Age Friendly Communities as Platforms for Equity, Health & Wellness
September 22-23, 2022
Mission
The Age-Friendly Communities Symposium brings together individuals from the Intermountain West to identify innovations and opportunities that will transform how neighborhoods, campuses, and health environments foster the independence, productivity, and wellbeing of older adults.
Events
Symposium Highlights
The virtual symposium is designed to convene national and regional experts and key community stakeholders to envision age-friendly futures through knowledge exchange, generating ideas and expanding networks.
Speakers
- Keynote address – The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Terry Fulmer, a nationally and international recognized leading expert in the field of aging. Dr. Fulmer is President of The John A. Hartford Foundation in New York City, a national philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults.
Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, is President of The John A. Hartf
ord Foundation in New York City, a national philanthr opy dedicated to improving the care of older adults. S h e serves as the chief strategist for the Foundati on and her vision for better care of older adults is cat alyzing the Age-Friendly Health Systems social movement. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and recently served on the independent Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes. She previously served as Dean of Health Sciences at Northeastern University and Founding Dean of the New York University College of Nursing. Dr. Fulmer is nationally and internationally recognized as a leading expert in geriatrics and is also known for conceptualization and development of the national NICHE program and research on the topic of elder abuse and neglect. She is the first nurse to have served on the board of the American Geriatrics Society. She is also the first nurse to have served as President of the Gerontological Society of America, which awarded her the 2019 Donald P. Kent Award for exemplifying the highest standards for professional leadership in the field of aging. - Panel discussions – National renown experts will define core issues and opportunities facing age-friendly neighborhoods, campuses, and health environments with an emphasis on factors that are unique to promoting age inclusivity in the Intermountain West. Panel discussions will emphasize how concepts and initiatives have been applied in communities, and lessons learned from these experiences.
- World café – Participants will engage in interactive, small group discussions that are guided to share visions and identify resources that will catalyze ways that age-friendly campuses, neighborhoods and health environments have a transformative role to promoting independence, productivity and wellbeing among older adults in the Intermountain West.
- Student ideas competition – Undergraduate and graduate students from participating universities are invited to contribute to an “ideas” competition focused on envisioning initiatives that improve age inclusivity and intergenerational connections. Students will have 24 hours to work in interdisciplinary teams, and presentations will be made virtually. Winners will be announced, and cash prizes will be awarded at the symposium on Friday, September 23.
- In-Person Networking reception – Following the keynote address will be an in-person reception at the University of Utah where aging service providers, community stakeholders, academic researchers, policy makers and advocates are welcome to gather over light refreshments for conversation and inter-professional networking.
- Community Walk – Please join the University of Utah’s Age Friendly Gerontology Program Team, or consider participating in a Walk to End Alzheimer’s in your community. Register to join symposium organizers and the University of Utah’s Gerontology Program team in Salt Lake City here .
- Saturday, September 24 th , at Rio Tinto Stadium - Sandy, Utah
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- 10:00 am Festivities Area opens
- 11:00 am Ceremony begins
- 11:30 am Walk begins
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- Saturday, September 24 th , at Rio Tinto Stadium - Sandy, Utah
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Patricia M. D’Antonio BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP Gerontological Society of America |
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Mike Watson |
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Joann M. Montepare PhD RoseMary B. Fuss Center for Research on Aging and Intergenerational Studies at Lasell University |
Schedule
Outcomes
The symposium will produce new knowledge to understanding how age friendly neighborhoods, campuses and health environments serve as critical platforms for equity, health and wellness—particularly in response to the complex set of challenges facing the Intermountain West. A primary goal is to translate interdisciplinary research and knowledge into actionable, accessible resources for academic researchers, aging and health providers, community planners, policy makers, educators, and students. The symposium will produce the following resources:
- Chapter book – A collection of thought leadership and new insights into age friendly communities will be organized around themes of neighborhoods, campuses and health environments in a publication that serves as a resource for education, policy making, and social impact. Chapters written by speakers and panelists of the symposium focus on initiatives and research at a national and regional level that contribute significantly to transforming the design, impact, and reach of age friendly environments.
- Collaboration spark book – Interdisciplinary dialogue facilitated in the World Café provides a forum for participants to engage in conversations with content experts and learn from each other. The purpose of sharing ideas and reflections is to deepen an understanding of issues related to age friendly communities, to connect people, and to open up new avenues for collaborative engagement. Visual notes from the World Cafes will be compiled with a directory of participants, and serve as a resource for expanding awareness and action that translates between education, policy, planning, research, and social impact in the Intermountain West.
- Video gallery – A virtual gallery that features concepts generated by interdisciplinary teams of undergraduate and graduate students in the ideas competition will serve as an open source asset for community service providers, planners, advocates, educators, and stakeholders. Video presentations and graphics created by students will be organized around the themes of neighborhoods, campuses and health environments. This builds visibility for emerging voices and a platform that furthers interdisciplinary exchange of ideas in the field of aging.
