2021 Mid-American Institute on Aging & Wellness: A Preview

 

The University of Southern Indiana in partnership with the local Area on Aging (SWIRCA) has organized their 14th Conference on Aging and Wellness.  

AFTER-THE-FACT UPDATE: I enjoyed this conference as a Zoom host, presenter, and audience member.  SAVE THE DATES for 11 & 12 of August 2022.  

In June of 2022, you will find the 2022 brochure and registration materials by visiting the link to MAIA (Mid-America Institute on Aging and Wellness).

MAIA's virtual format in 2020 and 2021 meant that you do not have to be from easy driving distance to attend.  USI and SWIRCA are located in Evansville, Indian, which is part of the Tri-State Region (Southern Illinois, Northwestern Kentucky). There first 12 years were in person with many participants hailing from the tristate or cities within an easy driving distance: St. Louis, Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville. 

The conference program has a variety of topics that include (but are not limited to) the following: diet, exercise, finances, dementia care, mental health care, combating ageism, addressing Parkinson's disease, diabetes care, and MORE! 

Who typically attends? 

• People 50+
• Health Care Students and Allied Health Faculty
• Social Workers
• Care Partners (aka caregivers): formal and informal
• Nurses (not just RNs)
• Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs)
• Other employees working in health care (PTs, OTs, SLPs, etc.)

Supernova: Film Review

 

US release 29 January 2021.

Director Harry McQueen offers Supernova (2020), a quiet film with a heavy topic: how couples respond to a diagnosis of early onset dementia. 

Colin Firth plays Sam opposite Stanley Tucci playing Tusker. The latter is the one with early onset dementia, but clearly such a diagnosis affects Sam as well. 

These two have been a couple for two decades, and now they are taking a road trip through the Lake District of England in a camper van. They are en route to a piano concert featuring Sam. Tusker writes novels, and he has brought some notebooks with him so that he can make progress on his last novel before his memory corrupts any further. 

The film has three sections: establishing their dynamic, conversations with members of Sam's family, and more intense conversations between Sam and Tusker. 

HDL or "Good" Cholesterol: A Biomarker of Health

 

Image by Wonderland via Creative Commons

Not all cholesterol are created equal. Some types are harmful, and some types are beneficial. Here is a simplified explanation of the difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol: 

Low-density lipoproteins deposit fat into the blood. High-density lipoproteins carry fat out of the blood.

This post is part of a series on biomarkers of health and longevity. 

Note: I am not a medical professional. This post does not offer medical advice; it's only intended to raise awareness. Please see a licensed medical professional if you have any concerns about your diet or health. 

The Father: Film Review

Released 27 Jan 2020. 

Director Florian Zeller delivers up an atypical perspective in The Father (2020) for a film that depicts dementia.

By doing so, he actually presents a perspective more typical than other films about memory challenges. 

The Father is one of about thirty "dementia films" that I've viewed in the last decade.  

Films about Dementia

I find Anthony Hopkins' portrayal (of a character also named Anthony) to be one of the most realistic. 

The majority of the film shows Anthony in conversation with a handful of care partners: family members--such as his daughter Anne played by Olivia Coleman--or those hired to care for him.