Past Presentations
2023 - Fashion A New Image of Aging
2019 – Revisiting Relationships: Intimate, Intergenerational, and More
2018 – Leave No Elder Behind: Overcoming Barriers to Healthy Aging
2017 – Creating An Age-Friendly Community
2016 – Resilience: The Bright Side of Aging
2015 – Life-Balance: Keep Moving Forward in the Third Age
2014 – The Heart and Soul of Aging Well
2013 – The Age of Empowerment
2012 – Navigation the Transitions of Later Life
2011 – Optimal Aging: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
2010 – Staying Healthy, Wealthy, & Wise in Hard Economic Times
- John Mulder - Hope and Health At the End of Life Opening
- Morning Star Holmes- Stories Matter: The Art of Asking Questions and Listening
- Trudy Ngo-Brown - What's Art Got to Do with It?
- Juliana Barla - Recreational Therapy and Technology: A Non-Pharmacological Approach to Cognitive Stimulation
- Dawn DeVries & Allison Shoemaker- Non-Pharmacological Pain Management Interventions for Older Adults
- Megan Feyer & Stacy Remington- Creating a Meaningful Life with Creativity for Individuals With Dementia
- Jennifer Ford & Libby MacQuillan- The Healthy Brain: Diet, Nutrition & Emerging Evidence
- Cheri Fox - Learning To Walk In the Dark: Adjustment to Age Related Vision Loss
- Meri Goehring - Training for Athletes over 50 Years of Age
- Kate Wert & Susie Marsh - Organizing for Emotional Health
- Carol Robinson - There is an 'I' in TEAM! Your voice matters when negotiating your care with your Healthcare Team
- Christina Pierpaoli- Parker -Sleep, Health, and Aging: Implications for Individuals & Institutions
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Christina Pierpaoli Parker – Lovers and friends: A millennials’ thoughts on love, intimacy, and relationships in later life
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Sally Pelon & Lihua Huang – Sexual Health Promotion in Long-term Care
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Julie Lake & Anne Larson – Healthy Aging and Intergenerational Programs
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Laura Armenta - "Generation Stew" Finding Common Ground and Shared Knowledge in the Studio
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Karen Vander Laan - Helping Our Loved Ones Be Proactive for a Change
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Leara Glinzak & Tim Tuthill - Changing the End of the Story: Bringing Families Together Through Distress, Grief, Art Therapy and Resiliency
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Veronica Kirin - Your Grandmother Uses Technology Better Than You: How to Use Tech to Facilitate Better Relationships with Seniors
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Anna M. Hammersmith - Breaking Up and Shacking Up: Divorce and Repartnership in Later Life
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Anne Kulik & Kathlaine Moore - Breaking the Age Barrier on Friendships: The Beauty of Intergenerational Care
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Christina Pierpaoli Parker - Just Do It: Cognitive Behavioral Strategies for Promoting Healthy Sexuality with Aging
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Meri Goehring - Movement Influences Cognition: So Why Don't we MOVE more?
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Jing Chen - Sexy and Brainy: How Do They Go Together in Aging?
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Jana Broughton - Leading Heterogeneous Teams in Senior Care Settings: What they don't teach you in Leadership 101
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Iris Zink - Let's talk about sex: helping health care providers talk to patients about intimacy in chronic illness
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Tricia Harney - The Evolution and Modern-Day Practices of Experiential Dementia Training
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Justine Braford & Nisha McKenzie - Menopause, Manopause, and Redefining Sexuality
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Loretta Konecki - Paint, Write, and Dance for Your Life
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Lihua Huang - Social Ties in the Third Place
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Chris Dondzila & Steve Glass - Currency for Retirement: Investing in Physical Capital
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Jennifer Feuerstein, Justine Braford, Meri Goering, Nisha McKenzie, Christiana Pierpaoli Parker & Iris Zink - Intimacy in Later Life: What You've Always Wanted to Know but were Too Timid to Ask
- Gwendolyn Graddy-Dansby – Aging in the 21st Century: Overcoming Barriers to Healthy Aging
- Sok Kean Khoo – Move It or Lose It: Influence of Physical Activity on Brain Function
- Catherine Jacobs – Five Things You Need to Do Before You Lose Your Mind
- Michael Patrick O'Connor – AARP HomeFit Program: How to Stay in the Home You Love as You Age
- Paula Baughman & Renee Van Y – Montessori: Enriching Lives of Persons Living with Dementia
- Sandra Spoelstra – Aging in Place to Advance Better Living for Elders in Michigan: An Evidence-Based Model, References (handout)
- Darleen Hoffert – Geriatric Population with Mental Illness Impacted by Bias: Are WE All Guilty?
