.S., RN, Certified Well-Springs Facilitator, Centre for Health and Wellness
Movement and rhythm are a part of life from the moment we take our first breath to the last heartbeat of life. Since movement helps to offset a lot of the "aging factors" such as decreased flexibility, decreased endurance, and mobility, encouraging movement that is fun and safe is a challenge to those who are aging and those who are caring for this population. This workshop will address this challenge by offering some insight and hand-on experience with a movement therapy called The Well-Springs Process. This process encourages artistic and emotional expression using movement, music, color and art. During this workshop you will receive ideas of how to adapt the use of music, movement and color to help those who are aging to move and exercise in a fun, safe way and to find their new "Rhythm of Life".

Older Women and Domestic Violence
Room 409
Sharon Santus, M.A., Mass Communication Professor, Bloomsburg University
Zabrina Finn, Deputy Director, The Women’s Center, Inc. of Columbia/Montour Counties
Domestic violence affects women and men from all age categories. It is never too late to seek help. We will share success stories of older women who have had the courage to leave violent relationships. Some of these women have suffered with abuse for decades but remained with their abusers for various reasons: thinking no one else would want them, fearing they could not provide for their children by themselves, afraid the abuser would follow them. In conjunction with the Women’s Center staff, I will share success stories (all names will be confidential) of older women in our area who have broken the cycle of domestic violence.

1:15 – 2:15 Workshops

Service Learning Courses Connecting Young and Old
Multipurpose Room B
David Steitz, Ph.D., Director, Gerontology Program, Nazareth College
The creation and benefits intergenerational service-learning opportunities are explored through the collaboration between the Gerontology Program at Nazareth College and St. John’s Meadows, Senior Living Community. Students and elders are contributors to the course curriculum and projects. These service projects and classroom learning activities have created and enhanced views of positive, successful aging. In this session I will share more about the program, objectives, and assessment, and the impact on the students and elders involved.

Spirituality and Religiosity in Coping with Illness: A First Time Cardiac Event
Multicultural Center
Joan Miller, Ph.D., Nursing Professor, Bloomsburg University
This session will address the impact of a first-time cardiac event on patients and their spouses. The terms, spirituality and religiosity, will be defined. Research addressing ways positive and negative forms of religious coping influence quality of life and confidence in the patient’s ability physical recovery will be reviewed. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of other variables that may influence coping among couples following sudden illness.

Skin Changes and Aging
Room 340A and 340B
Fred Miller, M.D., Former Director of Dermatology, Geisinger Health System

This session explores both the expected changes in our skin with age and also the unexpected. Which changes are normal and which ones should be cause for concern? What do these changes signal in terms of changes within our bodies? This session will provide valuable information on how to keep our skin healthy and how best to respond to skin changes when they occur.

Successful Aging, Depression, and Coping
Room 409
Ronnie Evans, Ph.D., Social Work Professor, Bloomsburg University
Older adults’ psychological well-being, for the most part, remains unimpaired as they age. Some do experience depression, however, for a variety of reasons. In this workshop, causes, prevention, coping, and treatment of depression will be discussed. Additionally, I will present the results from a study I conducted in Iowa that focuses on depression and social support. Awareness of the signs of depression is extremely important, not only for practitioners but also for concerned family members and caretakers, to ensure the well-being of our older adults.

2:30 – 3:45 Workshops

Four Generations in the Workplace
Multipurpose Room B
Nancy Ryland, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Studies and Secondary Education, Bloomsburg University
Viola Supon, Ed.D., Professor, Department of Educational Studies and Secondary Education, Bloomsburg University
For the first time, four generations are working together in the workplace. Each generation has its own characteristics, attitudes, and strengths. Understanding generational similarities, differences, and preferences helps people effectively interact. This presentation will provide helpful insight for families, organizations, and businesses.

Managing Your Aging Parents’ Needs and Finances
Multicultural Center
Sue Jackson, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Sociology, Bloomsburg University
This panel will discuss their experiences in managing their parents’ affairs when their parents needed to move to assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. Among the topics discussed will be realities of financial concerns and selling one’s home, the psychological issues surrounding a loss of independence, the realities of failing health, and the transition and daily life for adults whose parents are living in special facilities.

Older Adult Protective Services
Room 340A & B
Christine Pritchard, Protective Services Supervisor, Columbia-Montour Aging Office
In 1987 the Commonwealth of PA passed ACT 79, which established Protective Services for adults age 60 and over. There were also two amending ACT’s that came in the following years that made it a crime to neglect a care dependent person and also mandated reporting for employees in long term care facilities. This discussion will cover: What are protective services, Who is eligible for protective services, and go into greater description of the law.

Celebrating the Crone!
Room 409
Marika Handakas, Psy.D., Office of Academic Advancement/Dept. of Secondary Education
Marion Mason, Ph.D., Psychology Professor, Bloomsburg University
Many women in their fifties and older are awakening to their newfound energy and potential while at the same time having to cope with ageism and sexism. We will describe suggest ways of celebrating the third aspect of the Triple Goddess: the CRONE, who is the representation of the last stage of life. The Crone is a significant and relevant figure in the life of all humankind, but especially women as they pass into the ancient sisterhood of the wise woman after the age of 50 or so, or around the time of menopause. In the session, we will discuss the history of the term and its evolution through to its modern significance as older women claim their place as powerful, as wise, as mentors, and as protectors of life, creativity, and our mother earth. The session will end with a crone ceremony.

Your Spine, Your Life—Literally!
Meet in the Community Room, Multipurpose Room A at 2:10 and the instructor will take the group a short distance to the Theatre Lab, Limited to 20 participants
Julie Petry, M.F.A., Theatre and Dance Professor, Bloomsburg University
This hour long hands-on workshop will lead participants through an introductory view of the spine, and the importance of giving the spine daily attention. Through guided exercises, attendees will see the immediate results of how a little refined knowledge and awareness can increase flexibility, agility, function, and an understanding of the spine, all while creating a positive view of one’s body. Participants will be asked to wear comfortable clothing, must be prepared to work on their backs on floor mats, and will be asked to physically explore the spine of another participant.