The Gamble of Life: How Religion and Spirituality Provide Meaning in My Unpredictable World
Tuesday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Most of us would like to believe that our lives are in order and that we are in control. While transition and change occur at all ages, some changes in the life of an older person may occur suddenly and be perceived or experienced as inevitable decline. Situations and events, such as changes in employment, an accident or fall, the loss of a spouse or partner, a significant change in our health status, require realignment of life's trajectory as a part of the coping process. This Featured Program will examine that role religion and spirituality can play in helping put the event into context and for providing hope in our unpredictable world.

Keynote Address: The Other Side of the Coin: How Can We Deal with 'UN-Successful' Aging?
8:00 – 9:30 am
Jane Marie Thibault, MA, MSSW, PhD, Clinical Gerontologist – Clinical Professor, Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky

10:00 – 11:00AM     Workshop

Authentic Aging: Overcoming Dis-Illusionment
Ira Wiesner, Esq., Wiesner & Griffin Advocates in Aging

Well aging, healthy aging, successful aging and positive aging represent approaches premised on convincing elders that they are otherwise aging wrong. People live illusioned lives, believing their successes are permanent, their escape from challenge perpetual and their screen-plays for life immutable. That is until they hit the brick wall of reality and the enchantment of their illusory world shatters.  This can occur at the onset of their own chronic illness, a devastating diagnosis for a spouse, death of a spouse, or as we are seeing increasingly, economic insecurity. At such times, survival and even thriving lie in recognizing that life is not the anomaly, the illusion was.  It is what Gail Sheehy described at the last ASA Meeting as embracing the "new normal."This program is designed to address the concept of self and identity as it relates to expectations and adaptation to change. Through a combination of sight and sound, music and visual background, participants will examine how many the barriers we construct to divert the locus of control to exterior standards and symbols and how we dis-empower ourselves from our own capacities - our own authenticity.  Whatever the challenge, our capacity to find strength in the authenticity of our own lives can produce immeasurable benefit.

11:30AM – 2:00PM            NICA-FoRSA Annual Awards Luncheon and Winners Presentations

2:30 – 3:30PM         Workshop

Caresharing and the Spirit: Rethinking Caregiving
Marty Richards, ACSW, Richards and Richards; Stephen Sapp, PhD, University of Miami

With the aging of the population in general and of members of faith communities in particular, each generation faces the challenge of how best to support and nurture other generations, especially in situations of actual caregiving. A new perspective called caresharing reexamines the common approach of "helping" (usually understood as the role of the younger toward the “needy” elder) and offers an opportunity to rebalance the roles between care partners based on religious and spiritual perspectives. The importance of this new approach is that it levels the playing field between the carer and the care receiver by demonstrating that each has something important to contribute to the caring relationship and to offer the other participant in the dyad. The foundation for this new approach in the scriptures and beliefs of major religious/spiritual traditions will be described, and challenges related to being interdependent, sharing spiritual and emotional gifts, learning from those who are struggling with one situation or another, and processing grief and forgiveness will be presented. Innovative ideas for addressing these challenges with empowerment and strengths-based perspectives will be discussed, and ways to adapt the caresharing approach to particular caring situations will be shared.

4:00 – 5:00PM         Workshop

Creating Congregations for All Ages
Rabbi Dayle Friedman, Hiddur: The Center for Aging and Judaism

The age boom can be a boon to churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious congregations. In this workshop, we'll apply the concept of Communities for All Ages, to the congregational context toward the aim of fostering vital engagement and connection across the life cycle. We will practice using the Inclusivity Audit®, a tool for analyzing congregational engagement by life stage, and will explore strategies for moving beyond cohort silos to promote vibrant, reciprocal, multi-generational religious communities in which elders will be treasured and their talents tapped.

5:00 – 7:00 PM        Networking Reception

From Paradigm to Practice: ICF and the Role of Environment in Functioning, Disability and Health
Monday, March 16, 10:00 – 11:30 am

The time has come to put the notions of ‘health’ and ‘disability’ in a new light. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), shifts the focus of disability from cause to impact. ICF takes into account the social aspects of disability and does not see disability only as a 'medical' or 'biological' dysfunction.  This melding of health, social aspects, built environment brings new strength-based matrix with wide-spread implication on our health systems.  The session will provide exceptional opportunity for rethinking concepts of disability and the accompanying impact for interventions in the social and environmental context.

