Session 1: Wake up with wellness: A synthesis of the past three mornings
Join one of our Advisory Board Members, Lawrence Biscontini, MA, as virtual host of our morning “Wake Up to Wellness” starts to each day of our virtual event with a different view of our theme of wellness as a reset. Each morning session will set the tone for each day and explore how we can RESET both our understanding of aging as well as the process of aging.
Faculty: Lawrence Biscontini, MA, Founder, FG2000
Session 2: Wake up with wellness: Start your day off feeling refreshed, energized and focused.
Learn and experience simple techniques that create a powerful difference. Join Matrix Master Trainer Audrey Lee, PhD, to wake up your body and mind
Faculty: Audrey Lee, PhD, Matrix Master Trainer
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7:35 a.m.-7:40 a.m. PT (Pacific Time)
Welcome to ICAA Virtual Conference, Leadership Summit and Expo 2021.
Presenter TBA
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7:45 a.m.–8:45 a.m. PT (Pacific Time)
Best practices: Creating an award-winning culture of wellnessAnnie Shaffer, Stacy Schroder, Jill McRae Hyers, Monica McAfee, & Jane Benskey
What does it take to create an award-winning wellness culture? One that inspires new thinking to create or recreate your organization’s mission, physical environments, programs, policies, staff and resident engagement strategies? Attend this stimulating session with the top five wellness communities in North America—winners of the ICAA NuStep Pinnacle Award—to gain the answers to these questions and more.
You’ll be able to:
Utilize the physical environment to create a sense of well-being.
Empower residents to take active or leadership roles in shaping wellness programs and/or contributing to the community’s overall culture of wellness.
Create a wellness culture that becomes the best choice for older adults who want to live in a wellness-based community.
Faculty: Annie Shaffer, Wellness Director, Sunnyside Communities; Stacy Schroder, Director of Wellness & Prevention, Masonic Village at Elizabethtown; Jill McRae Hyers, ZEST Director, Maravilla Senior Living Community; Monica McAfee, CMIO, John Knox Village Florida; Jane Benskey, Marketing Communications Specialist, NuStep, LLC (moderator). CEUs
FemAging/FemTechVonda Wright
Women age differently than men. What does this mean to your organization? Opportunity! Dive into revealing statistics about the power older women have in making consumer purchasing decisions, as they are likely to spend 30 years in midlife and 20 more in older age. Understand how this demographic is neglected by many products and services providers, marketers, and investors, and explore how you can provide solutions. Be inspired by how is technology playing a role in the demographics of aging for women.
You’ll be able to:
Identify how women age differently than men.
Develop and deliver solutions (online and in person) to better meet the shifting and diverse needs, expectations and aspirations of older women.
Identify needed technologies to maximize health and wellness outcomes.
Faculty: Vonda Wright, MD, MS, President, The Hughston Clinic. CEUs
Critical thinking as a foundation for innovationKaren Woodard
Most of the time we employ automatic, critical, emotional or hands-on approaches to solving everyday life problems. Explore how most people have been trained to memorize answers rather than learn how to solve problems. Learn about the link between critical thinking and innovation, and why our ability to think with clarity and to solve problems is more than just information. Understand how critical thinking allows us to discern whether “great ideas” are viable or not and how it brings innovation to life.
You’ll be able to:
Recognize the 4 types of innovation and which types are needed in your organization.
Utilize the 6 tools in enhancing critical thinking skills.
Understand how critical thinking, creative thinking and innovation are linked.
Food for thought: Superfoods to the rescueTricia Silverman
Can’t remember where you left the keys? Feeling tired and down? Learn the tools of nutritional success for enhancing your brain power, increasing your energy and improving your mood.
You’ll be able to:
Describe how fruits and vegetables may benefit your brain.
List 2 nutrition strategies to lessen the risk for dementia.
Identify 2 foods and eating strategies that may improve mood.