- Jing Chen – Life Expectancy, Zip Code, and Telomeres
- Marta Rodriguez-Galan – Older Adults Helping Other Older Adults: Productive Aging through the Senior Companion Program
- Christi Demitz & Holly Tiret – Caring for the Caregiver, References (handout)
- Melissa Seifert – Call Me, Maybe!
- Ginnie Smith & Jay Steffen – Grandy Land: Traveling Towards an Age-Friendly Grand Rapids, References (handout)
- Geraldine Terry – Later Life Lessons from a Healthcare Provider and Caregiver
- Anne Ellermets & Lisa Misenhimer – The Power of Resilience in Aging Well
- Karen Vander Laan & Sanford Freed – Why What Matters to You Matters to Me: How Person-Centered Advocacy Overcomes Barriers Aging Well
- Nicholas Wahl – I'm Going to Pump You Up! Exercise for Seniors in Community and Long-Term Care Settings
- Lily Fossel – Homesharing: Friendship, Financial Support and Help Within the Home (presentation), GR Home Share Fact Sheet (handout), References
- Stephanie Hamacher & Denver Lawrence – Role of Leisure for Veterans through the Ages
- Leara Glinzak & Timothy Tuthill – Building Relationships: Caregivers and Loved Ones with Dementia
- Lori Dillman, David Rothbart, & Veronica Kirin – Telling Their Stories: Finding Ways to Help Self and Others Overcome Barriers to Healthy Aging
- Margaret Neal, PhD, MUS, BA – Making the Case for an Age-Friendly Community (full document), Executive Summary
- Cynthia Beel-Bates, PhD, MSN, BSN, RN; Chris Simon, BS, CTRS – Become Dementia Friendly
- Leara Glinzak, MSAT – Art Therapy Educates a Community
- Liz Keegan, BA – Fair Housing Rights for Seniors, Reasonable Accommodations and Modifications Support (handout), Guide for Consumers (handout)
- Susie Marsh, LBSW – Downsizing, Moving and Clutter Challenges in the Homes of Older Adults
- Mark Gleason, PhD, MPRTM, MPA; Michael Scantlebury, PhD, M Phil, BA – Exploring Water Trails: Outdoor Recreation Accessible to All
- Cynthia Beel-Bates, PhD, MSN, BSN, RN – Reconnecting Veiled Minds through Music
- Michael Shafer, PhD – Brain Health: Aging, Depression, Exercise and Mental Activity
- Dave Kampfschulte, MEd, BA – Looking Up while Life is Pushing You Down
- Ruth Kelly, MEd; Helen Lehman, BA – Staying Put and Getting Around: Grand Rapids Adapting for its Seniors (Ruth Kelly), Facing Senior Issues (Helen Lehman)
- Elizabeth Zeldes, BS – Daily Money Managers: Helping Seniors Stay Independent and Secure (full document), Handout
- Grace Huizinga, EdD, MSN, RN – Spirituality and Caring: Interprofessional LGBT Training for LTC Staff through Nursing and Chaplaincy
- Joan Borst, PhD, LMSW; Sally Pelon, PhD, LMSW – An Intergenerational Alternative to Lonely Living
- Chris Dondzila, PhD – Effective Use of Wearable Activity Trackers to Improve Health
- Catherine Jacobs, JD; Beth Mans, BS – House That? Housing Considerations as We Age, A New Beginning (Beth Mans)
- Ian Warnock, NTS – Scents-ing the Possibilities (handout)
- Joanne Feutz, BS; Renee Thompson, BS – There’s No Place Like Home: Stay Safe with Assistive Technology and Home Modifications
- Mary Jo Byrne, BA; Carl Gibson, PhD, MA – Keep Seniors Smiling: Ensuring Seniors’ Oral Health
- Jennifer Muñoz, BAA; Suzanne Schultz, AICP – Let Your Voice Be Heard: A Community Conversation
- Teresa Castelão-Lawless, PhD & Geling Shang, PhD – Grace as Resilience: Lessons from Ancient Eastern and Western Philosophers
- Marla DeVries, BA & Cheryl Van Bemden, BA, ADN, NHA – The Green House Project: A Proven Prescription for Success
- Chris Dondzila, PhD – Optimizing Healthy Aging Being Physically Active
- Grace Huizinga, EdD, MSN, BSN, RN – Sunrise & Sunset of the LGBT Aging Community
- Jing Chen, PhD & Chris Kurby, PhD – Changes in memory and thinking with age: What can be done about it?