Presenters: Jon Sanford, Research Architect, Rehab R&D Center, Atlanta VA Medical Center; Joy Hammel, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago.

Aging and Diversity in the 21st Century: New Strategies, Enduring Goals
Tuesday, March 17 • 8:00 – 9:30 am

This featured program will identify current and emerging diversity-related trends in aging and discuss how they impact services for marginalized older adults. Learn strategies to build coalitions and work with allies to advance inclusion in the field of aging and to more effectively serve diverse populations of elders. Identify ongoing areas of resistance to full inclusion and cultural competence in the field of aging.

Presenters: Karen Lowe Graham, Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center; Richard Gollance, Psychotherapist; Yanira Cruz, National Hispanic Council on Aging; Clayton Fong, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging; Lisa Krinsky, LGBT Aging Project; Hope Barrett, Howard Brown Health Center.

This program was designed to explain components of effective screening instruments and interventions and models of depression care management for older adults (PEARLS, IMPACT, and Healthy IDEAS). Presenters will identify tools, manuals and resources for successful training, dissemination and sustainability related to evidence-based depression care management programs across diverse settings and populations. They will describe the roles community-based agencies play (i.e., screening for and managing depression) in addressing the impact of depression on morbidity and mortality in older adults.

Presenters: Basia Belza, Professor, University of Washington; Lisa C. McGuire, Health Scientist, Healthy Aging Program Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Margaret Moore, Public Health Advisor, CDC Healthy Aging Program; Nancy Wilson, Deputy Director, Baylor College of Medicine.

Presenter: Jurgen Unutzer, Associate Professor, Health Services Research Center.

Home-Based Depression Care Management: PEARLS
2:30 – 3:30 pm
This session will provide an overview of PEARLS, an evidence-based counseling program that teaches depression management techniques to seniors with depression. The program consists of in-home counseling session with follow-up phone calls. The three behavioral approaches to managing depression will be described.

Presenters: Sheryl Schwartz, University of Washington Plan Promotion Research; Dick Sugiyama, Seattle-King County Aging and Disability Services Division.

Advocacy:  SENIORS Make the Difference
Tuesday, March 17, 8:00 am – 3:30 pm

Seniors can and DO influence policy issues that concern them. This featured program is led by NCOA’s National Coalition of Consumer Organizations on Aging (NCCO), a national network of grassroots consumer advocacy groups that successfully engage seniors to influence policy issues. Are you looking for strategies to engage the seniors in your community in advocacy? Are you looking for coalition models that include seniors as spokespersons and advocates? If our society is to advance our efforts to improve the lives of seniors, their families, and their communities, we all need to empower seniors to make the advocacy difference!

How to Engage Seniors in Key Policy Issues
8:00 – 9:30 am
SENIORS are THE advocacy difference when it comes to bringing about change in public policy. But you need to do your homework! Which seniors are willing to work to bring about change? What steps are necessary to achieve effective advocacy strategies involving seniors? What barriers do you need to overcome? Our panel of senior advocacy organizations will share their strategies for successfully engaging seniors for 30+ years. This workshop is part of the NCCO featured program, "Seniors--THE Advocacy Difference."

Presenters: Tom Frazier, Executive Director, Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups; James Davis, PhD, Executive Director, Oregon Association for Retired Citizens; Lee Graczyk, Issues Manager, Minnesota Senior Federation; Michelle Niemier, Executive Director, United Senior Action of Indiana.

Strengthening Advocacy Through the Older Americans Act
100:00 – 11:00 am
On a scale of 1 to 10, how “good” of an advocate are you when it comes to the Older Americans Act mandate? Not sure of your answer? Then this workshop is for you! Presenters will give you the “low down” on what’s allowed, discuss advocacy “how to’s”, talk about how to negotiate with funders, and share examples of how to engage seniors as OAA advocates. Rev up your advocacy engines and join us!

Presenters: Stephanie Sue Stein, Director, Milwaukee County Department on Aging; James Davis, PhD, Executive Director, Oregon Association for Retired Citizens; Michelle Niemier, Executive Director, United Senior Action of Indiana.

