The Leadership Coalition On Aging Collier County hosted its fourth annual Conference on Aging on Friday, November 4 from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Hodges University in Naples. This year’s conference aimed at providing insight to local health care and social service professionals on enriching the lives of seniors in Collier County. The Coalition’s first Senior Expo, free and open to the general public, followed the conference.
The Conference on Aging’s theme was “Improving the Client & Caregiver Experience,” and included a panel discussion, breakout sessions, and an address by keynote speaker John Whitman. Whitman, founder of the TRECS Institute and faculty member at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton MBA Health Care Management Program, shared strategies that ensure high quality, sustainable and economically viable care for seniors. Breakout sessions provided additional information on county and state resources, preparing clients and caregivers for what comes next and the impact of cognitive health on the client-caregiver experience. Attendees had opportunities to hear from health care professionals from various settings, including hospital system, hospice care, senior living, home care services and more.
“The client and caregiver experience can be good, but it is often frustrating, incomplete and fails to look at the entire care picture. As a result, the client and their caregiver suffer,” said Leadership Coalition on Aging co-chair Kenn Voegele. “Our goal with this year’s conference was to ensure professionals have the tools and resources necessary to improve that experience to the benefit of all.”
For the first time, a Senior Expo followed the Conference on Aging and provided the general public with resources for healthy living and sustainable aging. Guests had opportunities to meet with professionals and service providers attending the conference, in addition to complimentary health screenings, senior resources and raffles.