Address

The Canterbury-Beeson Forum on Aging is an annual gathering of professional and non-professional caregivers that focuses on educating the community about aging and ways to manage transitions in the aging process.

--------- OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SATURDAY, AUGUST 11 AT 8:15 A.M. ---------

Who should attend:
This day of learning is for lay people, caregivers and professionals. 
Nurses, social workers, nursing home administrators and counselors can earn continuing education credit. Details are on the web site: www.canterburyumc.org/beeson2012.

Speakers:
A variety of speakers will address the audience during the day and there will be vendors available to discuss issues/programs/products to aid the elderly.

1. Julie Miller is with the Alabama Department of Senior Services and she will update participants on services available to seniors.  She will explain how to gain access to services and what the rights of the consumers are when it comes to health care.
    
2. Ray Sierrdzan is a pharmacist with Sanifi U.S.:  Sanofi is a global health care leader focused on patients need – Sierrdzan will give caregivers ways to engage patients to improve medication adherence.
    
3. Sandra Koulourides, MS, RD – is from Birmingham.  She will speak about basic nutritional needs – balanced meals and snacks.  This information will apply to caregivers, professionals and patients.
    
4. Collier Craft will talk about Script Your Future – a national campaign where Birmingham is one of 7 cities identified in the country to help people understand the importance of taking medications properly.
    
5. Liz Prosch, RN,BSN, MSHA s with AQUAF.  Prosch has worked in geriatrics for 25 years and has been instrumental in the efforts to transform culture in nursing homes.   She currently works with AQUAF – the Alabama Quality Assurance Foundation that has a program to increase awareness and understanding of nursing home culture change.  Prosch will use an audience participation program to make attendees aware of how easily infections can become a problem at home or in a health care facility.
    
6. Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA
   Snow is from North Carolina and has been a favorite of the Beeson Forum audience over the years.  Snow uses humor and demonstration to help the audience get inside the patient’s head for better understanding.   She becomes the Alzheimer’s patient in ways that create meaningful learning.

Background:
The Canterbury-Beeson Forum on Aging which began in 2004 with about 75 participants now attracts more than 500 to the daylong event. The event was born from the church’s desire to honor the wishes of Lucille Beeson, who left in her will direction to pay a percentage of the Beeson Trust’s annual net income to Canterbury for the “relief of the needy elderly of Jefferson County, Alabama, including medical treatment.” Funds for the event come from a small grant from Canterbury’s Lucille Beeson Trust Team. Beeson died in 2001 and left the bulk of her estate to various agencies in Jefferson County. This will be the 9th forum that Canterbury has hosted.

Church