Bingocize® is an evidence-based falls prevention program shown to improve physical functional fitness, knowledge of falls prevention and nutrition, aspects of cognition, and social engagement across the spectrum of care. The growth of interest in Bingocize® Online is a sign that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the pace of change: older adults need flexible, socially distanced, yet still socially engaged ways to stay healthy. Accomplishing this requires technology that is easy to use for health promotion program facilitators, but at the same time, also easy to use and socially engaging for older adults. Targeted towards any attendee in need of an engaging, effective, and adaptable evidence-based falls prevention program, the purpose of this presentation is to describe the established biopsychosocial benefits of the Bingocize® program with specific emphasis on the flexible remote delivery options and participants’ experiences playing Bingocize® Online. Attendees will also participate in a live Bingocize® Online session

Margaret Danilovich, DPT, PhD, Senior Director, Leonard Schanfield Research Institute, CJE Senior Life

Dr. Jason Crandall, Western Kentucky University, Western Kentucky University Center for Applied Science in Health & Aging

Kathleen Zuke, MPH (she/her), Director, Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging

The virtual programs we thought were temporary are here to stay! Learn how virtual programming has become an essential service for senior centers. Join us as Wayne Senior Center shares our strategic vision and journey of establishing a virtual senior center website and mobile app. We will share the development process, best practices and obstacles faced along the way.

JCC of Greater Pittsburgh

The Virtual Senior Academy™ is a free online platform that was created to connect older adults to their peers through interactive courses. Utilizing Zoom, the website offers learning experiences that cover a wide range of topics. Think of it as an online senior center, that you can join from anywhere.

Wayne Senior Center

The virtual programs we thought were temporary are here to stay! Learn how virtual programming has become an essential service for senior centers. Join us as Wayne Senior Center shares our strategic vision and journey of establishing a virtual senior center website and mobile app. We will share the development process, best practices and obstacles faced along the way.

Sowega Council on Aging

Participants will learn how to transition from the traditional senior center model to the Senior Center Without Walls model. They will learn the successes and the challenges that have come with the implementation of this model, including how to provide the same level of programs and services to clients remotely.

Marie Gress, Founder and CEO, Kovir, LLC

Margo Fine-Gabbay, Program Director, Wayne Senior Center

Katie Mahon, Executive Director, Wayne Senior Center

Madeline Barnes, Director of Technology & Evidence-Based Programming AgeWell at the JCC, JCC of Greather Pittsburgh

Sharon Feinman, Division Director, AgeWell at the JCC, Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

Jami Harper, Community Program Manager, Sowega Council on Aging

Izzie Sadler, Executive Director, Sowega Council on Aging

Erin Kee McGovern, Director of Programs, Center for Benefits Access, National Council on Aging

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many services online that had been traditionally offered in person. For the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), this included educational sessions for people becoming eligible for Medicare. In 2021, the SHIP National Technical Assistance Center hosted a Welcome to Medicare Virtual Fair with interactive exhibits and educational presentations by state SHIP expert trainers and national experts. This session will describe the lessons learned from that event, should you wish to try this model for your program’s outreach to the public. Attendees will receive tips for planning, partnerships, marketing, outreach, registration, maintaining confidentiality, providing tech support to attendees, exhibiting, and extending your reach by archiving event presentations on YouTube. You will also learn more about the benefit of SHIP counseling for newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries. Decisions made at the point of enrollment are important to a person’s long-term health and financial well-being.

Ginny Paulson, SHIP National Technical Assistance Center Director, Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging (NEI3A)

Emily McDonald, Director, Corporate Partnerships & Engagement, National Council on Aging

Accessibility of services for seniors is of vital importance. Nutrition is an important determinant of health in adults over the age of 60, and malnutrition in older adults is often underdiagnosed. This presentation will discuss an update to a creative approach for providing remote nutrition services for older adults in Georgia using telehealth technologies. This innovative method allows for the delivery of cost-effective nutrition education services for seniors who are at highest nutrition and food insecurity risk.

