AM Workshops
10:30AM – 12:00PM
Workshops are subject to adjustment.
Workshop AM-1: Personal Dementia Journeys
This panel-style presentation explores the social, emotional, and familial impact of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis through personal stories and professional insight. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of what it means to receive and live with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, as well as the challenges families often face while navigating the medical system—particularly when diagnoses are delayed, overlooked, or insufficiently addressed. Panelists will respond to thoughtfully prepared questions that highlight their individual relationships with dementia. Attendees will hear firsthand accounts from an early-stage Alzheimer’s advocate and family caregivers, gaining valuable perspective on how the disease affects identity, relationships, and daily life.
Presenters:
Beth Cardillo, Sean Twilliger, Grace Barone and Susan Antkowiak
Workshop AM-2: The Art of Living Joyfully
The Art of Living Joyfully is a humorous, uplifting, and informative presentation that explores practical ways to bring more happiness, balance, and resilience into everyday life. Drawing on his personal journey through the performing arts, healing arts, and the art and science of laughter, Robert Rivest guides participants toward a deeper understanding of joy as both a practice and a skill. This interactive presentation introduces Wellbeing Laughter, a light-hearted yet science-based health and wellness practice designed to help reduce stress and anxiety while boosting overall wellbeing. Participants will experience simple and accessible techniques such as mindful breathing, gentle movement, and healing laughter that can be easily incorporated into daily routines at home or in the workplace.
Presenter:
Robert Rivest
International Performer, Comic Mime Artist and Gifted Laughter Yoga Master Trainer
Workshop AM-3: Building Purpose-Driven Careers in Senior Living: Growing, Thriving and Leading
In today’s senior living environment, collaboration across departments is more important than ever. This session explores the value of cross-department experience and how internal mobility strengthens teams, enhances communication, and improves resident outcomes. Attendees will gain insight into the transferable skills and resilience developed by working across roles, while learning practical strategies to break down silos and support more resident-centered decision-making.
We’ll also highlight how internal career pathways contribute to staff retention, continuity of care, and overall service quality. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how cross-functional experience builds trust, credibility, and leadership—and with one actionable step they can take to foster stronger collaboration within their own organization.
Presenter:
Zhane Stone, Glenmeadow
Workshop AM-4: What Happens Next? Practical Support After a Death
Losing a loved one is challenging, and executors often face many responsibilities in the days, weeks, and months that follow. Key tasks include securing assets, notifying institutions, managing probate, paying taxes, and distributing assets according to the will.
This session will provide practical tools to help executors stay organized, avoid common pitfalls, and connect families with the resources and support they need during the estate settlement process.
Presenter:
Tracy Flynn, Undermountain Partners
Workshop AM-5: Turning Points for Nursing Home Residents: Legal Perspectives on Medicare and MassHealth Advocacy and Options for Safe Discharge
This session covers key laws and landmark cases affecting nursing home residents, explains Medicare and MassHealth appeal processes, and shows how legal services can support residents in resolving concerns about care and rights.
Presenters:
Attorney Jamie Margolis & Attorney Alice Bers, Community Legal Aid
Workshop AM-6: End of Life Doula
Shift from avoiding death to understanding it with more openness. Explore your own emotions so you can show up steady for others. Learn how to sit with hard moments without feeling overwhelmed. Gain simple tools to start real conversations about end-of-life wishes. Support more peaceful, connected experiences for both caregivers and families.
Presenter:
Alison Keller
End of Life Doula
Workshop AM-7: Shaking Up Advance Care Planning: Building Resilience Beyond the Healthcare Proxy for Solo Agers
Shift advance care planning from overwhelming to manageable. Understand why many solo agers feel stuck and how to help them move forward. Use practical steps to begin planning without needing all the answers. Learn how to guide conversations with flexibility and compassion. Help individuals feel more in control, prepared, and supported as they age.
