MADISON — Catholic Charities will present the fifth annual Healthy Aging Conference on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the Sheraton Inn, 706 John Nolen Dr., in Madison.
The conference features two keynote speakers and eight workshops devoted to helping seniors, their adult children, and caregivers become familiar with the scope of alternatives that address the mind, body, and spirit of seniors as they age.
Keynote addresses
Dr. Robert Enright will kick off the conference with a keynote address on “Learning Forgiveness: Finding Hope and Joy in the Senior Years.”
Dr. Enright pioneered the social scientific study of forgiveness beginning in 1985 and currently works with schools in Belfast, Galilee, and other world communities, helping teachers setup forgiveness education programs.
Dr. Enright is a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a founding board member of the International Forgiveness Institute, Inc.
Dr. Enright’s new book, 8 Keys to Forgiveness, will be published in September. Four early release copies will be given away during the conference.
Curt Campbell, PT, NCS, ATP, will present the 12 noon keynote address entitled “Mobility and Successful Aging.”
Campbell will focus on older adults with neurological issues including Parkinson’s disease, stroke, ALS, multiple sclerosis, vertigo, balance, and mobility problems.
He has been a Dean Clinic physical therapist for 10 years.
Workshops
Conference attendees will be able to choose two workshops — one in the morning and one in the afternoon — from a selection of eight:
• “Eight Dimensions of Wellness,” by Gayle Laszewski, older adult program director, Goodman Community Center, Madison.
• “I Don’t Want to Move, I Want to Stay Independent,” by Peggy Carroll, information and assistance specialist, Aging and Disability Resource Center, Madison.
• “Yoga and Fall Prevention,” by Paul Mross, RYT, LMT, yoga instructor/researcher and founder of Happy, Healthy Aging Preventative Programs.
• “Better Health Literacy Means Better Health,” by Steve Sparks, director of the Wisconsin Health Literacy.
• “Boost Your Brain Health: Your brain and how to keep it strong. Tips to reduce risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia,” by Joy Schmidt, community education specialist at the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin.
• “Diabetes Prevention: Your lifestyle, the easy, but not so easy choices you make every day,” by Paul Manning, chief mission advancement officer at the YMCA of Dane County.
• “Live Longer: Choose Hospice” by Melanie Ramey JD, MSW, CEO of the HOPE of Wisconsin.
• “Mind over Matter, Brain over Bladder,” by Dr. Dobie Giles, chief of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery in the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Gynecology, Madison.
Registration deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 2, and can be done online at www.ccmadison.org or by mail. Visit www.ccmadison.org and download an invitation/registration form.
For seniors and students, the fee is $35; for professionals, $65.