Engaging older adults with dementia in activities after COVID-19Barbara Resnick & Elizabeth Galik
COVID-19 restrictions have resulted in prolonged social isolation and limited physical and sensory stimulation of older adults with dementia. Discuss the behavioral, functional and cognitive impacts of pandemic restrictions in this population and learn innovative strategies to manage symptoms. Explore activities that incorporate family and staff in care settings such as developing an activity bulletin board with mind engaging games. Review resources for interventions to optimize physical activity and engagement in your facilities.
You’ll be able to:
Identify the behavioral, functional and cognitive impacts of COVID-19 restrictions on older adults with dementia.
Describe interventions to engage older adults with dementia in activities to manage behavioral symptoms and optimize function.
List at least 4 innovative approaches to engage older adults with dementia in physical and social activities while maintaining physical distancing.
Faculty: Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP, Professor, and Elizabeth Galik, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, Professor, University of Maryland School of Nursing. CEUs
Life hacks for living wellTerry Eckmann
Explore lifestyle choices that enhance overall health and well-being throughout the lifespan. Identify 15-20 effective research-based strategies to increase activity level, improve eating habits, manage stress and improve attitude. Practice a number of life hacks to fit fitness and overall wellness into day-to-day life.
You’ll be able to:
Define life hack and discuss habit and change management.
List 7 key lifestyle choices for living well throughout the lifespan.
Explore 15+ powerful life hacks.
Faculty: Terry Eckmann, PhD, Professor and Department Chair, Teacher Education and Kinesiology, Minot State University. CEUs
Nordic walking: Pole dancing for Parkinson'sMandy Shintani
Facilitate balance, confidence, endurance and fluid movement for residents with Parkinson’s with evidence-based group exercise. This seated/standing program incorporates music, mindfulness and dance with specialized Nordic walking poles. Research shows these poles promote stability and proper posture, aid in more fluid movement and increase confidence and endurance. Motivate your residents with an active way to participate in group exercise while improving outcomes for mental, cognitive and physical health.
You’ll be able to:
Describe 10 researched benefits of Nordic walking for those with Parkinson's.
Perform 5 innovative seated and standing exercises with specialized Nordic walking poles.
Perform the 4 steps of the Activator technique developed for balance and stability for those with Parkinson's.
Faculty: Mandy Shintani, BSc, MA, OT & Gerontologist, Urban Poling, Inc. CEUs
Solitary shakti: Movement & meaningLawrence Biscontini
Enjoy a special shakti session of barefoot movement and meaning with a special playlist of songs submitted from various countries during our pandemic lockdown.
You’ll be able to:
Create a moving experience through music only.
Experience barefoot synergy among various modalities appropriate for all active agers, seated or standing.
Learn to develop a playlist for creating and streaming meaning.
Faculty: Lawrence Biscontini, MA, Founder, FG2000. CEUs
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9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. PT (Pacific Time)
Supporting your labor force through pandemics and beyondJana Decker
Staff give tremendous amounts of themselves both physically and emotionally to those they serve. Multi-faceted demands can lead to burn out, increased turnover and decreased resident and employee satisfaction. Explore how to maintain a healthy workforce through mechanisms that encourage acknowledgement, responsiveness, decision making, health promotion, stress reduction and emotional support.
You’ll be able to:
Walk away with no cost/low-cost mechanisms and programs to support frontline staff and managers.
Obtain strategies for gaining support in implementing programs and mechanisms for well-being.
Learn ways to measure the impact of programs you implement.
Faculty: Jana Decker, BS, Director of Wellness, Covenant Living at Inverness. CEUs
Prioritizing brain health care: Beyond the pandemicKrystal Culler & LeAnne Stuver
Polls rank dementia as the most feared health condition among adults over age 50. The global pandemic has put a spotlight on cognitive health and brain care, opening the door to innovation in senior living service delivery. Hear about new research that supports the role of lifestyle factors in decreasing the risk of later-life cognitive decline including dementia. Explore the model of a virtual brain health center.
You’ll be able to:
Identify the basics of a model of brain wellness.
