Vanden Bosch and Scheidt Review Films about Aging

Photo by Flicktone via Creative Commons

I teach at USI within the College of Nursing and the Health Professions as a gerontologist with a decade of experience.

However, I spend over three decades previous to that as a student and teacher in the field of humanities.

As a result, I am hyper vigilant about how storytelling informs my understanding of aging.

Storytelling is not limited to the work of raconteurs.

People consume stories through a variety of media: print, film, art, music, dance, and so on.

Humans are primarily storytelling animals.

"It has been said that next to hunger and thirst, our most basic human need is for storytelling." Kahlil Gibran

Fortunately, the editors of the premiere scholarly journal The Gerontologist (published by the GSA: The Gerontological Society of America) have for several years included reviews of films that focus on issues of aging.

The Gerontologist now makes their film reviews viewable without a subscription* 

You can now access these reviews about films that depict aging issues. How?  By going to THIS PAGE on Terra Nova Films. 

GSA Film Reviewers and Their Editor

The reviews published by The Gerontologist are penned by Jim Vanden Bosch (Terra Nova Films) and Rick Scheidt (Kansas State University). Helen Kivnick (University of Minnesota) edits their reviews.

2019 MAIA Review: Day One

MAIA at USI on August 8 and 9, 2019

I've been reflecting on my fourth experience attending the Mid-America Institute on Aging and Wellness. This event was the twelfth annual MAIA. It's held on the campus of University of Southern Indiana in Evansville. The co-host is SWIRCA & More.

Read the Conference Preview that lists info for All Participants. 

I enjoyed listening to all four of our keynote speakers: Emily Allen, BS, MS (AARP Foundation), Greg O'Brien (Journalist and Author), Harley Gordon, JD (Attorney and Advocate for Financing LTC), & Tim Brimmer, DA (Butler University).

They are all nationally recognized in their fields. They elevated my understanding of healthy aging across the lifespan. I also enjoyed observing as many of the 36 concurrent sessions as humanly possible.

Many healthcare professionals attending earn CME credits (continuing medical education), but a good portion of those present are not healthcare professionals; they are community members who are pro-active about their physical, financial, social, and emotional health.