Laura Samnadda, MS, RDN, LD, Director of Nutrition Services, Open Hand Atlanta

Dr. Miranda Cook, PhD, Research & Evaluation Manager, Open Hand Atlanta

Aleta McLean, Open Hand Atlanta

Ellen Davis, Health Promotion Director, Iowa Department on Aging

When we talk about aging, something gets lost in translation.  We in the field of aging know that age is so much more than a number, but the public reverts to negative stereotypes when the word “old” is mentioned. The Reframing Aging Initiative has a solution to that communication conundrum.  Led by the Leaders of Aging Organizations (NCOA is a founding member), the Reframing Aging Initiative is powered by research and tested strategies. The new Communication Best Practices guide from the Reframing Aging Initiative will help senior center directors, program and service managers, and other professionals in the Aging Network reframe their messages to tell a more accurate and complete story about aging.  Ultimately, this will increase knowledge about the positive aspects of aging, shift attitudes towards actions and solutions, and grow support for programs and funding.

Laurie Lindberg, Project Manager, Reframing Aging Initiative

Tracey Colagrossi, Senior Center Director, Arlington Heights Senior Center

Stephanie Pilato, Senior Director, Finance and Contract Management, National Council on Aging

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly evolving field that has great potential to transform services, products, and programs for older adults. There are many applications of AI including expert systems, big data, machine learning, natural language processing and speech recognition and decision-support. It is important that aging professionals understand the potential of AI, the different ways it is currently being used, think about how to best use AI to further their missions.   Learn from three experts about the various ways that AI is being used to enhance services and products and improve outcomes for older adults and their caregivers.  Hear their visions for how the aging network and your organization can harness AI to achieve advance aging well with equity.   Learn about and discuss solutions to critical issues of access and systemic bias.

James Firman MBA, Ed.D, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, BellAge Inc.

Dr. David Lindeman PhD, Director, CITRIS Health, University of California's CITRIS & Banatao Institute

Nicole Knowles, Senior Director, Product Management, National Council on Aging

Kathleen Cameron, Senior Director, Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging

In this live 1 hour session you will learn the intersection of and specific nuances between Medicaid and VA benefits and how you can better serve aging Veterans in your community by improving your military cultural competency.

Christina Lonigro, VSO/Veterans Initiatives Manager, Advocate Health Advisors

Cullen Wright, COL (RET) USA, Veterans Initiatives Director/ Advocate Health Advisors/COL(RET) USA, Advocate Health Advisors

Jennifer Morgan, NCOA Consultant, Utah State University - Institute on Disability Research, Policy & Practice

Health professions students can expand community capacity for evidence-based program delivery for older adults.  As physical therapists and faculty members, we have a cadre of graduate physical therapy students poised to serve the community through implementation of evidence-based fall prevention programs, as they also develop critical professional knowledge and skills.  We developed a demonstration project for leader certification for Stay Active & Independent for Life (SAIL) for an entire 46-student cohort.  We will deploy student teams to community settings this fall.  We will describe our organizational approach to training and managing student teams. We will explain our collaboration with local partner agencies.  We will preview our upcoming activities and plans for outcome evaluation.  The target audience for this presentation includes faculty in health professions programs of all types, as well as representatives of community agencies with existing or desired partnerships with local colleges and universities.

Kimberly Nowakowski, PT, DPT, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy, Springfield College Department of Physical Therapy

Regina Kaufman, PT, EdD, MS, Professor of Physical Therapy, Springfield College

Donya Currie, Senior Editor, NCOA, National Council on Aging

Integration of community-based CDSME programming within healthcare systems has the potential to add value for patients and healthcare teams. This process is often challenged by inherent factors within healthcare organizations, such as regulations, electronic medical record (EMR) functionality and limited staff time. Leveraging existing workflows and utilizing a multifaceted approach can help to overcome some of these barriers. This session will discuss the use of these strategies, including development of infrastructure and centralized processes, healthcare team education, data collection and closed-loop feedback to facilitate integration of community-based programming within the healthcare system and increase referrals.

