We Convened, We Conferred, We Concurred

by Adriana Carr, MPA

Senior Center Director

Arlington County Department of Parks & Recreation

2017 VRPS Senior Resource Group Chair-Elect

We Convened, We Conferred, We Concurred – 

2017 Senior Resource Group Annual Conference 

“Parks and recreation is an important piece of the solution for older adults.”

Lesha Spencer-Brown, NRPA

In the middle of fall foliage tours, pumpkins festivals and other programs that keep our constituents busy, we take time to improve our skills and learn as much as we can.  That’s how we live inspired and focused as empowered professionals. So on a sunny September day in Reston, VA, the VRPS Senior Resource Group hosted recreation professionals from across the state to learn from experts in the fields of aging and recreation. 

Our mission for the day was to provide information and tools that would empower our colleagues in their day to day responsibilities and in their careers.  VRPS 2017 President LaTanya Turner opened the conference by talking about her experiences working with older adults. Like many of us, she admired their accomplishments, experiences and was inspired by their stories.

There were many highlights from SRG conference.  Miki Goerdt, LCSW from Arlington County Department of Human Services, delved into the underlying factors that can affect the interactions we have with our customers.  As one participant points out “she gave great information to be used at work and in one’s personal life.”  Marti Bailey from Sibley Hospital analyzed the nuances and power of the words we use and the misunderstanding they create when we unknowingly use ageist language.  Her session inspired one member of her audience to “be a champion of change for how I and others around me use words.”

The keynote speech, delivered by Lynn A. Reid and several members of her team, profiled the incredible gains and findings of the Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging especially in the area of recruiting and retaining high quality volunteers to work at their various senior centers.

In the afternoon, representatives from Loudoun County and the National Council on Aging focused on tools and skills that help improve our programming.  Catherine Motivans, Accessibility Services Manager for Loudoun County, tackled the iceberg of cross cultural understanding.  With the rapid demographic changes occurring in Loudoun County as the centerpiece of her presentation, Ms. Motivans provided the audience with skills they could apply to build language awareness and serve patrons with limited English abilities.

Brandy Bauer and Hayoung Kye demonstrated the various features of the National Council on Aging’s Aging Mastery Program©.  Designed to help older adults make the most of their longevity, this tool also provides materials and information that can help each individual to create his or her own playbook.

While we work in different jurisdictions there are many workplace factors we all have in common.  We all agreed that our populations are becoming more diverse and how we navigate that change will determine the success of our programs. We all have customer service challenges.  The three major groups that continue to impact our work are baby boomers, culturally diverse populations and older, more frail seniors. All which makes professional development so important.

One source you should check out is the NRPA blog about healthy aging initiatives.  We all know someone who is an older adult and we all know how important socializing and recreation are to our communities no matter what age. Lesha Spencer-Brown, who wrote the blog agrees with us: “older adults are the pillars of our communities. We cannot claim to improve community health without factoring in the health of older adults and making them a priority. Many programs and services currently offered for older adults need to be more robust and address multiple factors that affect their health and wellbeing.”  This increased awareness is probably a result of two things, the increased numbers of the retirees moving into our areas and the awesome work we all do every day.  As the risk of sounding cliché, I do believe that we (recreational professionals who work with older adults) are turning a corner.  One way to continue the progress is to keep the conversation going.  What recommendations would you give to the decision makers in your agency for healthy aging initiatives that can be implemented in your agency today or in the near future? 

SRG Board

Karen Brutsche

Janice Myrick

Cheryl Wheeler

Hope Lomax-Jones

June Snead
Debra Foster
LaTanya Turner

Keys to Empowerment - It's Conference Time!

by Adriana Carr, MPA

Senior Center Director

Arlington County Department of Parks & Recreation

2017 VRPS Senior Resource Group Chair-Elect

The Senior Resource Group 2017 conference is upon us.  Thursday, September 21 at the Reston Community Center, a group of recreation professionals whose daily work focuses on serving the older adult population will convene to learn from each other and from experts in the field of aging. We have selected inspiring presenters on a variety of topics that focus on the population we serve.  The result will be that these delegates will go back to their programs and communities with additional skills to advocate for and champion recreational opportunities and options for a demographic that is a significant portion of our national population.

This year’s theme is about career empowerment. We are honored that VRPS President LaTanya Turner, CPRP will join us.  Her platform has been about increasing the connections we make through VRPS members and finding better ways for “telling our stories.”  That’s what we hope to accomplish at the conference as well.  Our goal, as the members of the Senior Resource Group, is to provide you with the best tools, strategies and techniques that will help you tell your story to your customers, co-workers, decision makers and other stakeholders. The table below will give you a quick look at the day’s schedule: 

Introductions & Announcements Welcome by LaTanya Turner, VRPS President

Session 1 Words Matter:  Harnessing the Power and Energy of Language Margaret “Marti” Bailey

Session 2 Empowering Through Understanding: Do You Know What Upsets You Miki Goerdt, LCSW

Keynote Address:  Raise the Bar:  How to Recruit, Retain and Engage Professionals as Volunteers Dr. Lynn Reid

Conference Luncheon & Continued Discussion Please take time to visit our exhibit

Session 3 Building Bridges of Cultural Understanding Catherine Motivans

Session 4 Mastering Aging:  Help Your Community’s   Seniors Achieve Financial, Physical, and Mental Wellness Brandy Bauer and Hayoung Kye

Wrap up

SRG Board

Karen Brutsche

Janice Myrick

Cheryl Wheeler

Hope Lomax-Jones

June Snead