Coalitions: Why Should We Involve Seniors?
1:00 – 2:00 pm
Coalitions are an effective way to bring people together to bring about change. Are you wondering what kind of coalition will have the best chance of success? Or do you already have a coalition in place but think that it needs to "recharge its advocacy batteries?" The workshop presenters will explain various coalition models and also show you how and why SENIORS are THE advocacy difference in moving your coalition to the next level!

Presenters: Tom Frazier, Executive Director, Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups; James Davis, PhD, Executive Director, Oregon Association for Retired Citizens; Lee Graczyk, Issues Manager, Minnesota Senior Federation; Michelle Niemier, Executive Director, United Senior Action of Indiana; Stephanie Sue Stein, Director, Milwaukee County Department on Aging.

Grassroots Advocacy: Seniors ARE the Advocacy Difference
2:30 – 3:30 pm
Join fellow advocates for an opportunity to share your successes and your challenges in engaging and involving seniors in legislative and advocacy strategies. We’ll discuss the use of coalitions (including how to build or strengthen coalitions) and ways to educate and organize seniors to make their voices heard.

Presenters: James Davis, PhD, Executive Director, Oregon Association for Retired Citizens; Lisa Stewart, NCOA/NCCO Consultant, Lisa Stewart Consulting.

Senior Transportation: Putting the Pieces Together 
Tuesday, March 17 - 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Accessible transportation options for older adults and their caregivers are critical lifelines that enhance quality of life and independence. The National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST), a partnership between Easter Seals and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, has been established to provide technical assistance, training, and resources to increase these options affording older adults the ability to remain actively engaged in their neighborhoods and communities. Building from United We Ride’s core philosophy of coordination and collaboration, this NCST-sponsored Senior Transportation program is designed to begin to “put the pieces together” highlighting a constellation of services and supports ranging from older driver safety related research to finding transportation solutions for rural/frontier regions, from the increasing role of technology to creative deployment of volunteers.

Senior Transportation: Putting the Pieces Together
8:00 – 9:30 am
Grounded in the transportation-related struggles faced by thousands of older adults and family caregivers across the United States, this session begins by examining federal transportation initiatives that impact senior transportation including: United We Ride and the partnership between the Administration on Aging (AoA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Funded by FTA, the National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST) has emerged as a valuable resource for professionals across the aging network. Services and supports available through the NCST will be highlighted. In addition, there are a number of major forces, such as rising gas prices and new leadership at the federal level that will have a significant impact upon senior transportation. A panel of pundits will provide their commentary and insights as we look toward the future.

Moderator: Greg Link, Aging Services Program Specialist, U.S. Administration on Aging.
Presenters: Jed Johnson, MBA, MSW, Assistant Vice President, Adult & Senior Services, Easter Seals; Virginia Dize, Assistant Director, National Center on Senior Transportation, National Association of State Units of Aging; John Eberhard, PhD, Chair, Howard County Commission on Aging, Transportation Committee.
Panelists: Santo Grande, MSM, President and CEO, Delmarva Community Services; Stephan Kline, Esq, Legislative Director, United Jewish Communities; Gail Hunt, President and CEO, National Alliance for Caregiving.

Senior Transportation: From Research to Practice
10:00 – 11:00 am
While many questions remain unanswered, there is an emerging body of older adult transportation-related research that is being translated into practice. This session will begin by examining the significant transportation needs identified by caregivers. A state-level study of systems change suggests that there is a relationship between state initiatives in long-term care reform and state efforts to expand transportation options for older adults through transportation coordination policy and practice. Key elements of this study will be shared, as well as a synopsis of what other researchers suggest are the most salient elements of a successful focus on older adult transportation alternatives.

Moderator: Gail Hunt, President and CEO, National Alliance for Caregiving.
Presenters: Mary Leary, MAS, MCG, Senior Director, Transportation Initiatives, U.S. Administration on Aging; Amy Horowitz, DSW, PhD, Director of Research, Jewish Home & Hospital Lifecare Services/Mt. Sinai School of Medicine; Joann Reinhardt, PhD, Associate Director of Research, Jewish Home Lifecare.

