Just as the leaves are turning shades for Autumn, the 18th annual Senior & Caregiver Expo is quickly approaching. The event is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM at Life Church in Cookeville, Tenn.

This year’s Expo has a new addition to further enhance the experience of attendees: Caregiver Training. Throughout the day, there will be hourly sessions of workshops, panels, and more for anyone – whether already caring for a loved one, or simply interested in learning more about the field.

From 9:00AM – 9:50AM the Federal Trade Commission will host, “Scams, Fraud, & Identity Theft Prevention Workshop”. This panel will include Derick Rill with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Robin Fountain with the Social Security Agency (SSA), Loni Holloway Hitchcock with the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), Judy Wilkerson, Terri Knuckles, and Carlos Bryant with the Taxpayer Advocate Service of the IRS, and Claire Marsalis with TN Division of Consumer Affairs (TCA). Each panelist will provide strategies for avoiding scams and fraud through informative and fun presentations. An interactive Q&A session will follow for trainees to gain even more insights with an opportunity to receive prizes.

From 10:00AM – 10:50AM Kelly Tripp will present, “Caregiving & Drug Abuse”. During this presentation Kelly will talk about the impact of addiction and how that takes a personal and mental toll on the caregiver. Kelly Tripp is the Executive Director of Ten Broeck Psychiatric Inpatient and has served as a member of the Vulnerable Adult Abuse Coalition, the local Mental Health Drop-in Center, and the Advisory Board for the Upper Cumberland Area Agency on Aging.

From 11:00AM – 11:50AM, Karen Joyce will bring her expertise from work in the medical field to present, “Communicating to Your Healthcare Provider: Tips & Tricks!” for trainees to learn about effective methods of clear communication with medical professionals. Karen Joyce, in addition to ownership of Joyce Healthcare in Cookeville, has served as a staff nurse, nurse manager, and faculty member of the TTU School of Nursing before becoming a nurse practitioner.

Alongside these hourly courses, Alzheimer’s TN will have their new “Virtual Dementia Tour” running from 9:00AM – 12:00PM. This sensitivity training is designed to reveal what it is truly like to live with any form of dementia by artificially distorting hearing, vision, and other senses of participants to simulate the effects of the disease. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity to ask questions and share personal stories about this eye opening experience.

Although these training sessions are free to attend, to gain Continued Education Unit (CEU) certification there is a small fee of $15 to pay at the event. Please contact Clare Farless at 931-476-4143 or cfarless@ucdd.org for more information and to sign up.

Organized by the Upper Cumberland Area Agency on Aging and Disability, a division of the Upper Cumberland Development District, the Senior Expo brings together businesses, service providers, seniors and caregivers in a one-day networking event. Participants have the opportunity to gather resources from vendors, health screenings, receive door prizes, and participate in hands-on educational activities, and free lunch provided by Platinum Sponsor, Quality of Families.

The Expo is proud to welcome on Livingston Regional Hospital as a Platinum Sponsor. Livingston Regional Hospital is a 114-bed hospital providing a continuum of care covering all aspects of healthcare, from 24-hour emergency services to rehabilitative services on both an inpatient and an outpatient basis, Level ll-A neonatal nursery, a 10-bed geri-psych unit and many other services. Fully accredited by The Joint Commission, the hospital in Livingston serves a five-county area in central Tennessee and southern Kentucky.

Additional Platinum Sponsors include Blue Coast Burrito, Life Care Center of Sparta and Crossville, Home Caregivers, Home Instead Senior Care, Putnam Sheriff Department, Saint Thomas Hospital, NHC HealthCare, Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Tennessee Tech University Caregiving Center, Heritage Pointe, Quality Home Health, StoneCom, Grace Givers Home Care, Joyce Healthcare, Eye Centers of Tennessee, TN Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee, Bailey Manor, TN Department of Commerce & Insurance, Putnam County Emergency Management Services (911), WCTE, and Alzheimer’s Tennessee.

The Area Agency on Aging and Disability(AAAD) connects older adults and adults with disabilities in the 14-county Upper Cumberland region with services and resources to improve their quality of life. Find the AAAD on the web at www.ucdd.org and at facebook.com/UCDDconnect.

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From left to right: Kim Parrish, ROE Rehab Program Director; Christy Harrison, Program Director for Behavior Health, RN; Jennifer Stephenson, LMSW for Behavior Health; Summer Maxwell, UCDD Intern