ALCA 2023 COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE POST-CONFERENCE VIRTUAL EVENT
Access to View Recordings of the 2023 Annual Conference General Sessions
7.75 Hours of CMC CEs Available for 7 Sessions with Completion of Affidavit and Evaluations 

Session 1: The Art and Science of Storytelling for Health 

Dr. Annie Brewster, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, will discuss her work using storytelling as a therapeutic tool. As the founder of the nonprofit Health Story Collaborative (HSC), her work centers on creating forums for storytelling to help individuals and communities navigate illness, trauma, and loss. HSC is borne out of her personal experience navigating the healthcare system as both a patient, diagnosed with MS in 2001, and a doctor, and a strong desire to make the healthcare system better for all involved. She will review the social science and emerging neurobiological research on the health benefits of narrative and will suggest practical ways to apply this knowledge to promote wellbeing.

Annie Brewster, MD
Founder and Executive Director, Health Story Collaborative, 
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School,
Associate Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Boston, MA

Session 2: CBC/Cannabis for Dementia: Understanding & Utilization

Dementia is a complex issue. Patients, families, and caregivers are looking to CBD and Cannabis as modern options. How can CBD and THC help? What product choices are best? The goal of this session is to provide Aging Life Care Professionals a lens into how CBD and Cannabis works to manage dementia symptoms, to understand the science behind the endocannabinoid system, and how to navigate a dispensary or CBD store to fi nd the best options for care. We’ll detail the legalities, care settings, and the future landscape of expanded access.

Elisabeth Mack, RN, BSN, BA, MBA
Holistic Caring
Aliso Viejo, CA

Sheri Tutkus, RN, BSN
The Green Nurse®
Aliso Viejo, CA

Session 3: Aging, Ageism & the Future of Elderhood

Aging and old age have changed dramatically in recent decades, sometimes for the better, and sometimes not. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated not only the ageism built into key social structures but also the resilience of older people and the importance of social connections. This presentation will challenge how you think about aging and provide suggestions for how we can all, as individuals and organizations, improve aging and older lives.

Dr. Louise Aronson, MD, MFA
ALCA Distinguished Ambassador in Aging,
University of California San Francisco,
San Francisco, CA

Session 4: Providing Online Access to Geriatrician Expertise: The Helping Older Parents Programs

As we embarked on a new normal and feelings of uncertainty grew in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, there was a rise of mental health disorders -- and older adults have been especially impacted due to a higher risk of serious illness, stress, isolation, and anxiety. During our interactive presentation, we will address the psychological and emotional effects that older adults are experiencing while navigating the pandemic and adjusting to a new normal. The goal of the session will be to understand the statistical picture of behavioral health in older adults, recognizing signs and symptoms, addressing complex family dynamics, and navigating the system in our new normal.  

Leslie Kernisan, MD, MPH
Board-Certified Geriatrician
Founder, BetterHealthWhileAging.net
San Francisco, CA

Session 5: Combatting Elder Scams with Local/Federal Collaboration

Tens of billions of dollars are being stolen from elder victims each year and sadly the response is typically that nothing can be done to stop this rampant problem. The San Diego Elder Justice Task Force has revealed a Road Map for combating these scams. Learn the mechanics of how the scammers are luring our elderly victims and how they are getting their money and then offer solutions to solving this problem.

Scott Pirrello, Esq., Supervisory Special Agent
Felix Salazar, Esq., San Diego District Attorney's Office
Michael Rodd, San Diego, CA

Session 6: Protecting Consumers and Ourselves: The Value of ALCA's Standards of Practice

This presentation will provide a forum to discuss clinical and business ethical dilemmas that Aging Life Care Professionals confront frequently. With the assistance of vignettes and polls we will illustrate how ALCA’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice can support us in our decision-making process.

Nancy E. Avitabile, LMSW, CMC
Urban Eldercare, LLC
New York, NY

Deborah Fins, LICSW, ACSW, CMC
Worcester, MA

Brenda Shorkend, MA, CMC
Shorkend Care Management
Pasadena, CA

Session 7: The symbiotic Relationship Amongst Age-Friendly Healthcare, Livable Communities, and the Aging Life Care Professional®

An increasing demographic of older adults paired with higher cost of care and less care providers across the spectrum can prove disastrous in the coming years. Engaging the Aging Life Care Professional in the strategic planning and implementation of Age-Friendly healthcare systems and living communities is essential to supporting the next generations of aging adults and their care providers. This discussion will focus on how healthcare providers, community leaders, and Aging Life Care Professionals can work symbiotically to address the barriers to Age-Friendly healthcare while promoting the 4 Ms of Age-Friendly care across the continuum of care and community.

Khai Nguyen, MD, MHS
Clinical Services Chief,
Associate HS-Clinical Professor,
UCSD Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, & Palliative Care,
San Diego, CA

Continuing Education Credit Hours

This ALCA event has been pre-approved for up to 7.75 continuing education contact hours for CMCs by NACCM. Attendee must submit completed affidavit and evaluations to receive CE Certificate.