Senior Transportation: Technology-Related Initiatives
1:00 – 2:00 pm
For many, technology can be both a bane as well as a blessing. In addition to providing a broad overview of the variety of technological innovations, this session features three technology-related initiatives that have enhanced older adult transportation services at the local level. As part of the Mobility Services for All Americans (MSAA) initiative, Aiken, SC has shown how collaboration combined with technology can result in better and more effective transportation for all consumers. The use of web-based routing/scheduling software in Southwest Michigan has resulted in enhanced coordination between senior and transportation agencies in a multi-county area, leading to greater service efficiency and improvements in service delivery. At the other end of the technology spectrum, through the use of cell phone technology in Pittsburgh, PA, customer satisfaction has been enhanced through a phone call made shortly before the driver's arrival, thus reducing waiting time and frustration for both passengers and drivers.

Moderator: Santo Grande, Director, Delmarva Community Services.
Presenters: Greg Link, Aging Services Program Specialist, U.S. Administration on Aging; Karen Hoesch, Executive Director, ACCESS Transportation Systems, Pittsburgh, PA; K. John Egelhaaf, Executive Director, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission.

Senior Transportation: Meeting Challenges and Leveraging Opportunities
2:30 – 3:30 pm
Whether it is the vast distances across rural/frontier America, the increasing diversity in culture and language, or the financial hardships as a result of the economic downturn, communities are rising to the challenge and leveraging opportunities to meet older adult transportation needs in innovative ways. This session will showcase the experiences of tribal governments and Title VI programs in addressing the transportation needs of American Indian elders challenged by vast distances between elders and essential services, high poverty rates, a lack of infrastructure, high gas prices and competing priorities and will provide attendees with case examples of solutions and strategies that have worked.

Moderator & Presenter: Traci McClellan, Executive Director, National Indian Council on Aging and Member, American Indian Elder Mobility Advisory Group.

Senior Transportation: The Vital Role of Volunteers
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Volunteers are often the backbone of senior transportation programs, especially in areas where public transit is limited or non-existent. Volunteers not only drive seniors, keeping them connected to essential services and community activities, but may provide needed one-on-one assistance to frail elders for whom public transit is not a viable option or assist elders to use the public transit system, opening up this option to elders who otherwise might find it intimidating. This session will present the experiences of programs that use volunteers to expand transportation options and will include discussion of recruitment and retention challenges and solutions.

Moderator: Stephan Kline, Esq, Legislative Director, United Jewish Communities.
Presenter: Annette Sandler, Supervisor, Senior Programs, Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis.

Community matters as one ages. While the infrastructure, social structures, service systems, and environmental factors differ from place to place, they all influence one’s ability to remain in community as one gets older. Adapting or modifying one or a combination of these elements to make communities more supportive of older adults have been called a number of terms—elder-friendly, age-friendly, advantAged, livable, for all ages, or community partnerships. Whether supporting older adults living in natural occurring residential communities (NORCs) or intentional villages, or simply living in a neighborhood, this movement has been the focal point of a range of strategies, efforts, toolkits and blueprints that challenge traditional models of care. This work brings together the innovation, creativity and expertise of professionals from a range of sectors and is re-imagining what it means to grow old.

This daylong featured program, comprises a series of sessions examining key themes—assessment, partnership, mobility, and design—that cut across the different models and approaches. Drawing on examples from the field, each of the five sessions will highlight guiding principles, practical considerations, effective actions one can take, and keys to success. Conference participants can elect to attend one or all session of this featured program.

Presenters: Andrew Scharlach, Associate Dean and Kleiner Professor of Aging, UC Berkeley, School of Social Welfare; Fredda Vladeck, Director, Aging in Place Initiative United Hospital Fund.

Understanding the Community, Identifying Priorities, and Measuring Progress
10:00 – 11:00 am
The purpose of this session is to make the case that any proposed agenda for community change needs to be rooted in a deep understanding of the community, and to demonstrate through example how the process of understanding the community leads to priority identification and lays the foundation for monitoring progress and measuring change.

Presenters: Mia Oberlink, Deputy Director, Center for Home Care Policy and Research Nurse Service of New York; Philip Stafford, Director, Center on Aging and Community, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community; Stephanie Pinder, Executive Director, Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center.

Presenters: Elise Bolda, Director, Community Partnerships for Older Adults, Muskie School, USM, Sallie Morgan, Project Director, Aging Together, Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services; Anne Hinton, Executive Director, Department of Aging and Adult Services, City and County of San Francisco; Christiane Miller, Project Manager, Aging Together.

