The holiday lull is officially over; now is the time when the events on your calendar start bumping up against each other. If you can handle any more commitments, let me call your attention to a few important aging-related opportunities that go beyond the ordinary meet-and-greet-and-eat fare.
• Jan. 17: Regional Aging Advocacy ACTION! Summit. Every year, aging services providers do their best to convince Florida legislators all over again that adequate funding to feed and care for elders is a worthwhile investment, because it saves money on costly hospital and nursing home stays. If you are interested in hearing about the latest cost-cutting and tax-reduction ideas circulating in Tallahassee, this presentation tomorrow by the Florida Council on Aging and the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida should be worth your time.
The budget preview is from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Friendship Center of Sarasota, 1888 Brother Geenen Way. There is no cost; to reserve a spot, call 941-955-2122.
• Jan. 25: "Where Did You Go?" Lewy Body dementia is a progressive brain disorder that affects an estimated 1.4 million Americans, but is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease or -- increasingly -- Parkinson's disease. That's because the symptoms are so complex, ranging from cognitive and mood problems to movement and sleep difficulties. To help families recognize the characteristics of this misunderstood affliction, the Pines of Sarasota Foundation and the Pines Education and Training Institute will screen a 20-minute film, with support from the Koski Family Foundation. The dramatic narrative film was created in partnership with the Pines and national dementia educator Teepa Snow.
"The film is to help inform the public on what to look for and why it is important to know the difference," explains institute director JoAnn Westbrook. "Medication is a big issue with Lewy Body, especially if they have been diagnosed with another form of dementia." Tickets are free for the 6 p.m. showing at Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way in Sarasota. To view a short trailer of the movie and secure your seat online, go to pineseducation.org/film. Or you can call 800-672-1310.
• Feb. 1: Boomer Conference 2018. I dropped in on last year's inaugural all-day conference for baby boomers staged by the Ringling College Lifelong Learning Academy, and the energy and optimism in the audience were contagious. Especially if you're new to the area, the sessions are a great way to start exploring your retirement options. This year the focus is "Creating Your Next Chapter with Joy and Purpose," and topics include the social and psychological aspects of retirement, rediscovery, networking and planning your future. The workshop runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with light breakfast and a boxed lunch; tickets are $109, and $98 for academy members. To register, call 941-309-5111, or visit rclla.org.
• Feb. 7: "A Smart Approach to Senior Living." Sarah L. Szanton, the incoming director of Johns Hopkins School of Nursing's Center for Innovative Care in Aging, will give a presentation at the Kretzmer Center at Aviva, 1951 N. Honore Ave. I have written about Szanton's innovative concept of arranging home visits by a team that includes a registered nurse, an occupational therapist and a handyman. She got the idea, she said, as a nurse practitioner who saw too many "shaky banisters, poorly lit stairways and slippery bathtubs without grab bars" in her patients' homes. The program, sponsored by Aviva, Johns Hopkins and Youthful Aging Home Health, is free, with an 8:30 a.m. breakfast and Szanton's talk from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Reserve a seat by calling 941-925-9532.
Barbara Peters Smith is the aging reporter for the Herald-Tribune, and the editor of Health+Fitness. Call her at 941-361-4936 or email barbara.smith@heraldtribune.com. On Twitter: @BarbaraPSmith.