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Since 2011, The National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) and the Avila Institute of Gerontology (AIG) have been collaborating to offer webinars to Religious Communities. The webinar topics are chosen by NRRO and AIG, and reflect the expressed needs and interests of Religious Communities. The co-hosted webinars do not offer continuing education credit hours. 

 

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  • Understanding Dementia and Brain Aging: Insights from Current Research (NRRO)

    This webinar explores what the Nun Study and other major dementia research reveal about brain aging and how those findings can be applied within religious communities. *This webinar is cosponsored by The National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO).

    As people live longer, concerns about dementia and the loss of independence it can bring are increasing. What has changed is how we understand the disease—especially the roles that education, lifestyle, community, and spiritual life play in brain health over time.

    This one-hour webinar will highlight several major dementia studies, with The Nun Study serving as a central example. Based on the lives of 393 School Sisters of Notre Dame, the study showed that people with similar levels of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains could function very differently depending on how they lived, leading to the idea of cognitive reserve. These findings, and the newer research built upon them, have important implications for religious communities, and this presentation will help participants understand how today’s science can be thoughtfully applied within their own communities.

    Presented by Alfred Norwood, MBA, BS

    *This webinar is cosponsored by NRRO and is free to all members of a Religious Congregation. Please see registration instructions for details.

    Alfred Norwood, MBA, BS

    Faculty, Avila Institute of Gerontology, Inc.

    Alfred has been developing curriculum and teaching for the Avila Institute of Gerontology for the last 15 years. He has created and presented workshops and in-services on a number of topics associated with aging. He is a great believer in the integration of biological and behavioral research for dementia treatment. He has years of experience working as a consultant for long-term care systems and facilities and training staff in the use of non-pharmaceutical, individualized care plans for residents with moderate to severe dementia.

    Please click the link below to view the webinar flyer and instructions for registration. 

  • Well-Being and Dementia

    During this presentation Mr. Owen will discuss the pattern of the progression of Dementia and the five basic psychological and spiritual needs of people with dementia. Additionally, he will discuss the essential components of person-centered care, along with the utilization of visual and experiential arts in facilitating a sense of well-being in the person with dementia.

    During this presentation Mr. Owen will discuss the pattern of the progression of Dementia and the five basic psychological and spiritual needs of people with dementia. Additionally, he will discuss the essential components of person-centered care, along with the utilization of visual and experiential arts in facilitating a sense of well-being in the person with dementia.

    Edward Owen Jr., BS, PGDip, MA, LNHA

    Faculty, Avila Institute of Gerontology, Inc.

    Ed is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator in two states, with more than 40 years of both clinical and administrative experience in healthcare. He holds a BS in Health Care Administration from Excelsior College, a PGDip in Dementia Studies from the University of Bradford, and an MA of Theology from Saint Leo University. Additionally, Ed is an ordained permanent deacon in the Catholic Church and is assigned to Saint Benedict Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia.

  • Maximizing Strength and Balance at Any Age

    In this webinar, Dr. Sasha will explain how our bodies and minds work and how we can use what we know to maximize the function of those we serve, regardless of their age or disability. She will also work with the audience to provide real-time examples of how they can best approach issues they are dealing with concerning themselves and their residents.

    In this webinar, Dr. Sasha will explain how our bodies and minds work and how we can use what we know to maximize the function of those we serve, regardless of their age or disability. She will also work with the audience to provide real-time examples of how they can best approach issues they are dealing with concerning themselves and their residents. 

    Dr. Sasha Speer, DPT

    Physical Therapist and Artist

    Dr. Sasha Speer, DPT is a physical therapist and an artist. She has worked with patients ages 18-106 around the country since 2008, treating a variety of diagnosis from spinal cord injuries to pneumonia and back pain. In her experiences, she found that her love of the human body and her love of art created a more positive, uplifting, healing experience for her patients. She is bringing both gifts together with her Dr. Sasha brand to uplift, inspire, and heal.

     Dr. Sasha gained a more profound understanding of the power of the human mind in relation to healing beginning in 2012, when her own body failed her after the passing of her father. She found herself as an expert of the human body in a world of medicine, lacking the answers she needed to heal. After seeking advice from physicians, surgeons, therapists, and other practitioners, she realized her answer was not within the traditional medical practices. Desperate to heal her body, Dr. Sasha delved into reading book after book, and bit by bit she was not only able to finally heal herself but she found she was having a more profound impact on the patients she treated. She now incorporates mindset practices in her healing as she feels it is the most critical factor to healing and feeling whole.

    Dr. Sasha has brought these practices into two programs: Strong & Steady, addressing the needs of the frail elderly, which was co-created with help from the Sisters and Staff at the Carondelet Center in Los Angeles; and YOUNGER, a daily mindset and exercise program geared at preventing many of the signs and symptoms of aging.