Recognize the importance of a life span approach to lifelong brain care.
Apply at least 3 simple activities that can be performed daily to support brain care.
Faculty: Krystal L. Culler, DBH, MA, Founder, and LeAnne Stuver, MEd, BSN, Director of Lifelong Learning, Virtual Brain Health Center. CEUs
Cracking the dementia code: Using art for meaning & validationKrissy Wuerdeman
Art is an effective and creative method of communicating thoughts and feelings, especially for older adults living with memory loss and cognitive changes. Art becomes a way to replace words or emotions that may be lost; it can facilitate the healing opportunity to express long supressed emotions and heal unmet needs. Learn how art allows the person living with memory loss and cognitive changes to convey their emotions through creative expression and celebrate their authentic self.
You’ll be able to:
Identify 3 different art forms that resonate with older adults and their preferred sense.
Provide 3 effective ways to better engage with elders living with memory loss by tapping into these art forms.
Utilize at least 3 Validation techniques to better understand how to meet the unmet emotional needs of older adults through art.
Faculty: Krissy Wuerdeman, MS, Owner & Managing Director, That Place You Know, LLC. CEUs
Exercise for emotional health: Reducing pain & susceptibility to stressKarlie Intlekofer
The mood enhancing benefits of exercise are well known, but regular exercise can also lower sensitivity to pain and stress. These are important because both chronic pain and stress are common in older people and increase their risks of cognitive decline and dementia. Explore the current state of fitness programming and discover tips for creating exercise-friendly environments in the home and community. Learn strategies to accommodate a range of physical capabilities and chronic conditions to encourage a more active lifestyle.
You’ll be able to:
Explain how exercise modifies pain perception and levels of chronic stress, and how the prevalence of these conditions was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Identify simple ways to communicate pain- and stress-relief benefits of regular exercise to motivate action.
Learn best practices for environments that motivate physical activity and how to modify exercise for common health conditions.
Faculty: Karlie Intlekofer, PhD, Global Wellness Researcher, Matrix Fitness and Treo Wellness. CEUs
Lives well lived: Intergenerational projects connecting generationsSky Bergman
When older adults connect with young adults, everyone gains a deeper understanding of one another, especially sharing wisdom about living well. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of intergenerational connections and multicultural bridges. Identify common ground by learning to create intergenerational connections especially in times of social unrest and isolation. Be inspired by the stories of resilience in older adults in the documentary film Lives Well Lived.
You’ll be able to:
Develop an awareness of the importance of storytelling in the lives of older adults through lessons of resilience and inspirational stories featured in the documentary.
Learn simple tips for collecting stories of older adults and implementing intergenerational connections with educational institutions and communities.
Develop a social media strategy to encourage intergenerational conversations.
Faculty: Sky Bergman, MFA, Professor/Filmmaker, Cal Poly State University. CEUs
Creating shared laughter for connection and personal wellnessDani Klein Modisett
The quality of social connections is a differentiator in the quality of aging and mental health of caregivers. See how laughter is one of the first ways we communicate and remains with us well after language leaves us. Learn how it builds social connections through stressful times. Discover the effective role shared laughter can play as an antidote to the challenges of caregivers of those isolated and/or in cognitive decline.
You’ll be able to:
Understand the science and role of shared laughter in building connections and fostering self-care for caregivers of the aging at any stage of cognitive ability.
Learn specific tools to cultivate mindfulness and shared laughter not only during times of stress but also during years of potential limited communication that can occur in later stages of cognitive decline.
Identify practical tools to support yourself, your staff and/or family members in navigating aging well and supporting aging loved ones with greater resilience and joy.
Faculty: Dani Klein Modisett, BA, Founder/CEO, Laughter On Call. CEUs
Balance exercise challenge to reduce falls in assisted livingCasey Weeks
Explore the positive results of a balance exercise training program in one specific assisted living community and how the likelihood of residents’ falling was greatly reduced in only three months. Delve into the complex list of fall risk factors and prevention. Delve into recommendations and how to properly prepare for a balance program with the Functional Reach assessment, before and after training. Learn how to help participants adhere to the program and keep attendance consistent.