Wendy Schmidt, MBA, BAN, RN, Senior Learning and Development Specialist, Sanford Health

Shelly Clauson, RN, CRRN, B-C, Lead Learning & Development Specialist, Sanford Health

Danae Koep, Senior Learning & Development Specialist, Sanford Health

Jess Duryea, Staff, National Council on Aging

This session will describe a collaborative effort examining 2015-2021 data from 1,225 PEARLS participants across four ACL-funded states (Florida, Maryland, Texas, and Washington) to assess the effectiveness of PEARLS to reduce depressive symptomatology. Using the PHQ-9, participant improvements were assessed using statistical and clinical (i.e., response and remission) criteria. Participants’ PHQ-9 scores significantly improved from baseline to their final sessions (on average from 12.74 to 5.48, p<0.001). About one-third (31.0%) achieved remission at PEARLS completion (p<0.001), and approximately two-thirds (61.1%) of participants achieved response. Findings reinforce the robustness of PEARLS to improve depressive symptomatology among older adults in diverse community settings outside of research studies. Recent COVID-19 adaptations may improve reach and adoption through distance training and delivery of telePEARLS (phone or video-conferencing sessions). The ability for PEARLS to achieve improvements in clinical outcomes sets the stage for sustainability via reimbursement opportunities and strengthening clinical-community linkages.

Matthew Smith PhD, MPH, CHES, Associate Professor, Texas A&M University

Lesley Steinman MSW, MPH (she/her), Research Scientist, University of Washington School of Public Health

Yoko Meusch, MA, Program Associate, Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging

Do you know what counts as allowable expenses for outreach materials under your MIPPA/BEC grant? Want to know what other organizations have used successfully to promote their programs? This interactive session will feature quizzes, a “highlights reel” of outreach swag, and an opportunity to weigh in and find out what messages and approaches might work for your community.

Brandy Bauer, Director, Center for Benefits Access, National Council on Aging

Ann Kayrish, Senior Program Manager for Medicare, National Council on Aging

Senior Centers opened their doors and then what? Join us as we share our experiences – successes and challenges – with the return to in-person programs, services, and activities in an interactive conversation.

Dianne Stone, Associate Director of Network Development and Engagement, Modernizing Senior Centers Resource Center and NISC, National Council on Aging

In the face of daily needs amidst ever-changing lockdowns, senior centers have stood up and met the moment over the past two years. It's time to take the lessons learned and modernize these vital service hubs for the future--one community at a time. Discover the latest research on what older adults want in their senior centers--and the path forward to deliver the future.

Edwin Walker, J.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging, U.S. Administration for Community Living

Laura Trejo, Executive Director, Aging and Community Services, Los Angeles County Department of Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services

Manoj Pardasani, PhD, LCSW, ACSW, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Hunter College

Jill Hall, Division Chief & Acting Nutrition Program Manager Senior Centers and Community Services, Baltimore County Department of Aging

Kathy Greenlee, J.D., President & CEO of Greenlee Global, LLC & NCOA Board Chair, Greenlee Global, LLC

Federal policy is essential to achieving equitable aging for every American. Find out what's been accomplished and what's ahead when it comes to policy priorities designed to enable all to age with health and financial security. 

Rep. Debbie Dingell, U.S. Congresswoman (D-MI), U.S. House of Representatives

Wendell Primus, Senior Policy Advisor for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), U.S. Senate

Stuart Portman, Senior Health Policy Advisor at U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate

Howard Bedlin, Government Relations & Advocacy Principal, National Council on Aging

June Simmons, President & CEO; NCOA Board Member, Partners in Care Foundation & NCOA Board Member

Covid-19 forced so many of us to physically isolate ourselves from our loved ones, but we also started spending more time on the Internet, doing everything from communicating with family to banking to accessing medical care. However, increased time online also comes with a potential increase in risks from cybercrime and fraud. Without support and knowledge, older adults can be personally and financially exposed. Avast’s Security Expert, Emma McGowan, will speak about some of the most common online scams targeting older adults and share tips and knowledge on how users can protect themselves and their loved ones in order to enjoy the virtues of the Internet with confidence and live their best life online.

