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| Gayle Laszewski speaks on wellness at the Catholic Charities Healthy Aging Conference. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash) |
MADISON — More than 150 people came to the Sheraton Hotel in Madison on September 9 to learn about healthy aging at the fifth annual aging conference presented by Catholic Charities (CC) Madison.
Catholic Charities’ mission
Bill Hamilton, director of Aging Services for Catholic Charities, welcomed everyone, saying the day was “a great opportunity to not only educate yourself, but also to be able to share what you learned here with others.”
He outlined programs CC offers for older adults, including: in-home support and personal care, adult day services and respite, caregiver training, and specialized care for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
“Our mission is to help older adults remain independent in their homes and in the community for as long as they want and as long as it’s safe,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton also noted the many sponsors of the conference who had information booths set up where attendees could learn about various services for older adults.
The day included two keynote speeches and a choice of eight breakout sessions.
Learning forgiveness
Dr. Robert Enright opened the conference with a keynote address, “Learning Forgiveness: Finding Hope and Joy in the Senior Years.” Enright is a professor of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and co-founder of the International Forgiveness Institute.