You’ll be able to:
Successfully implement a balance program in an assisted living community.
Understand the importance of incorporating balance exercises in an older adult’s schedule and maintain client adherence.
Properly administer a fall risk assessment to determine baseline and final outcomes to observe improvements.
Faculty: Casey Weeks, BS, Prairieview Fitness Coordinator, The Garlands of Barrington. CEUs
Frailty: The prep and prehab solutionPat VanGalen
Strength, power and speed training along with other lifestyle boosters dodge and delay frailty. This no-nonsense session says it’s best to start in childhood, better in our 30s, but still effective after 50. Women are hit the hardest and for the longest. Train to kick frailty to the curb as a non-negotiable.
You’ll be able to:
Better understand the early progression of frailty.
Coach and program training and other physical activities that beat back frailty.
Coordinate all facets of community and residential wellness to preserve robustness for as long as possible.
Faculty: Pat VanGalen, MS, Owner, Active & Agile, Maximizing Mobility Through the Ages™. CEUs
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10:15 a.m.–11:00 a.m. PT (Pacific Time)
ICAA Career Fair
Held in conjunction with the ICAA Conference, Leadership Summit and Expo, conference attendees and guests can explore multiple job opportunities in various industries that focus on helping people age well.
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11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PT (Pacific Time)
Virtual Expo
Discover new technologies, equipment and services to support multidimensional wellness from providers committed to meeting the industry’s needs. View demonstrations and ask exhibitors questions in this live virtual session. Enjoy “real world”-type interaction and make purchasing decisions from the comfort and safety of your home or office.
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12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. PT (Pacific Time)
The digital transformation of senior living: Adoption & implementationNick Patel & Paul Steinichen
Technology is occupying an increasing portion of organizations’ annual budgets. Consider the importance of a strong technology strategy to proactively meet the needs of your residents. Whether updating old technology systems or implementing supportive infrastructure initiatives, explore ways to better serve your residents. Learn approaches to integrating smart technologies along with emerging trends in developing a strategic roadmap.
You’ll be able to:
Analyze existing and emerging “smart” technology ecosystems and trends being incorporated into the master planning of new and repositioned senior living communities.
Explore the importance of infrastructure design in supporting prominent technology solutions and how this impacts the master planning of senior living communities.
Understand how provider organizations adopt smart technologies, including AI and predictive modeling, to improve clinical and wellness decision making and enhance the sense of community, safety and quality of life for residents.
Faculty: Nick Patel, BA, President, and Paul Steinichen, MSc, Chief Technology Officer, ThriveWell Tech. CEUs
Music for all 2.0: Promoting wellness through community music makingMary Knysh
Science based research continues to shape our understanding of how active engagement in music can improve cognitive abilities and quality of life at any age. Hear how making music with the brain and wellness in mind is not based upon expertise of the players but on the quality of their relationships making the music together. Appreciate the effect that rhythm and music have on well-being and neuroplasticity. Learn strategies for engaging intergenerational groups in active sound creation and rewiring the brain in fun and accessible ways.
You’ll be able to:
Lead simple breath, voice and movement icebreakers designed to build basic rhythmic skills, advance group teamwork and improve the group’s focus and concentration.
Lead 3 improvisational rhythmic activities that promote the 5 core elements of wellness.
Apply the 6 primary facilitator cues to lead improvisational rhythmic activities to promote nonverbal communications, adaptability, increased self-expression and group connections.
Faculty: Mary Knysh, Founder, Rhythmic Connections, Program Director, Music for People, professional musician and international author. CEUs
Exercise programming for recovered COVID residents in senior livingCollin Craft
The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected senior living through quarantine, isolation and social distancing. Learn how to properly reintegrate COVID recovered residents into daily physical activity and specific exercise programs post quarantine. Explore recommended outlines for programming, exercise progression and regression, and COVID impacted signs and symptoms.
