2016 Spring Alzheimer’s Conference

Educated, Equipped and Empowered

Date:   Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Time:  8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Sign-in/networking/refreshments at 8:00 a.m.

Richland Community College, Decatur, Illinois

This inspiring and valuable educational event will offer creative insight , tools and resources to help professionals, paraprofessionals and lay caregivers feel more empowered in their roles.  Join us for a fast paced and interactive agenda to gain the most current information on quality of life considerations, communication techniques, physical activity modalities, nutrition concerns, legal/financial planning and self-care approaches.  Caregivers in the community are also encouraged to attend this unique program.  Upon completion of this program, you should be able to:

• Identify  effective communication approaches to important verbal and non-verbal ques for attention.
• Recognize activities that will enhance or maintain function of persons with Alzheimer’s disease in any setting.
• Discuss practical evidence-based techniques to increase cognition and social engagement.
• Address the legal and financial concerns  for persons with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
• Describe the ways of integrating humor and laughter to enrich daily life in Alzheimer’s care.

 View Agenda

Presented by:

Faculty:

Cheri Burcham, MA, is a Family Life Educator with the University of Illinois Extension. She received her master’s degree in gerontology, from Eastern Illinois University and facilitates family life programming with an emphasis on older adults and healthy aging. Burcham is a member of the National and the Illinois Extension Associations of Family and Consumer Sciences and has received many state and regional awards. She provides family life programming in Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Moultrie, and Shelby counties, including regular classes on brain health, diabetes and chronic disease self-management, and healthy lifestyles.

Sandra Burgener, PhD, RN, FAAN, is an Associate Professor Emerita of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, College of Nursing, University of Illinois, and Gerontological Nurse Practitioner. While an active clinician in the community, she spent much of her research time focusing on the range of issues associated with quality-of-life in persons with dementia. Dr. Burgener’s work included the examination of a variety of personal, environmental, and caregiver-related variables associated with productive, positive outcomes in persons with dementia. Dr. Burgener has more than 40 publications in a variety of prestigious nursing and multidisciplinary journals, and is a celebrated speaker at the local, state and national level.

William Gingold, PhD, MHA, CSA, CHE, QMPH, is a Psychologist, Gerontologist, Certified-Senior Advisor, and Certified Health-Care Executive with extensive experience as a Clinician, Teacher/Trainer, Researcher, Published Author, and Health Services and Hospital Administrator. He is a recognized authority on functional geriatric screening and assessment and leader in the geriatric field, having presented at State, National, and International Conferences and Programs over the past 30 years.  Dr. Gingold continues to be a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Family Medicine Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and collaborates with institutions to bring current and practical engaging programs and services to communities.

Sheila Greuel, MA, has provided geriatric services for over 30 years and is currently the Director of Covenant Transitions, a geriatric consulting organization which provides, training, case management and assistance to older adults as they relocate to a new home.   Ms. Greuel has served as an adjunct instructor at Eastern Illinois University for the Gerontology Master’s degree program. She is active in training professionals to become class leaders in the following evidence based programs:  The Savvy Caregiver, PEARLS (Program Encouraging Active and “Rewarding Lives), Healthy IDEAS, and Powerful Tools for Care giving.  Ms. Greuel has also presented Chronic Disease and Diabetes Self-management, Powerful Tools for Caregiving, and the Savvy Caregiver to elders and their care providers.   Ms. Greuel has experience presenting at local, state and national conferences to a variety of audiences.

Debra Joy Hart, RN, BFA, CLL-E, is a case management nurse consultant and healthcare educator in Champaign, IL. She has over 30 years in clinical practice working in hospice, alzheimer’s mental health and long term care settings. Ms. Hart is a Certified Bereavement Facilitator and Certified Laughter Leader and juggles her skills as a nurse, humorist, clown and lay minister to speak at local, state and national conferences and programs.

Charles LeFebvre, JD, is an experienced trust and estate planning attorney focusing on the family office, wealth accumulation, and wealth transfer strategies, as well as the interaction between the law’s protection of individual dignity and the realities of aging.  He has spent the last 15 years working with families during periods of transition, and working with the legal community on improving the quality of the legal framework that governs our society. Prior to founding LeFebvre Law Office Ltd. in 2014,  Mr. LeFebvre previously practiced at the firm of Thomas, Mamer & Haughey, LLP, in Champaign. He later served as the leader of the Trust and Wealth Management division of First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust, which involved oversight over approximately $1 billion in investment and fiduciary accounts.  Mr. LeFebvre’s areas of practice include Estate Planning, Taxation, Trust & Estate Administration, Special Needs Trusts, Elder Law, and Mental Health and Aging.

Max Zubatsky, PhD, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist and an Assistant Professor in Family and Community Medicine at Saint Louis University. He also serves as the clinical supervisor of the doctoral program in Medical Family Therapy. Dr. Zubatsky earned his PhD in Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota and post-doctorate at the University of Chicago-Chicago Center for Family Health. He has over five years of clinical experience working in primary care and memory clinics with patients and families suffering from Alzheimer’s and Dementia-Related Disorders. His research interests include chronic illness in families, caregiving, Alzheimer’s disease, community health and hoarding disorder. Dr. Zubatsky is currently conducting research on early caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease and different types of family services delivered around the disease. He is also a current board member and Director of Research for The Hoarding Project, interested in the clinical and research outcomes around Hoarding Disorder and the aging population.

Conflict of Interest Policy Statement:   Faculty participating in this program are expected to disclose to the program audience any real or apparent conflict(s) or unlabeled use related to the content of their presentations.