Emma McGowan, Security Expert and Senior Writer, Avast

Lyft Partner Spotlight Event

Obesity disproportionately affects people of color and minority ethnic groups. While this chronic condition impacts millions of older adults, many do not have access to the full range of treatment options or tools to manage their disease. This session will highlight 10 drivers of inequities and describe policy solutions that were identified at a recent NCOA roundtable discussion on obesity and equitable aging last fall. Twelve organizations representing diverse elders participated in the roundtable, and many will join the discussion to describe the challenges they see across different demographics and the urgent need for systems change to achieve equitable aging for all.

Dr. Yanira Cruz, President and CEO, National Hispanic Council on Aging

Elise Hernandez, Director, Research and Impact, SAGE

Mary Ann Bui, Chief Research Officer, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging

Dorothea K. Vafiadis, MS, FAHA, Director, Health Partnerships and Strategic Engagement, National Council on Aging

Experts from CVS Health will discuss the importance of a data-driven, multipronged approach to reducing health disparities and improving the health of diverse Medicare populations.

Shannon MacKenzie, Lead Director, Project Program Management, Aetna, a CVS Health company

Dr. Joneigh S. Khaldun, MD, MPH, FACEP, Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer, CVS Health

Dr. Alena Baquet-Simpson, MD, Executive Medical Director, Aetna, Aetna, a CVS Health company

Dr. Jamie Sharp, MD, Vice President and Medicare Chief Medical Officer, Aetna, a CVS Health company

Vivian Nava-Schellinger, Director, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Impact, The SCAN Foundation

Partners once relied on office and care management staff to assist with outreach activities, with results matching the harried and inconsistent approach that reliance afforded. After investing in the software and human resources necessary to perform modern outreach and engagement, uptake of information and services dramatically improved. Partners Engagement experts Virginia Carone and Ester Sefilyan will discuss development of an internal engagement center, outline pre and post development differences, and share tips and techniques they have learned that any office can put in place or connect to vetted providers already doing this work, as well as what to look for in developing a dedicated internal engagement center. Based on experience that has led to multi-state contracts with payors handling engagement with members and patients alike.

Virginia Carone, Senior Director of Network Services, Partners in Care Foundation

Donya Currie, Senior Editor, NCOA, National Council on Aging

Sustainable evidence-based falls prevention programs require reliable community-based organization capacity and consistent older adult participation. Community based falls prevention programs, such as Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance®, are efficacious in decreasing falls in older adults that often lead to serious injury. However, community-based organizations face challenges with program delivery including staffing and funding.  Additionally, though primary care providers have the ability to screen older adults for fall risk and refer to effective community-based falls prevention programs, there is often a lack of coordination and communication between the two systems creating a gap. This workshop will provide an innovative framework for collaboration between a doctoral physical therapy program and primary care providers to build a successful evidence-based falls prevention program within a community.

Dawna Pidgeon, PT, CEEAA, Falls Prevention Lead, Dartmouth Centers for Health and Aging

Carol Petrie, PT, MaEd, DPT, Assistant Clinical Professor, Director of Clinical Education, University of Rhode Island

Alexandra Morelli, MPA, CCHW, Program Manager, Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center, University of Rhode Island

Kathleen Cameron, Senior Director, Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging

Women workers have responsibility for successfully planning their retirement while also facing several challenges that put them at greater financial risk. Basic retirement capability is critical, yet those most at-risk do not have access to key information. This session will build awareness and provide a roadmap and tools for Aging Network professionals, advocates, and program coordinators to help underserved and under-resourced women and families navigate their retirement journey. Education and discussions about financial and retirement planning can be included in programs and services provided to older adults.

