APRIL 28 - MAY 1
10:30am-12pm (via ZOOM)

Staying involved and informed as we age can lessen the challenges and increase the opportunities associated with aging.

Thank you for participating in the eighth annual Aging and Thriving Conference, where we can learn so much from great speakers on topics related to thriving as we age.

This program is funded (in part) by grants from Carolina Foundation for Jewish Seniors and the Leon Levine Foundation.

THIS YEAR’S SPEAKER LINEUP:

Monday April 28, 10:30am
”It Takes a Village: Building Your Care Team”

Meike Wiest, MSW, CMC, NCG
Care Management and Guardianship Supervisor, Arosa NC Triangle

Taking care of your physical, mental, and cognitive health is important for healthy aging. Creating a plan and being proactive as we map out the years to come is equally important. As with any phase in life...it takes a village!

Meike Wiest is originally from Germany, where she received a master's degree in social work at the University of Lueneburg. She relocated to the US in 2005. After a career as a care manager for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, she began her work in adult guardianship in 2012. Meike has been certified by the National Academy of Certified Care Managers and is an Advanced Member of the Aging Life Care Association. She is one of only five Certified National Guardians in North Carolina and a member of the National Guardianship Association.

Tuesday April 29, 10:30am
”Retirement Communities 101”

Katherine Swartz, PhD
Professor Emerita of Health Policy and Management,
Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Deciding whether to move to a retirement community can be challenging, especially with limited objective information on different types (CCRCs, assisted living, and age-qualified apartments). Even similar communities can differ in unexpected ways. Prof. Swartz will outline key differences among these options, including new hybrid models, and highlight important factors to consider when choosing the right fit. In short, “There is no right decision for everyone, but making a good decision requires asking questions.”

Katherine Swartz, PhD, is an economist and a Professor Emerita of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. For the past year, she and a friend from graduate school have been writing a non-academic book about issues people should know more about if they are considering moving to a retirement community. She has been on the board of a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Massachusetts for the past seven years but lives most of the year in Durham, North Carolina.

Wednesday April 30, 10:30am
”Why Doesn’t Anyone Understand: Unlearning What We Thought We Knew About Grief”

E Belleau, MSW, LCSW
Grief Outreach Coordinator, Transitions LifeCare

This workshop serves as an orientation to the disorienting process of grief. We will address the many dimensions of grief, explore grief theory, and debunk common grief myths and misunderstandings. Participants will leave with a broader understanding of the grief process as well as tools for supporting grievers.

E Belleau, MSW, LCSW (They/Them) is the Grief Outreach Coordinator at Transitions LifeCare. E is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with ten years of experience in grief and end-of-life work. They have extensive experience working with individuals affected by HIV and ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), as well as grief/bereavement, inpatient, and home-based hospices. E is a Pennsylvania native, enjoys reading cheesy young adult fiction in their free time, and loves chasing their kiddos and ever-growing collection of dogs around the Triangle.

Thursday May 1, 10:30am
”Yoga for Healthy Aging”

Carol Krucoff, C-IAYT, E-RYT
Co-Director, Yoga for Seniors

Yoga may hold the key to aging well, with research suggesting it may improve blood pressure, heart rate, and insulin resistance; relieve anxiety and depression; and ease chronic pain. Despite the popular misconception that you need to be flexible to practice yoga, the only requirement is the ability to breathe. This presentation will discuss the main tools of yoga—posture, breathing, meditation, and principles (such as gratitude and compassion) — and conclude with a short, gentle practice that can be done sitting in a chair.

Carol Krucoff is a yoga therapist at Duke Integrative Medicine and co-director of Yoga for Seniors, which is dedicated to making yoga safe and effective for older adults. An award-winning journalist, Carol was founding editor of The Washington Post’s Health Section and is author of several books including "Relax into Yoga for Seniors: A Six-Week Program for Strength, Balance, Flexibility, and Pain Relief." She has consulted on several yoga research studies and co-authored numerous articles in medical journals. Carol has practiced yoga for 50 years and is grateful to have studied with master teachers from around the world.