Fostering Resilience in Rural Older Adults and Their Families

Maggie Black, Psy.D., LP; Shore Neurocognitive Health

Elizabeth J. Parker-O’Brien, LCSW-C; Shore Neurocognitive Health

1.5 Continuing Education Credits

Summary Statement: This workshop will focus on the unique needs of rural adults as they age and offer clinicians strategies to foster resilience among rural older adults and their families/caregivers. Topics such as memory screening, engagement in community, and therapeutic interventions for both patients and caregivers will be discussed.

Learning Objective 1: Participants will be able to listcognitive and emotional approaches that foster or erode resilience.
Learning Objective 2: Participants will be able to apply mindfulness-based exercises to help rural older adults and caregivers increase resilience in the face of life's challenges.
Learning Objective 3: Participants will be able to assess when older adult clients need memory screening.

Intermediate Level

Bios

 Maggie Black, Psy.D., LP

Dr. Maggie Black is a licensed clinical psychologist and specializes in older adults and their families. Her mission is to increase and enhance the quality of lives for older adults and the people caring for them, recognizing the need for both psychological and medicinal care.  
She focuses her practice on symptoms and un-predictive behaviors that occur as we age and as dementia progresses, and is creative in applying strategies that can increase the quality of relationships.  Dr. Black, along with Shore Neurocognitive Health clinicians, offers much needed evaluation and treatment of dementia and anxiety/depression disorders affecting the older adult. Dr. Black assists in providing comprehensive care to individuals, families and caregivers.

 Elizabeth J. Parker-O’Brien, LCSW-C

Beth Parker-O’Brien, MSW, MPH, has worked in the field of health and aging since 1980.  Her career path has had a focus on disease process and the impacts for both the individual and their loved ones. Her practice includes a focus on diagnosis and treatment of dementia with an emphasis in the behavioral aspects of disease process. Her work as a therapist often focuses on the caregiver, battling symptoms of depression and anxiety while caring for their family member.  Research has included clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease as well as the behaviors of dementia. Beth is committed to providing education about disease process, including behavioral management techniques, for community and professional caregivers.

In 2014, Beth decided to return to graduate school, completing a Masters of Public Health at The Milken Institute of Public Health at George Washington University (Washington, d.c.).  Beth focused on program development and public health research. Her culminating experience studied the impact of dementia education and behavioral management training for the professional caregiver.