Linda Stone, Senior Pension Fellow, American Academy of Actuaries

Cindy Hounsell, President, Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER)

Laurel Beedon PhD, WISER Senior Research Fellow, Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement

Michelle Mai, Senior Program Associate, National Council on Aging

The Pandemic forced many senior center clients to begin using personal technology to access virtual content, stay more connected and engaged to friends and family and access medical services. Post-Pandemic, there’s no turning back. Learn how senior centers provided access to technology and ensured that older adults felt comfortable using it.  Learn how you can promote engagement and teach clients to feel more confident using their technology.  This session will cover: 1) what are the most common devices and apps being used by seniors; 2) how are they using technology to stay connected and engaged; and 3) what difficulties they have and how can they be overcome with training and support.

Liz Hamburg, President & CEO, Candoo Tech

Stephanie Pilato, Senior Director, Finance and Contract Management, National Council on Aging

Undocumented older adults face pervasive and structural barriers due to their immigration status that block them from the services older adults depend on to manage their health and successfully age in place. According to a study from the Rush Center for Excellence in Aging, the population of undocumented older adults in the state of Illinois will increase 13-fold by the year 2030, creating an ethical stymie in health care and long-term care unless immediate policy action is taken. This presentation will summarize the demographic and socioecological impacts of an aging undocumented population, as well as an overview of community-informed policy recommendations and strategies for advocacy.

Padraic Stanley, MSW, LCSW, Program Manager, Rush University Medical Center

Brandy Bauer, Director, Center for Benefits Access, National Council on Aging

In this live 1 hour session, participants will hear first-hand accounts of the experiences of female veterans as it relates to health care, access to resources and benefits and how to better serve/recognize the women in your communities who have served in the armed forces and who may be hiding in plain sight.

Elizabeth Estabrooks, Deputy Director VA Center for Women Veterans/ U.S Army Veteran, The U.S Department of Veterans Affairs

Missina Schallus, Communications Manager | Center for Women Veterans (CWV) Office of the Secretary | VA |, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Randy Feliciano, Senior Program Manager, National Council on Aging

During COVID, opportunities to connect with many older adults and people with disabilities was much more difficult, particularly the ability to reach non-English speaking individuals and other underserved populations.  This session will describe intentional partnership building with nonprofit organizations that network within communities to provide services and resources. The Maryland Living Well Center of Excellence (LWCE), a Division of MAC, Inc. AAA, reached beyond current partners to engage people of color who could benefit from Evidence-Based Programs and other services. The Maryland Department of Aging contracted with LWCE to distribute 5-G tablets to low-income seniors so they could access evidence-based programs and services. Although several Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) participated in the distribution of tablets, many agencies within county government were unable to participate.

Sue Lachenmayr, MPH, CHES, Statewide Program Manager, Maryland Living Well Center of Excellence - MAC, Inc.

Leigh Ann Eagle BS, Chief Operations Officer, Maryland Living Well Center of Excellence, Maryland Living Well Center of Excellence - MAC, Inc.

Ann Kayrish, Senior Program Manager for Medicare, National Council on Aging

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis has provided critical home repairs and accessibility interventions for 1000+ lower-income, older homeowners through Aging-In-Place (AIP) programs since 2015 after offering critical repairs through Neighborhood Revitalization efforts since 2011. Anthropological evaluation methods are used to explore the program impacts for older adults to continue to live healthily and happily in their homes. To further these evaluations, Memphis Habitat partners with GHHI to analyze Medicaid claims data to explore healthcare costs of home-based unintentional injury, and potential for cost-savings through AIP programs. Blending these types of program evaluation methods can further the development and value of AIP programming for older adults, their families, and the healthcare sectors that serve them.

