Abundant Health holds workshops on elder care

To address the needs of elder care in local churches, the Oregon-Idaho Conference Abundant Health team is offering two upcoming training opportunities with healthcare experts.

The first workshop will focus on helping older adults stay safe and healthy “Preventing Falls in the Fall” with Jeanne Brandt, family and community health educator with the Oregon State University Extension Service in Linn and Benton Counties.

The workshop will be held Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Spirit of the Valley UMC in Halsey, Oregon. Brandt teaches community members about healthy homes, healthy aging, and food safety and preservation. She holds degrees in home economics education and family resource management from Oregon State University; and certificates in gerontology, from Portland State University, and aging-in-place, from the National Association of Homebuilders.

This gathering is intended for anyone interested in learning more about supporting older adults and helping them to age in place in safe and healthy ways in their own homes, congregations, and communities.

Another gathering on Nov. 22 will focus on tackling loneliness and isolation in local communities. This workshop will be held at Portland First United Methodist Church from 10 a.m. to noon.

Kera Magarill, older adult behavioral health specialist with the Washington County Department of Health and Human Services, will lead the discussion around loneliness and the impact it has, specifically on older adults.

Magarill holds degrees in human service, non-profit management and has received specialized training in music therapy and dementia care. She has worked across the long-term care continuum in adult day, in-home care, memory care, and nursing home care. Before moving to Oregon, Kera served on staff of the Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado as an Early Stage Program Coordinator and launched a statewide creative engagement program with museums, arts, and other cultural partners.

Register for the event in Halsey here.

Register for the event in Portland here.