Patrick Griffith

This session will introduce Chair Chi - an inclusive, gentle exercise program that allows movement impaired populations to experience the benefits of traditional Tai Chi Chuan from the comfort and safety of their seat. Chair Chi can improve balance, breathing capacity, range of motion, coordination, and much more.

This is a free session. Use button above to register.

Shay Dawson

This presentation will explore the lived experience of the presenter during a two-year battle with metastasized cancer. Using autoethnography to analyze a personal journal, attendees will explore the evolution of emotions that took place during serious illness. Application of findings will be applied to psychosocial theories and constructs related to post traumatic growth, social comparisons in illness, spirituality, social support, and leisure. Recreational therapist will gain insights into providing social support programs for their clients with health conditions.

Jess Jones

This presentation will introduce participants to the concept of Leisure Mapping and Routing, a unique therapeutic recreation tool designed to help clients visualize, navigate, and plan their leisure activities in ways that promote autonomy, personal growth, and well-being. By utilizing a strengths-based approach, this method can assist individuals in discovering their passions, setting goals, and creating a path to meaningful leisure experiences that enhance their overall quality of life.

Shelly Beaver, Kelly Munly & Sherri McGregor

This session will provide strategies for planning and implementing TR-oriented intergenerational programs in long-term care settings using a community-engaged learning approach. Presenters will discuss their university-based intergenerational program, which strives to improve residents’ holistic well-being, enhance students’ career development, and reduce ageism. Theories of successful aging will be discussed as foundational constructs for theory-based program development. Participants will be supported in adapting the program structure to their own contexts to benefit older adults and professionals in-training in their communities.

Vicky Pitner

Most often, when implementing "non-pharmacological interventions," the focus is on the nature of the interventions (no pharmaceuticals), the focus is on the nature of the interventions (no pharmaceuticals) rather than the outcomes. By describing the full range of approaches and interventions as "eco-psychosocial" interventions" to treatment, families, other professionals, and society can better understand the "holism approach" of a CTRS.

Carrie Chiusano

Don’t miss your chance to get the inside scoop on what works and what doesn't work when it comes to daily care and challenging situations with individuals living with dementia.  This session will concentrate on innovative approaches and strategies that the team and family caregivers can use to alleviate the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, in the areas of communication, meaningful engagement, and what to do when behavioral symptoms appear. When we know better, we do better!

Carrie Chiusano

The purpose of this session is for Carrie Chiusano to share Presbyterian SeniorCare Network’s experience as a Dementia Care Center of Excellence and help others learn the meaning person-centered engagement.  How do you get to know each person?  Learn what makes him or her smile?  What makes them happy, sad, frustrated and angry?  How do we find out what makes them tick … or what ticks them off?!  Use what you know to engage  … not redirect.  Let’s help our seniors thrive!

Deanna Page

In this session, the value and importance of parks and recreation and therapeutic recreation in creating a dementia friendly community will be discussed. Dementia friendly therapeutic programming strategies and ideas to support and engage individuals living with dementia at all stages of the disease progression will be shared.

Emily Connors

The Eden Alternative's Seven Domains of Well-Being can be woven throughout each step of the APIED process. This session will explore each domain and discuss how to incorporate the domains to improve the Therapeutic Recreation process.

Jo Burns

I’m not lonely, you’re lonely – it’s a difficult reality that loneliness negatively impacts our health. The Surgeon General shared the advisory on Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation in May 2023. The good news – we’re uniquely equipped to improve social infrastructure and build a culture of connection in our communities. Want to learn more? Join us for this cutting-edge discussion.