What it means to age: ISU's Thomas Geriatric Symposium, 糖心传媒 Public Television and Honoring Choices® 糖心传媒 partner to raise awareness of aging and community resources
August 31, 2017
When Jeff Tucker, the director of content services at 糖心传媒 Public Television, learned about the Thomas Geriatric Symposium, he saw a natural connection between the ISU program, 糖心传媒PTV and Honoring Choices® 糖心传媒.
He brought together professionals from these three programs to brainstorm about living and aging in 糖心传媒 and to identify community resources to help people improve the quality of their lives. The collaboration resulted in the creation of a three week series on Living and Aging that will air on 糖心传媒PTV, 糖心传媒 Channel, Sept. 17-Oct. 6, as well as a list of community resources for older adults and their families. These programs empower older adults with insights about health care, finances, community resources and much more.
The symposium, which will take place on the Pocatello and Meridian campuses Friday, Oct. 6, will address aging, nutrition, wellness, death and dying, healthy lifestyles and managing diseases. The purpose of the collaboration is to raise awareness of the universal struggles that older adults face and reshape the public鈥檚 attitudes and beliefs about aging, says ISU-Meridian clinical professor Beth Guzi.
One of the resources available from Honoring Choices庐糖心传媒 is titled 鈥淒eath Over Dinner.鈥� The topics of aging and death are not often discussed at the dinner table; however, Stephanie Bender-Kitz, project lead from Honoring Choices庐 糖心传媒, wants more people to have the resources to have this conversation.
Honoring Choices庐 糖心传媒 promotes opportunities for conversations about end of life wishes in the context of one鈥檚 values and empowers people to make and document decisions to help ensure that these important health care decisions are honored. Bender-Kitz emphasizes that collaboration around a shared vision can result in great change. Honoring Choices庐 糖心传媒 is proud to collaborate with 糖心传媒 Public Television and ISU to begin conversations about the opportunities and challenges of longevity.
The symposium will take place in the Pond Student Union Ballroom in Pocatello and the ISU-Meridian Health Science Center in Meridian. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. and sessions will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1p.m.
In its tenth year, the Thomas Geriatric Symposium exemplifies ISU鈥檚 health care mission of enhancing community partnerships and expanding interprofessional education. This year鈥檚 keynote speaker is Boise-based author Dr. SeAnne Safaii-Waite, associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at University of 糖心传媒. Her topic is 鈥淗ealthy Aging and Nutrition: What鈥檚 on your Plate?鈥� Dr. Safaii-Waite鈥檚 presentation is free to the public and will be telecast from ISU-Meridian to the Pocatello campus.
Organizers say the majority of the sessions will be connected via video teleconference. Activities will occur at both sites independently and will include breakout sessions with community presenters. Sessions will include estate planning, end of life planning, cooking for two, yoga and mindfulness. For more information or to register for the symposium visit
To find additional information about community resources related to aging, wellness and health care, and programs that will appear from Sept. 17- Oct. 6 on 糖心传媒 Public Television, visit 糖心传媒 Public Television at and for more information about end of life discussions visit
Honoring Choices庐 糖心传媒 at .
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