- Jennifer Munoz, BAA – The Value of the Older Adult Worker
- Theresa Lynn, PhD, LMSW, RN, BSN, BA – Hope and Strength Surround Even the Dying
- Elizabeth Harrell, John Farrington & Chad Sutliffe, MHA, MEd, NHA – The Housing Dilemma: Backup is Here
- Beth A. Swagman, JD, MSW, ACSW – Better Planning for Longer Lives: Preparing Now For a Longer Life Lived Well
- Jenny Baweja, CTRS – Planes, Trains and Automobiles: Travelling with a Disability
- Peter A. Lichtenberg, PhD – Helping to Prevent Financial Exploitation: New Assessments in Financial Decision Making among Older Adults
- Kelly Purdue, LMSW, ACSW & Amy VanDorp, LMSW – Emotional Flexibility: Increasing Resiliency in Older Adults
- Jane Royer, Mary McLoughlin, Tera Wozniak Qualls, MPA & Tom Rademacher – It’s My Party And I’ll Fly If I Want To!
- Tracy Ryks, BES – The Resilience Myth: Ways to Boost Resilience
- Heather M. Wallace, PhD – Exploring the Potential of Intergenerational Mentorship in Health and Resilience
- Lisa Ellens (moderator) – What Will It Take to Become a Dementia Friendly Community?
- Ashton Applewhite – This Chair Rocks: How Ageism Warps our View of Long Life
- Sok Kean Khoo & Barbara Pickut – Parkinson's Disease: Early Detection and Mindfulness Treatment New Approaches
- Kara Hansen, Lisa Spangler, Jill Banka – Building a Better Balance Program is as Easy as 1,2..or 3
- Mark Gleason, Robert Robins, Paul Stansbie – Boomers & Tourism: You Don't Have to Stay Home
- Mary Mathieu, Suzann Ogland-Hand – Finding Balance in the Early Stages of a Dementia Disorder: Strength-Based Interventions
- Marenta Klinger & Lisa Ellens – The Short Lesson on Living Long
- Linda J. Keilman – The Spiritual Dimension in Aging
- Chris Kurby and Jing Chen – Aging is a Mindset: How We Think about Age May Influence How We Age
- Kristine M. Todd and Steven E. Brodnicki – Maintaining Functional Capacity During and Following Hospitalization to Improve Mobility
- Nancy Mason & Julie Lake – Preventing Falls Through Better Balance
- Elizabeth Neubig – Brain Boost or Bust
- Chris Simons – Well-being through Person-Directed Care for Persons Living with Dementia
- Leslie R. Martin – Throw Your Heart into it, and the Rest Will Follow!; Throw Your Heart into... What?
- Michael Shoemaker & John Stevenson – Exercise and Successful Aging: Maintaining Function and Quality of Life
- Sarah Van Eerden – Making Healthy Eating Fun
- Cynthia S Pimm – How to Stay in the Driver's Seat of Life
- Joan Borst – Adult Orphans: when parents die
- Carol Hendershot – Mindfulness and Pain Management; Mindful Self-Care for Caregivers; Introducing Older Adults to Mindfulness Practices
- Steve Glass & Lindsey DesArmo – The More You Move...The More You Live
- Joanne Feutz – Aging in Place: AARP HomeFit Program
- Carol Robinson – Discuss. Decide. Document: Advance Care Planning with Making Choices Michigan
- Jing Chen – Research on Mindfulness
- Dawn DeVries – Purposeful and Meaningful Leisure and Recreation for Senior Adults
- Andrew Farmer – Health Care Reform
- Suzanne Filby-Clark; Laura Dobrzelewski; Julie Alicki; Martha Anderson – Exploring Community Options TO Age In Place
- Tom Appel – Making Your Voice Heard
- Bryan Reeder – Fraud Target: Senior Citizens
- Suzann Ogland-Hand; Cathy Brady; Christine Simons; Joy Spahn – Empowered for the Dementia Caregiver Journey
- Elaine Schott – Vintage Status: Powered And Empowering
- Chuck Jaquith; Linda Likely; Jan Amato; Douglas Hale – Next Step
- Jolene Moore – Walk for Life: Speed Up Your Stride, Improve Your Health
- Julie Lake – Senior Odyssey=Serious Play: Exercise The Brain, Challenge Your Limits, Gain Mastery, And Build Friendships
- Priscilla Kimboko – Food Matters: Healthy Choices For The Body And Brain
- Sister Sue Tracy – Laff Jest For The Health Of IT!