Kevin Chan, Director, Policy & Innovation, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative

Chris Reeder Young, Senior Research and Evaluation Manager, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis

Sean Thomas, Manager of Executive Operations, National Council on Aging

The goal of the Team Alice Senior Center Medication Safety program is to empower older adults and their caregivers with information to detect medication harm and give them the knowledge, skills, and tools to advocate for themselves.  The presentation will cover the potential and prevalence of medication harm in older adults as told by the Alice Story, a real case derived from the horrific death of Alice Brennan triggered by preventable medication errors and system failure.  It will discuss an innovative educational intervention created with Senior Center members (Elder Voices) that can increase patient knowledge and strengthen self-advocacy skills. Specifically, the objectives are to provide information for older adults and caregivers to detect medication harm, encourage shared decision making with their health provider, reduce medication burden, and promote successful aging.   Further, the presentation will cover strategies to engage members and caregivers in Senior Centers with life saving strategies.

Jennifer Stoll, PhD, Senior Research Scientist, Primary Care Research Institute, University at Buffalo Department of Family Medicine

Mary Brennan-Taylor, Patient Safety Advocate, University at Buffalo School of Family Medicine

Kerry Peek, Senior Center Director, Cheektowaga Senior Service Center

Kathleen Cameron, Senior Director, Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging

For almost all social justice issues, there are bystanders who can recognize and address problematic attitudes and behaviors before they result in harm. Financial exploitation of older adults is one issue for which bystander intervention is a promising prevention strategy. Vera House, Inc. in Syracuse, NY has implemented and evaluated a pilot program to train professionals and community members in bystander intervention techniques that can be employed when financial exploitation of an older adult is suspected. In this session, attendees will learn actionable bystander intervention strategies that they can begin utilizing in their own communities. Additionally, attendees will learn how Vera House partnered with local financial institutions and a professional evaluator (TRX Development Solutions, LLC) to implement and evaluate the pilot program, and how the results of the pilot evaluation establish an evidence base for the efficacy of bystander intervention as a viable primary prevention strategy to combat financial exploitation.

Erin Hou, Assistant Director, TRX Development Solutions, LLC

Loren Ulrich, Abuse in Later Life Prevention and Outreach Coordinator, Vera House, Inc.

Jennifer Ackley, Program Director, Vera House, Inc.

Emily McDonald, Director, Corporate Partnerships & Engagement, National Council on Aging

Transforming senior centers and other organizations begins with measuring what matters.   Since 2018, NCOA has been encouraging senior centers and other community-based organizations to use the Adult Wellbeing Assessment (AWA) to improve the holistic health and wellbeing of older adults.     Jill Hall will describe how the Baltimore County Department on Aging (BCDA) has been using the AWA over a four-year period in 20 senior centers and with 15,000+ participants.  She will describe how the information has shaped decision-making for allocating funds, developing programs and policies, discuss lessons learned and future plans.    Yong Choi PhD will share initial findings and insights from the analysis of BCDA’s 4-year longitudinal AWA database highlighting the prevalence of health and wellbeing indicators by key demographic factors.  Jim Firman will share a vision and roadmap for how senior centers (individually and collectively) can combine AWA assessments with emerging technologies to transform themselves into aging well centers.

Yong Choi, Assistant Adjunct Professor, Public Health Sciences, University of Califorrnia Davis Medical School

James Firman MBA, Ed.D, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, BellAge Inc.

Jill Hall, Division Chief & Acting Nutrition Program Manager Senior Centers and Community Services, Baltimore County Department of Aging

Jean Van Ryzin, Senior Director, Communications, National Council on Aging

Recruitment, retention, and effective integration into health care systems are frequent challenges and concerns for administrators of evidence-based group workshops. This workshop session will cover effective strategies for how to utilize motivational interviewing to improve the quality of recruitment, improve turn-out from registration, and help retain more participants as completers. Participants will learn specific strategies for assessing and engaging with individuals of various stages of change, and how that can benefit our recruitment and retention efforts.

Jeaneane Quinn, LSW, Social Worker, Rush University Medical Center

Padraic Stanley, MSW, LCSW, Program Manager, Rush University Medical Center

Simona Combi, Public Relations Manager, National Council on Aging