UPDATED w/Audio: MURFREESBORO, TN - The Second Positive Aging Conference is scheduled to take place in 2-weeks. Dr. Deborah Lee, NHC Chair of Excellence in Nursing, highlighted some of the secrets to aging well... Physical activities and eating well also play a pivotal role in living longer. , which will be further or April 5, 2024.
The upcoming conference on Friday, April 5, 2024 will delve into the critical aspects of aging, offering insights into mental health, opioid use, nutrition, veteran benefits, longevity strategies, and technologies for staying connected. The conference, designed as an educational forum for older adults in the community, promises valuable learning experiences and opportunities that will engage those in attendance. Experts, medical professionals, and peers will lead the conference.
Read More Details Below: If you're a senior citizen or care for one, you need to attend Middle Tennessee State University’s Positive Aging Conference set for Friday, April 5, 2024 (9:00AM-3:30PM). Attendance fee os $35, which includes on-site parking and meals. early April on campus. It will be in the Miller Education Center at MTSU, located at 503 E. Bell St. Registration is only available online and limited to 120 participants.
“The conference is focused on and for older adults,” said Deborah Lee, holder of the NHC Chair of Excellence in Nursing at MTSU and director of the Positive Aging Consortium. “We’re all aging and we need to think about what we can do early enough to help ourselves age well.”
Keynote: ‘Growing Older with Enthusiasm’ - By 2050, more than 80 million Americans will be age 65 or older, according to data from the not-for-profit Population Reference Bureau.
And that is going to be a “tremendous pressure” on the health care system, said conference keynote speaker and Professor Emeritus Ron Aday, who taught over 40 years in the MTSU Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
“For 99.9% of the time humans have inhabited the Earth, average life expectancy was 30 to 40 years. We are, for the first time, in new territory and with medical advances millions of older adults now have the opportunity to live decades longer than previous generations,” said Aday, who will talk about “Growing Older with Enthusiasm: A Conversation on Positive Aging.”
Purpose - The purpose of the Positive Aging Conference is to provide aging adults with information and resources to “be more intentional about taking responsibility for living a longer and healthier life,” Aday said.
This year, the conference will have breakout sessions that delve into critical aspects of aging, offering a comprehensive exploration of topics such as mental health, the impact and management of opioid use, nutritional insights, issues for veterans’ health, the secrets behind Blue Zones (regions of the world where people live longer and healthier lives), innovative longevity strategies, and technologies for staying connected and independent.
The purpose of the Positive Aging Consortium is to bring together participants from MTSU, community partners, and individuals who provide services to aging and older adults to focus on framing aging from a place of positivity rather than decline.
More featured speakers - Dr. Ralph Alvarado, Tennessee Department of Health commissioner, will educate participants at the conference about “Tennessee Age-friendly Health Systems.”
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith M. Huber, senior advisor for veterans and leadership initiatives at MTSU, will speak on “Mature Realities” during lunchtime.
Following lunch, there will be four breakout sessions from 12:30-1:30 p.m. The full conference agenda is available at https://bit.ly/3vmj2cG.
About the Positive Aging Consortium - The MTSU Positive Aging Consortium was established in April 2019 and brings together faculty from numerous programs, departments, and colleges who have expertise and research interests in the area of aging and older adults, including community partners.
Register - To register for the conference, visit https://mtsu.edu/pac/conference.php.