Presenter:
Ailene Gerhardt, MA, BCPA, CSA®
Independent Board-Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) | Solo Aging Educator & Advocate | Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®
Workshop AM-8: The Missing Link Post Acute Care
Learn what puts patients at higher risk for readmission after leaving the hospital. Identify key conditions and patterns that impact recovery at home. Understand how gaps in care can lead to avoidable hospital returns. Discover how nurse advocates support patients through transitions. Improve outcomes by strengthening follow-up care and communication.
Presenter:
Teri Frykenberg, RN, CCM, BCPA
Founder Nurse Advocate Entrepreneur
Workshop AM-9: Downsizing to Rightsize
When done thoughtfully, downsizing becomes rightsizing—a process of creating a home that truly fits your life today, while honoring what came before and making space for what comes next.
In this workshop, we shift the conversation from overwhelm to clarity. You’ll learn how to help seniors and families approach downsizing earlier, more calmly, and with greater confidence—avoiding crisis decisions and reducing emotional and logistical stress.
We’ll explore what typically gets in the way, including emotional attachments, timing challenges, and resistance to change, and how to move through each with practical, respectful strategies. You’ll leave with step-by-step tools to break the process into manageable parts, language that lowers resistance, and a clearer understanding of how proactive planning leads to better outcomes for everyone involved.
Presenter:
Shelia Gavish, Amston Home Transition Solutions
Speaker, Educator, and Community Outreach Professional
Workshop AM-10: Building Resilience Staying Person Centered
Learn how to build resilience while staying focused on person-centered care. Understand how daily pressures impact the way we show up for others. Use simple, in-the-moment tools to stay grounded and present. Strengthen your ability to manage stress without losing connection. Create a personal plan to support your well-being and sustainability in this work.
Presenter:
Joan Murphy, Director of Human Resources
Access Care Partners, Inc
PM Workshops
2:30PM – 4:00PM
Workshops are subject to adjustment.
Workshop PM-1: AI in Healthcare: Practical Tools to Reduce Burden, Improve Care, and Support the Human Behind the Work
This workshop introduces healthcare professionals to artificial intelligence through a clear, ethical, and human-centered lens. Designed for providers working across care settings—particularly those supporting older adults—the session demystifies AI by explaining what it is, what it is not, and how it is already being used in healthcare today. Participants will explore practical, real-world applications of AI that support documentation, care coordination, communication, and workflow efficiency while preserving clinical judgment, privacy, and the human connection at the core of patient care. Through lecture, audiovisual content, and case-based examples, the presentation emphasizes responsible and realistic integration of AI tools to reduce administrative burden and create more time for direct patient engagement—without replacing human decision-making.
Presenter:
Chantal Bernard, RN, BSN,CCM, CNE-CL
Nurse Educator, Motivational Speaker, Trusted Advisor
Founder Chanda Care/Chanda House
Workshop PM-2: Navigating the Emotional Journey of Transition: Beyond Downsizing
Major life transitions—such as relocation, health changes, or loss—can trigger profound emotional, cognitive, and physical responses in older adults. These reactions are often misunderstood or overlooked, leading to increased stress, resistance, and uncertainty. In this session, Shelia Gavish reframes transition as an opportunity for transformation through empathy, preparation, and education. Drawing on her community-based work with seniors and background in senior housing design, she explores emotional and environmental factors shaping decisions during change. Participants will better understand the emotional journey of aging, including loss of control, identity, and familiarity. Downsizing may be complete, but the transition is often still unfolding. The session introduces Relocation Stress Syndrome (RSS), helping attendees recognize signs and respond with compassionate strategies.
Presenter:
Shelia Gavish, Amston Home Transition Solutions
Speaker, Educator, and Community Outreach Professional
Workshop PM-3: Empowering the Informal Caregiver
This presentation focuses on recognizing, engaging, and supporting informal caregivers—family members and loved ones who provide unpaid care to older adults. Providers and clinicians interact with caregivers every day across all care settings, yet caregivers often do not identify themselves as such and are unaware of the supports available to them. As a result, their needs frequently go unseen and unmet. During the session, participants are actively engaged through reflection on their own caregiving experiences, exploration of caregiver self-care practices, and discussion of commonly used caregiver resources.