- Douglas Chung – Buddhist Empowerment And Life Transformation
- Linda Kirpes; Lihua Huang, Alisha Cowell – The Joys of Sex in Later Life
- Molly Mettler, MSW – Mom, I Think We Should Talk: Preparing For the Final Transition
- Susan Jensen, PhD, MSN – Impacts of the New Health Law on Seniors
- Cray Mulder, LMSW, PhD; Muthoni Imungi, PhD, LMSW; Amanda Taylor, MSW Candidate; Tim Buteyn, MSW Student and GA – Consequences for Caregivers: Dealing With Ambiguous Loss
- Cynthia Beel-Bates, PhD, MSN, & Heather Wallace, PhD, MPH Candidate – Take Charge: Become Your Own Health Advocate
- Gayle Ruhl, MSW – Cultural Perspective: Working With Native American Elders
- Linda Kirpes, MSW – Suspecting Elder Abuse: Now What?
- Joan Borst, PhD, LMSW – Lost & Found: Grief and Loss Associated with Chronic Illness
- Jing Chen, PhD, & Christopher Kurby, PhD – Improving the Mind With a Hop, Skip, and a Jump Part 1 (Kurby) and Part 2 (Chen)
- Cathy Weisbeck, PhD, MSW – Transitioning to Honor the Older Population in America (Additional Notes and References)
- Paul Reitemeier, PhD – Planning Your Exit Strategy: Making the Most of Your Advanced Directive
- Kim Crawford, LMSW – Learning to Live as One: The Journey of Widowhood
- Iris Boettcher, MD, CMD – Dementia: What's Up?
- Dianne Green-Smith, PhD, LMSW, ACSW – Spiritual Connectedness: A Mother's and Daughter's Journey
- David L. Carrier, PC – Late Life Legal Scenarios: How to Preserve What You Own to Protect What You Value
- Dr. Larry Lawhorne – The Modern Fountain of Youth: An Ecology of Optimal Aging
- Betsy Brown – Using Plant-Based Therapies to Promote Health & Well-being
- Suzan Couzens – Spirituality & Health
- Muthoni Imungi – Immigrants and Refugees: Aging Issues and Challenges
- Chris Kurby – Age Difference in the Understanding & Memory of Everyday Activity
- Amanda Baushke – Masterpiece Living: Promoting Successful Aging in Senior Living Facilities
- Paul Bennett – Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities: Great Places to Grow Old?
- Tracy Booth – Eating for Health: Adapting Culture Food Choices to Healthy Food
Substitution Charts Handout
Recipe 1: Hot Mexican Bean Sauce
Recipe 2: Okra & Tomato - Rita LaReau – Project NICHE (Nurses Improving Care of Health Systems Elders): The SPICES TOOL
- Michael Faber – Successful Aging: Overcoming Ageism and Rediscovering Life Purpose
- Sue Brooks & Amanda Himes – Do You Feel What I Feel? Understanding Sensory Changes in the Aging Population
- Steven Smith – Canadian Prescription Purchasing Practices and Health Care Attitudes Among Michigan Senior Center Participants
- Engaging Experienced Adults in Systems Change
- Use It or Lose It – Aging Brain and It's Plasticity
- Older Adults and Intergenerational Social Support: Lessons from International Experience
- Elder Law and Late Life Financial Preparation
- Housing Bureau for Seniors
- Brain Health: A Subject That Matters to Everyone
- The More The Merrier: Friends and Family Enhance Well-being