Opportunity knocks!! Here is your opportunity to have a lot of your questions answered! Georgia Southern's Center for Social Gerontology will host "Feeling Free in 2023: Aging in a Changing World," a community conference, on Friday, October 27, 2023.
The Social Gerontology Community Conference at Georgia Southern will celebrate successful aging and foster positive social change. Their mission is to enhance the lives of older adults by promoting their quality of life, mental and physical health, and social well-being, regardless of their capabilities.
This exclusive event aims to maximize the knowledge, effectiveness and overall well-being of all individuals. Both professionals and non-professionals, caregivers and older adults, will be part of this transformative experience and contribute to a brighter future for our aging population.
You can actually participate or be a note-taker -- whatever you prefer. This will be a life-changing experience for a very small investment of your time and a small registration fee.
The Center for Social Gerontology
The Center for Social Gerontology at Georgia Southern University campus was established in the fall of 2013 to support faculty whose teaching research and/or service focused on Aging. Since that time, the center has grown to include students and staff from the University along with elder service providers and older adults from the region.
The Center for Social Gerontology includes the following service areas.
- CALL to CARE - Pairing University students with older adults to help decrease social isolation and to chat and build a unique social network.
- SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAM - This program pairs low income older adult volunteers with older adults and people with disabilities.
- INTERDISCIPLINARY MINOR - Focuses on the impacts of age on society and the impacts of age on the psychological, physical, social and economic experience of individuals.
- ANNUAL CONFERENCE - Promotes successful aging and positive social change. The goal is to enhance the quality of life mental and physical health and social well-being of older adults at all levels of the community.
Their Mission
The Center for Social Gerontology (CSG) is a cross-disciplinary collaborative Center whose mission is to seek to make a positive difference in the lives of Aging persons and their families and communities through increasing awareness of as well as fostering and supporting the needs and activities of a diverse older adult population at multiple levels.
Dr Adrienne L. Cohen, Director of the Social Gerontology Department at Georgia Southern University, is a lifelong gerontologist. Dr Cohen's passion for gerontology started In her early 20s when she completed her bachelor's degree in gerontology from the University of Massachusetts. She said she is able to use all her wisdom gained from older adults to enhance her own aging experience, as she is now in her 60s.
“I first became interested in gerontology the summer after I graduated from high school and worked as a homemaker and homes of several older adults," she shared. "I learned so much from them and really enjoyed my time with them. I also realized that many of them spent their days at home and isolated. I thought that older adults were our country's greatest untapped resources, and I decided to devote my career to changing that."
Dr. Cohen explained, “According to research, the most important thing you need to have for a healthy and happy late life is a strong social support network. This is more important than non-smoking, eating right, or even exercise." Continuing, she said, "It does not have to be a large network of folks, but you need to know that if you need help, you have folks you can count on.”
The Conference
The Community Conference (#SGCC23), is for YOU:
- IF you are an older adult and want to learn how to have an even healthier, happy and exciting late life.
- IF you are concerned that you or someone you love may be developing Alzheimer's disease. Come and learn about the signs and symptoms.
- IF you are caring for an older adult and want to learn strategies to better care for both yourself and your loved one.
- IF you work with older adults and want to know about best practices for serving your clients or customers.
The Conference will cover areas of senior companion professionals, healthy aging, ‘end of life’ issues, experiences of care partners, Alzheimer's disease and other forms of Dementia, financial and legal issues for aging adults, and living an active and engaged late life. There will be a wellness presenter, a keynote speaker (Dr. Maulik Patel), and several workshops specifically targeted to older adults.
Lots of choices and information will be available at the conference! This will be a great opportunity to check out the Statesboro campus, where you can take advantage of the 62+ program that allows those 62 or older to take classes at Georgia Southern University for FREE.
BRIDGING the University and community divide
The Center for Social Gerontology sees it as their mission to serve the local community. Dr. Cohen said, "Often people in the community do not see the University as a resource, but we are. This conference is one way to use the University to help you."
While the Conference lasts a full day (8:00AM-4:30PM), you can come for the full day or half a day. Check out the program!! I am sure it will catch your interest!
FLEXIBILITY IS THE KEY! Choose the topic or topics you want to know more about in the workshops. The cost for older adults is only $40. It takes place at the Russell Student Union on the Statesboro campus. For more information or to register, call 912-478-5555 or email [email protected].
CLICK HERE to see the full conference plan!
Sounds GREAT to me! See you there and enjoy your next Senior Moment!