About Us
Meet our Symposium Co-Leads:
Valerie Greer is an architect whose experience in practice has focused on the design of complex building types, including internationally award-winning airports, laboratories and hospitals. Greer was a senior designer on the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the first co-ed research university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that was honored the Chicago Athenaeum Award, the AIA COTE Top Ten Green Award and Research & Design Magazine’s Laboratory of the Year Award.
Linda Edelman RN, PhD has experience in both basic science and clinical/nursing research. She received a Masters of Philosophy in Experimental Pathology at the University of Utah in 1993 where she specialized in molecular immunology. She then earned a BSN from the University of Utah College of Nursing in 1995. For the next 17 years she utilized her basic science and nursing backgrounds as the Research Coordinator for the University of Utah Burn Center. During that time she was involved with the design, conduct, and analysis of multidisciplinary clinical research studies pertaining to burn injuries.
Meet our Advisory Board Members:
Jorie Butler, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Utah. As a Health Psychologist with a minor in Human Development, Jorie has long focused on the intersection between development across the life span and managing illness or promoting health. As Assistant Professor at the University of Utah in the Division of Geriatrics, the Salt Lake City VA Health Care System, Geriatric Research and Clinical Center (GRECC), Informatics Decision Enhancement and Surveillance (IDEAS) Center, and Department of Psychology her research is focused communication and relational factors associated with shared decision making and patient centered care, particularly in aging populations, clinical reasoning, and medical education. Her research objective is to understand the goals and personal experiences of geriatric patients and how clinicians obtain and use that information to encourage active patient involvement in shared decision making and to deliver patient centered care for their geriatric patients. 
Ashley Cadiz is a masters student in the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Utah. Her research interest includes health care quality improvement for older adults, and age-friendly health systems, communities, and universities.Ashley currently works for the University of Utah College of Nursing as an Academic Program Manager. She born and raised in Nephi, Utah and attended the University of Utah for her undergraduate degree in Health Promotion and Education. 
Sarah Canham, PhD is an Associate Professor with a joint appointment in the College of Social Work and the College of Architecture and Planning in the Department of City and Metropolitan Planning at the University of Utah. She is also the Associate Director of the University’s Health Interprofessional Education program. 
Kara Dassel, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the College of Nursing and Assistant Dean of the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Utah. Her research in advance care planning (ACP) focuses on our team developed LEAD Guide (Life-Planning in Early Alzheimer’s and Dementia), which is being used in an ACP intervention study. As Co-I of the Utah Geriatrics Education Consortium (UGEC), Kara has led the development and evaluation of: ADRD online training modules for LTSS, multiple dementia caregiver conferences, and educational “Fireside Chats” with focused on the 4Ms of Age-Friendly Health Care (visit 
Jackie Eaton, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing and the former Assistant Dean of the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Utah. Her research uses transdisciplinary approaches to enhance the quality of life for older adults and their caregivers through arts-based interventions. Jackie uses participatory mixed-method research to create ethnodrama as a form of high-fidelity simulation. Most recently she is working with certified nursing assistants to incorporate creative caregiving techniques in long-term care. 
Rob Ence is the Executive Director of the Utah Commission on Aging which connects research, public policy, and community resources on behalf of older adults. He also manages the Bateman Horne Center, a non-profit clinic and research practice specializing in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and other post-viral syndromes. Previously Ence was the West Regional Vice President for AARP after serving nearly a decade AARP Utah State Director. His other career work includes Planned Parenthood of Utah and the Midtown Community Health Center, Sage Creek Apparel, work in the financial services industry and Marriott Corporation. Ence has an MBA and BA Psychology from the University of Utah. He has lectured frequently on advance care planning, financial security, and older adult issues and has served on several boards of directors including Comagine Health Utah, Envision Utah, Alzheimer’s Association Utah, Community Counseling Center, and Repertory Dance Theater. Ence resides with Liz, his spouse and best friend of 46 years, in Salt Lake City, Utah. They have four children and sixteen grandchildren. Exercising outdoors and travel complement their love of theater, opera, symphony, and dance (with an occasional football and basketball game thrown in). They co-lead a 70-voice choir. Ence also sings with the Oratorio Society of Utah. 
