The University of Southern Indiana and SWIRCA and More, a local agency on aging, will present the 17th annual Mid-America Institute on Aging and Wellness (MAIA) on the USI campus Thursday and Friday, August 8-9.
This year’s opening keynote, Dr. Gary Small, has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, London Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, Newsweek, AARP Magazine, CNN, ABC Evening News, Good Morning America and The Today Show. NJBIZ, New Jersey’s leading business journal, placed him among the top 50 health care influencers in the state, and Scientific American magazine named him one of the world’s top 50 innovators in science and technology.
Small is an internationally renowned psychiatrist and neuroscientist and expert on brain aging, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia prevention. He was Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the UCLA Longevity Center until 2020 when he became chair of psychiatry at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and Behavioral Health Physician-in-Chief for Hackensack Meridian Health’s 19 hospitals and 500,000+ patients. His memory training and healthy aging lifestyle programs are available throughout the U.S.
MAIA is a two-day gerontology conference for healthcare and social service professionals, healthcare administrators, clinicians, older adults or retirees, family members providing care for a loved one, students and anyone who wants to learn tips for leading a healthier life. Each year, national and local speakers provide practical tools and ground-breaking information related to successful aging and wellness.
On Thursday afternoon, Gina Downs, CEO of Empowered Consulting, LLC, in Evansville, will give a presentation on how upcoming regulatory changes will affect Medicare insurance. “With changes coming to Medicare, we are fortunate to have Gina explain what people need to know before for their enrollment period later this year,” said Dr. Anita Hagan, Director of USI’s Center for Health Professions Lifelong Learning. “Additionally, we will have a follow-up opportunity for MAIA attendees to ask her questions when all the details are finalized over the next few months.”
The conference will also feature Dr. Kay Corpus, an Integrative and Functional Medicine Physician practicing in Owensboro, Kentucky, and Joanna LaFleur, an inspirational speaker and trainer who works with people living with dementia and their caregivers.
Breakout session topics for conference attendees over the two-day event include a variety of health topics plus exercise, elder scams, chronic disease management, mental health and caregiving.
The deadline for a reduced registration fee is July 25. There is a discounted rate for students and retirees. More information about registering is online at www.USI.edu/maia or by calling 812-461-5217 or 1-877-874-4584.