Presenters:
Saran Craig and Brooke Mignogna
Workshop PM-4: The Truths and Myths of Hospice
This educational presentation provides a comprehensive overview of hospice care, with a focus on services, eligibility, and comfort-centered support at the end of life. Presenters will debunk some myths about hospice and explain how hospice works, what services are covered under the hospice benefit, and how hospice care supports both patients and families during serious illness. In addition, the session will address the importance of community support for elders, including the role of End-of-Life Navigators in helping individuals and families understand options, make informed decisions, and receive compassionate guidance during advanced illness and end-of-life transitions.
Presenters:
Kemper Carlsen, BSN, RN
Clinical Director of the Fisher Home
Workshop PM-5: Real Stories, Real Supports: Exploring the HCBS ABI-MFP Waiver Programs
This engaging workshop provides an overview of the HCBS ABI–MFP Waiver Program and Demonstration, highlighting how these programs support individuals with acquired brain injury in achieving and maintaining independent community living. Participants will learn about the history and purpose of the waivers, eligibility criteria, and both clinical and financial requirements for participation. A key feature of the session is a firsthand account from a participant who shares their personal journey navigating the waiver application process and successfully living in the community with waiver supports. Through education and lived experience, this session brings the waiver programs to life and encourages meaningful discussion.
Presenters:
Jane Tuohey and Marcelino Guerra
Workshop PM-6: Confronting Ageism: Demystifying Myths and Stereotypes of Aging
Ageism—stereotypes, prejudice, or discrimination based on age—negatively affects older adults’ health, independence, and social participation. This session explores sources of ageism and strategies to combat it through education, policy, and intergenerational engagement.
Presenters:
Dr. Travis Gagen & Dr. Sara Namazi, Associate Professors, Johnson and Wales University
Workshop PM-7: Doula Pride: Centering Social Support with LGBTQ+ Older People Living with Serious Illness
Rural LGBTQ+ older adults often face social isolation due to geographic distance, stigma, limited affirming services, and health challenges. This session explores doula-informed, community-engaged care, highlighting socially supported approaches that connect older adults with affirming networks, reduce isolation, and improve health and wellbeing.
Presenter:
Reanne LeBlanc, Clinical Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Workshop PM-8: Keys to Successful Elderly Move
Moving later in life can be both emotionally and logistically complex. This session explores the psychology behind the transition, helping attendees better understand the fears, resistance, and emotional attachments that often accompany downsizing and relocation.
We’ll break down the most common challenges older adults face during a move—from decision fatigue to letting go of a long-time home—and offer practical, real-world strategies to navigate them successfully. Through case studies and shared resources, participants will gain actionable tools to support smoother, more positive transitions for seniors and their families.
Presenter:
Amy Monroe, College Hunks Hauling Junk
Workshop PM-9: The Care Continuum Code: How to Select and Secure the Right Level of Care
Navigating the continuum of care is complex, especially when balancing clinical needs, psychosocial factors, and payer requirements. This session provides a clear overview of the full spectrum of senior care options and how to effectively align key considerations to achieve the best possible outcomes for older adults.
Attendees will explore common system barriers, insurance and payer influences, and regulatory factors that can impact access to appropriate care. Through a practical, advocacy-based framework, participants will gain the confidence and tools needed to navigate these challenges and secure the highest appropriate level of care for those they serve.
Presenter:
Breanne Muchemore, Nova Leap Care Management
Workshop PM-10: LTC Funding for Professionals
Understand the financial impact of long-term care on patients and families. Learn the key funding options available and how they affect care decisions. Recognize common challenges families face when planning for care. Build confidence in guiding conversations around financial planning. Support informed decisions that improve care and reduce stress.
Presenter:
David Fedor, Certified Financial Planner™, Fedor Financial Group, LLC, Professional and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™
Bryan Langdon, National Spokesperson for Long-Term Care, Ash Brokerage