You’ll be able to:
Design and implement exercise programs specifically for COVID recovered residents.
Recognize the signs and symptoms associated with COVID when exercising.
Adapt for precise progressions and regressions when adjusting a resident’s program.
Faculty: Collin Craft, BS, Health Promotions Specialist, American Senior Communities. CEUs
Powerful online programming for fitness friendsMichelle Kerr & Libby Norris
Virtual fitness classes reach more people than in a gym or community center. Explore how virtual programming can safely reach a spectrum active older adults from healthy yet inactive to those with chronic conditions who need lifestyle based fitness programs. Consider how it may also attract people from outside your community, a potential feeder for a new hybrid model incorporating both virtual and onsite programming. Learn how to create online programs, build marketing and create community.
You’ll be able to:
Facilitate an effective online program with best practices from a virtual studio setup.
Learn the selection process and modifications for the most appropriate exercises for all types of participants in your classes.
Learn a virtual studio setup and best practices to reach a broad audience with minimal equipment.
Faculty: Michelle Kerr, Program Supervisor, TJX and Libby Norris, BA, Fitness Manager, City of Mississauga. CEUs
Tap & Clap Cardio for older adultsLisa McLellan
Participate in a rollicking, rhythmic cardio chair program for older adults. Tap & Clap Cardio (TCC) feels like a party while raising the heart rate, toning muscles and training memory and coordination in more sedentary older adults who may be more fragile and have joint and balance concerns. Enjoy rhythmic cardio chair choreography tapping and clapping with hands and feet to music older adults love. Feel energized with how it builds positivity, confidence and joy.
You’ll be able to:
Sequence clapping and tapping progressively to ensure gentle training, neuromuscular integration, better attention and memory, and feelings of success and pleasure.
Create a simple TCC choreography to implement immediately with music older adults love.
Understand the benefits rhythm, clapping and tapping have on older adult physical and mental well being.
Faculty: Lisa McLellan, MA, Founder, Age Smart Fitness. CEUs
Thinking outside the box: Somatic approaches to improve movementElise Foss & Sarah Leibov
Somatic approaches to improving the quality of movement can help people function at their highest level of well-being. Understand how becoming more conscious about the ways we move means that we have more choices in how to adapt to changing situations. Explore how Feldenkrais and Laban/Bartenieff fundamentals can be incorporated with corrective exercises to help improve cognition, emotional awareness and quality of life. Experience how new movements can also help us shift emotionally.
You’ll be able to:
Understand how somatic approaches can improve overall movement and ease, resulting in decreased pain and greater physical and emotional freedom.
Use different effort qualities from Laban Method framework to improve overall mobility and responses to life events.
Learn how the Feldenkrais Method meets people at any stage of their movement development by utilizing small or imagined movements and awareness to promote a parasympathetic nervous system response, deepening relaxation and easing tension.
Faculty: Elise Foss, MS GLCMA, Fitness and Wellness Expert/Movement Re-education Specialist, VivaElise, and Sarah Leibov, Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, Transcendent Movement Feldenkrais. CEUs
Osteo-friendly exercises for core & balanceLinda Magee
This session focuses on the challenges of working with individuals who have osteopenia or osteoarthritis or limited spinal flexion movement. Learn exercises designed as a reference library and how they assist in increased balance, improved range of motion and developing core and periphery stability. Practice exercises in supine, quadruped, side-lying, plank and standing positions while providing functional fitness results. Learn modifications with hand weights and bands for a majority of the exercises.
You’ll be able to:
Teach exercises to improve and challenge balance without spinal movement.
Teach standing core work.
Explain functional fitness exercises.
Faculty: Linda Magee, MA, Proprietor, Magee Fitness & Education. CEUs
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1:15 p.m.-2:00 p.m. PT (Pacific Time)
Idea exchange and wrap up
Join your colleagues for these idea-sharing sessions on how you have "Reset" your wellness programs and environment to address today's new reality.
