The University of Southern Indiana and SWIRCA and More, a local agency on aging, will present the 16th annual Mid-America Institute on Aging and Wellness (MAIA) August 10-11 on the USI campus.
MAIA is a two-day gerontology conference for healthcare and social service professionals, healthcare administrators, clinicians, older adults or retirees, family members providing care for a loved one, students and anyone who wants to learn tips for leading a healthier life. National and local speakers provide practical tools and ground-breaking information related to successful aging and wellness.
Each year, USI’s Bronstein Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness is proud to sponsor the Bronstein Keynote Speaker at the MAIA conference. To advance the educational mission of the Bronstein Center, the Bronstein Keynote must be a content expert in the area of dementia or advance care planning (ACP).
This year’s Bronstein Keynote is Dr. Susan Hickman, a Geropsychologist, Professor in the Indiana University (IU) School of Nursing and IU School of Medicine, Cornelius and Yvonne Pettinga Chair in Aging Research and Director of the IU Center for Aging Research at Regenstrief Institute, Inc., as well as a Co-Director of the Research in Palliative and End-of-Life Communication and Training (RESPECT) Center. She has been educating and conducting research on advance care planning and end-of-life decision making with a focus on nursing facilities since 1998.
This year’s MAIA keynote lineup also includes the following speakers:
DeAnna Crosby is a mental health clinician with more than 30 years of experience working with chemically dependent people. She is the Clinical Director at New Method Wellness in San Juan Capistrano, California. From 2012-20, she was an addiction expert consultant on the Dr. Phil Show. She is currently a PsyD candidate at Pacifica Graduate Institute Psy.D. (2024). She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Irvine and earned additional certification/training from Centaur University. During her presentation on Aging and Addiction, Crosby will discuss how addiction affects the aging process and best practices to let go of addictions at any age.
James Pridgen is a much sought-after presenter addressing global topics, including safeguarding and protecting the older adult population. As a retired chief security executive for a global Fortune 200 Company, he is an expert on global risk management and executive protection. He has been a Reserve Deputy with the Bartholomew County Indiana Sheriff Department for 35 years and is certified as a Senior Instructor from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield, Indiana. For several years, Pridgen has been a concurrent session presenter at MAIA. He returns this year as a keynote speaker by popular demand.
Despite having no training or medical background, Breeda Miller cared for her aging mother for eight years, all while raising her own children. Today, she shares the lessons she learned with others in the “Sandwich Generation” who need help navigating the challenges of caregiving and hospice care. She is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy with a degree in communications studies. Her heart-warming stories have been broadcast nationally on “The Moth Story Hour” on National Public Radio. This will be her second keynote presentation at MAIA, having first visited USI in 2014.
Break-out session topics for conference attendees over the two-day event include a variety of health topics plus exercise, dementia care, chronic disease management and mental health.
The USI GWEP is offering free registration and transportation to the conference for retirees and family caregivers from rural areas. For more information about this opportunity, call Brandy Sitzman, GWEP Project Coordinator, at 812-464-1894, or visit USI.edu/rural-maia.
There is a discounted rate for students and retirees. The deadline to register is Tuesday, August 1. For more information, call toll-free 1-877-USI-HLTH (874-4584) or 812-461-5217, or email usi1nhpcert@usi.edu. To register online, visit www.USI.edu/maia.
Contact Hours: Attendees may receive up to six contact hours on Thursday and up to six contact hours on Friday with attestation of attendance and submission of the electronic program evaluation. This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive up to 12 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.
In support of improving patient care, University of Southern Indiana Center for Health Professions Lifelong Learning is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This program has been submitted to the Commission for Case Manager Certification to provide continuing education credit to CCM board certified case managers.