Community Matters: Community Design for Older Adults
2:30 – 5:00 pm
The older adult population is not only growing at a rapid pace, but it is changing. This session will explore cutting-edge models of community design that promote independence, choice and a high quality of life for older adults who want to remain in the communities they love. Design issues discussed in this session will include the close connection of housing and mobility including walkable communities, transit-oriented design and transportation alternatives. Participants will hear how one community brought together a wide range of stakeholders to build the consensus and community support for these new models of housing for older adults.

Presenters: Kathryn Lawler, Consultant; Jon Sanford, Research Architect, Rehab R&D Center, Atlanta VA Medical Center; Rosemary Williams, Retired, Boulder County Aging Services Division; Kristin Bodiford, Consultant, Community Strengths; Illana Preuss, Outreach and Field Director, Transportation for America Campaign Smart Growth America; Tad Leithead, Senior Vice President, Cousins Properties Incorporated.

The Value of Senior Centers
Tuesday, March 17, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
This featured program provides tools for you to prove and improve the value of your senior center.   From an easy to use evaluation tool, an in-depth look at accreditation plus resources to establish evidenced based, civic engagement and senior employment programs, your center will be an invaluable, proven community resource.

New Easy-to-Use Tools for Senior Center Evaluation
8:00 – 9:30 am
Evaluation is essential to improve, promote and get your senior center and it's programs funded. You will get information on free, practical tools you can use to begin or enhance the evaluation of your senior center management and programs.

Presenters: Amy Cummings-Leight, MSW, Executive Director, The Peak Center; Jay Morgan, Manager, Office on Aging, City of St. Petersburg; Laurie Koburger, Supervisor, Planning & Evaluation Unit, Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Research & Planning.

A Wellness Model for Senior Centers
10:00 – 11:00 am
Many senior centers are shifting their focus to a wellness model with services that enhance or maintain the wellness, health, and independence of older adults. A pillar of the wellness model is evidence-based health promotion programs. This workshop examines in-depth the evidence-based health promotion program from the national movement to local level sustainability. The presenters will lay out the business case for implementing evidence-based programs and how it can be a solution for the problems faced by senior centers and their communities. Learn how to self-assess your senior center's readiness to adopt evidence-base programs and the key components to implementing and administrating these programs at the local level. Specific topics to be covered include selection of evidence-based interventions, importance of broad-based partnerships, incorporating a model of self-efficacy and evidence-based programs into your existing organization, concept of fidelity and its role in program administration, structuring your organization for success, incorporating civic engagement concepts in utilizing the volunteer lay leader, marketing strategies, evaluating for outcomes, and financing for sustainability.

Presenters: Jill Jackson Ledford, Vice President, Health Promotion, National Council on Aging; Elizabeth Bernat, Director, Leisure & Learning, Lowcountry Senior Center at Roper St. Francis.

Self-Directed Teams: Beyond the Center Walls
1:00 – 2:00 pm
Senior centers are among the various organizations working to refine their missions, re-tool and re-image their perception to appeal to the changing demographics of the 55+ population. This session will review successful strategies for deploying self-directed teams of volunteers to help you address important needs beyond the senior center walls.

Presnteres: Constance Todd, MPA, Director Civic Engagement, National Council on Aging; Christine Beatty, Director, Madison Senior Center.

Self-Assessment: A Growth Opportunity
2:30 – 3:30 pm
Nationally accredited senior centers meet standards that our older adults expect. Learn how to conduct the self-assessment of your facility, while embracing the skills and support of staff, board/advisory committees, and your community. Recognize how the self-assessment process will strengthen your operation and the credibility of your organization. Staff, board/advisory committees, and the community will take pride in the process and your successful accreditation.

Presenters: Denise Niese, Executive Director, Wood County Committee on Aging; F. Stephen Schnabl, Chief Executive Officer, Partners in Prime; Robin Richter, Director of Senior Programs, WSOS Community Action Commission, Inc.

NISC Accreditation: Review and Accomplishment
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Whether a senior center wants to become NISC accredited or just improve their management and delivery systems this workshop will help accomplish either goal. It will examine the NISC Standards and the rationale behind them. Participants will be provided with examples of best practices from accredited senior centers.

Presenters: K. Jean Williams, BS, Ed, Consultant, Expanding your Horizons; Dianne Stone, Director, Newington Senior and Disabled Center .