Join us for the 2019 Age Well Conference!
Each year we bring hundreds of professionals, academics, and advocates in aging together to learn, share, and discuss the latest on aging issues, research, and innovation.
https://agewell19.eventbrite.com
Reflections from the 2018 Age Well Conference
To read more about the presentations at the 2018 conference, check out the 2018 conference guide.
Opening Keynote Address: Reframing Aging
We were thrilled to welcome Marisa Gerstein Pineau, PhD, of the Frameworks Institute, as our 2018 Keynote Speaker. Dr. Gerstein Pineau’s address focused on reframing aging, a research, advocacy, and best practices project that the Frameworks Institute, in partnership with AARP, the American Federation for Aging Research, the American Geriatrics Society, the American Society on Aging, the Gerontological Society of America, Grantmakers in Aging, the National Council on Aging, and the National Hispanic Council on Aging, has developed to create a better public understanding of older adults’ needs and contributions to society—and to use communications and outreach to drive a more informed conversation about aging and its implications for our communities.
Watch Dr. Gerstein Pineau’s keynote address!
If you are interested in using any of Dr. Gerstein Pineau’s materials, please contact Frameworks Institute first.
Local Trends in Aging
Presenters: Adriana Gomez, Emily Johnson, Lindsay Parsons
What are older adults experiencing across Boulder County and Colorado? Who are the most vulnerable? Spend a session with the Boulder County Area Agency on Aging and Colorado Health Institute and gain some immediate insights into the many realities of aging in our communities. Qualitative and quantitative data from the latest demographer’s reports, Community Assessment Survey of Older Adults (CASOA), and Aging Vulnerability Index will paint a clearer picture of the diverse living situations and experiences of older adults in out communities.
Telling the Story
Presenters: Shun-Luoi Fong, Marisa Gerstein Pineau, Janine Vanderburg
Moderator: Jacob Bielecki
Quite a lot is happening in communications in the aging field right now. As organizations shift to meeting growing demands of the Boomer generation, tastes, expectations, and preferences among clients, consumers, and patients are evolving. What’s in a name? What words are we using? What does our content look like, and how does it resonate with our intended audiences? This session unpacked communications beyond the morning keynote, to explore images and language, how to connect stories to broader issues, how to become more strategic and intentional, and ways in which organizations and institutional changes can be realized. The format of this session was a dialogue with audience participation.
Understanding and Addressing Social Isolation
Presenters: Jenifer Fischer; Kari Middleton; Elise Reinhard, MD
Moderator: Deborah Skovron
Social isolation is gaining attention as an overlooked, understudied, and hidden social determinant of health. The moderator and panelists for this session, representing different fields and backgrounds, explored how social isolation can be better understood, identified, and potentially addressed. The format of this session was a dialogue with audience participation.
Watch Understanding and Addressing Social Isolation!
Social Isolation in Boulder County Slides
Closing Keynote Address: The Future of Aging in Colorado
Presenter: Wade Buchanan
With growing public and private resources and collaborations devoted to aging services and solutions, Colorado is poised to become a more “age-friendly” state. How might we help make this happen? How can we better influence and integrate across sectors and industries? Meet Colorado’s first Governor-appointed Senior Advisor on Aging and learn about ways in which Colorado’s public and private sectors are driving innovations and solutions to meet growing demand through strategic partnerships, policy and planning, funding and philanthropy, technology, and more.
Watch The Future of Aging in Colorado!
The Future of Aging in Colorado Slides
Older Coloradans and Marijuana: A Public Health Problem or Policy Alternative?
Presenter: Brian Kaskie, PhD
Based on data collected from more than 50 focus groups and nearly 600 survey responses from older adults across Colorado, Dr. Kaskie presented information about the growing intersection between older adults and cannabis. His findings, generated from one of the largest state-funded studies of older adults and marijuana use in the US, highlighted attitudes among people who use and do not use cannabis, and then focused on the experiences and outcomes of those older adults who do use cannabis for medical and/or recreational purposes. The presentation concluded with a discussion focusing on the role of healthcare providers, the aging network, and public officials.
Older Coloradans and Marijuana Slides
Innovations in Home-Based Care
Presenters: Amanda Gooenow, Chris Lee, Melanie Plaskin
New models of home-based care are emerging that are proving to be more effective, person-centered, and economical. Two Colorado organizations presented on their models of in-home care: The Colorado Visiting Nurses Association presented their CAPABLE (Community Aging in Place – Advancing Better Living for Elders) program, based on a model developed by Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing that brings an occupational therapist, a nurse, and a basic home modification service together to promote independence and longevity in the home. DispatchHealth presented their model: an urgent care setting on four wheels. After receiving a call from a patient, DispatchHealth reviews their symptoms to better understand the issue, and send a medical team out to the individual’s home. Both organizations spoke to what they are seeing in the field, and provided insights into the directions this type of work is going.
Colorado Visiting Nurses Association Slides
Innovator’s Showcase #5: eLivelihood
Presenter: Jill Lindgren
When a family shares the multitude of finances and roles when caring for a loved one, it can be challenging to keep track of it all. Here’s one Colorado-grown solution: eLivelihood – a collaborative app that helps families manage care and finances, and monitor the health, of their aging parents.
Innovator’s Showcase #6: Senior Planet Colorado/Older Adults Technology Services (OATS)
Presenter: Grace Hanover
Thanks to a substantial grant from NextFifty Initiative, New York City-based Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) is bringing its innovative Senior Planet model to Colorado. The Senior Planet model includes in-person technology classes, designing a tech-center community space, and connecting rural and homebound Coloradans with digital tools.
Senior Planet Colorado/OATS Slides