Dr. Timothy W. Farrell is Professor of Medicine and Geriatrics Division Associate Chief for Age-Friendly Care at the University of Utah School of Medicine. He is also a Physician Investigator at the VA Salt Lake City Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC) and Director of the University of Utah Health Interprofessional Education Program. Dr. Farrell received his A.B. in philosophy from Dartmouth College and his M.D. from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, followed by family medicine residency and geriatric medicine fellowship training at Brown University. He is a prior recipient of a HRSA Geriatric Academic Career Award and is a co-investigator on the HRSA-funded University of Utah Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program. He was a 2016-17 Leadership Scholar in the Tideswell Emerging Leaders in Aging Program and is Chair of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Ethics Committee. Dr. Farrell served as the lead author on the 2020 AGS position statement, “Resource Allocation Strategies and Age-Related Considerations in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond,” and represented the AGS in providing COVID vaccine allocation guidance to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine and to CDC. He also serves as Co-Chair of the AGS Intersection of Structural Racism and Ageism Writing Group. His research interests include transitions of care, interprofessional education and practice, unbefriended older adults, and medical ethics. 
Beth (Elizabeth) Fauth received her BS degree in Psychology at Syracuse University and her MS and PhD in Human Development at Penn State University. She is currently a professor in the Human Development and Family Studies at Utah State University. Beth teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in gerontology, research methods, and is the coordinator of the graduate program in HDFS.
Dr. Katarina Friberg Felsted is an Associate Professor in the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program in the College of Nursing at the University of Utah, and holds a PhD in Nursing Research as well as an MS in Gerontology. Dr. Felsted is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Health-Kinesiology-Recreation in the College of Health. In 2020, Dr. Felsted, in collaboration with Dr. Jackie Eaton, received one of four seed grants from GSA-AGHE, funded by AARP, to promote Age Friendly University principles on campus and in the community.
Nels Holmgren is the Director of the Division of Aging and Adult Services at the State of Utah, which oversees programs mandated by the Older Americans Act to promote healthy and secure lifestyles for Utah’s growing senior population. Working with local partners, the Area Agencies on Aging, and other interested parties in the Aging network, the Division provides critical services to empower Utah’s seniors to remain independent in their own homes. Additionally, the Division oversees Utah’s Adult Protective Services which investigates cases of abuse, neglect, and exploitation among Utah’s seniors and vulnerable adults, and works to resolve protective needs. 
Andy Hong is an Assistant Professor in the Department of City & Metropolitan Planning at the University of Utah. He is an honorary research fellow at the University of Oxford and the George Institute for Global Health. Andy is also Co-founder of the Healthy City Futures, a global nexus of innovators dedicated to sharing cutting-edge information on urban health.
Paul Leggett became the Division Director of Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services in January 2017. In this role Paul oversees the services provided to older adults in Salt Lake County. Prior to this position Paul was the Executive Director of Community Action Partnership of Utah where he worked hand in hand with Utah's Community Action network to provide solutions to poverty and effect change. Paul also previously chaired the statewide Earn it. Keep it. Save it. coalition and directed CAP Utah's statewide Asset Development initiative. Paul currently serves on the Alzheimer’s Association Utah Chapter Board, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging Board, the Lt. Governor's Commission on Service & Volunteerism and is the chair of the Utah Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Paul, originally from Northampton, England, earned a bachelor's degree in behavioral sciences from the University of Northampton and a master's degree in management from the University of Leicester.
Keith Diaz Moore, PhD, is the Dean of the College of Architecture & Planning, and a Professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Utah. His research explores the intersection of culture and architecture, particularly the criticality of the environment for older adults and particularly those experiencing cognitive impairment. This work resides within the field of environmental gerontology and utilizes the Ecological Framework of Place. Keith’s work utilizes multiple methods and case studies and has been published in numerous venues. 
Alan Ormsby comes to AARP Utah with a strong background in leadership and advocacy for Utah's older adults and people with disabilities. His training is in law, with a focus on health care law, long-term care, home and community-based services, HIPAA, Medicare and Medicaid. Immediately prior to joining AARP in 2011, Alan served as the Director of the Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD,) leading Utah’s efforts to provide the best possible services for people with disabilities. Before serving as the DSPD Director, Alan was the Director of Aging and Adult Services at the State of Utah, and in this role was responsible for statewide home- and community-based services for Utahns 60 and over. In addition, he worked with the local Area Agencies on Aging, and was instrumental in drafting legislation to initiate Utah's Commission on Aging. Alan has served as a member on the Board of Utah Developmental Disabilities Council, Senator Orrin Hatch's Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities, and several long-term care policy groups. He also supervised Adult Protective Services, which investigates claims of abuse, neglect and exploitation involving persons who are disabled or elderly. Alan received his undergraduate degree from the University of Utah and law degree from Quinnipiac University.
Heather is the Center on Aging Academic Program Manager at the University of Utah
Angela Romero was first elected to the Utah State Legislature in 2012 and was re-elected in 2018. Representing House District 26, Angela has been an advocate for issues that matter to working families in the district. Contact
For more information, please contact the symposium chairs Linda Edelman ( linda.edelman@nurs.utah.edu ) or Valerie Greer ( valerie.greer@utah.edu ).
Register Here! (registration link coming soon)