Winter 2021 Newsletter
By Robin McAtee, PhD, RN, FACHE, Director, Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative (AGEC), a Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging (DWR IOA)
Happy New Year from the Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative (AGEC), the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program for Arkansas. As we say goodbye to the holidays of 2020, we say goodbye (and in many instances, good riddance!) to 2020. I think 2021 is dawning brighter as we see hope for containment of COVID-19 and push forward into embracing positive healthy habits for the new year.
We were busy this past fall with community and health professional programming and working with our clinical partners. We hosted several AGECaring Friends Facebook live events, posted AGEC Caregiver and PT Corner tips, and posted many Zoom programs. We also had several webinars including Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, on November 12 presenting “COVID-19: Examining 2020 and Looking into 2021” with over 160 attendees. Programs continued as we have learned to adjust to more virtual formats
We are also very proud to announce that The Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative (AGEC) has created a new podcast called UAMS Age Wise! This podcast was created to dive deep into the challenges facing the older population and those healthcare professionals caring for this aging population. Experts from the AGEC and our community and academic partners along with experts from the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and all across the UAMS Campus will talk about a variety of topics relevant to aging. These include managing caregiver stress, creating New Year resolutions, having successful telemedicine visits, virtual education for older adults, and the importance of medical wellness visits. The podcast is available on several popular platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, and Overcast. Two episodes are posted every month! Please subscribe and join us!!
We are very excited about the possibility of face-to-face encounters again sometime in 2021! We want to see and experience everyone again. If you have ideas for us, (virtual or in-person) please let us know!
Stayed tuned to the AGEC website, Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter accounts – and now our new podcast – for upcoming exciting programs. Stay safe everyone and remember to get your flu and COVID-19 vaccines as soon as you can – and remind your patients to get theirs too!!!