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SOCIAL GERONTOLOGY CONFERENCE
The Center for Social Gerontology Community
Conference promotes successful aging and positive social change. Our goals are to enhance the quality of life, mental and physical health, and social well-being of older adults at all levels of capability. They also work to maximize the knowledge, effectiveness and overall wellbeing of all people, professional and non-professional, who support older adults. October 2022 will see the conference hosted in Statesboro, Georgia for the first time since 2020. To learn more about the history and vision for the future of the conference, Georgia Southern’s Division of Continuing & Professional Education interviewed the chair of the conference, Dr. Adrienne Cohen, who is also the Department Chair for Sociology and Anthropology
How did you start the Conference on Social Gerontology?
Dr. Cohen: The conference started in 2016 to help fulfill our mission “to make a positive difference in the lives of aging persons and their families and communities through increasing awareness of as well as fostering and supporting the needs and activities of a diverse older adult population at multiple levels.” Members of the Center felt that we needed to provide a venue for increasing awareness of the realities and needs of older adults in Southeast Georgia.
Dr. Adrienne Cohen, Chair of the Social Gerontology Community Conference
What impact does the Social Gerontology Conference have?
Dr. Cohen: The conference helps to increase the capacity of professionals in the field of aging to deliver their services using best practices. It provides an opportunity for faculty and professionals in the field to share what they have learned with others who may benefit from their experiences. For faculty, the opportunity to share their knowledge in an applied way can be very exciting. The conference provides students with a chance to become to become excited about working in the field of gerontology and allows them to network with professionals in the field where they can learn about future internships and jobs.
INCREASING AWARENESS
What does Social Gerontology mean to you?
Dr. Cohen: Gerontology, as a discipline, focuses on the lifelong experiences of aging. Social Gerontology has a specific focus on the social aspects of aging, how the world around us affects us as we age and how we affect the world around us as we enter and leave various stages of life.
What can attendees expect from the Social Gerontology Conference?
Dr. Cohen: The conference is very interactive. We have a wellness activity in the morning, our workshops provide opportunities for people to interact with each other and our luncheon and keynote are also times of meeting others who are interested in the field of aging. This will be an opportunity to interact with professionals, faculty, students, and older adults. We will all be learning from each other. I believe learning is best when learning is fun and thought provoking. In addition, people will have time to interact and learn about what other folks who are interested in aging issues are doing.
Are there any specific programs you’ve started that reinvest into communities?
Dr. Cohen: The Center for Social Gerontology is a trans-disciplinary center. We work across disciplines on campus including psychology, sociology, family development, public health, health professionals and many more. Outside of the University, we work with folks from various local, regional, and state-wide programs focusing on older adults. We learn from others and we teach others what we have learned. We encourage and have participation in the Center from faculty, professionals, students and older adults. We have a Senior Companion Program that provides lowincome volunteers who go to the homes of older adults in need to provide them with support and help to prevent them from entering a nursing home. Our Call2Care Program pairs student volunteers with older adult volunteers for twice weekly phone conversations that help to decrease isolation and ageism among both students and older adults.
COMMUNITY
OCTOBER 16, 2020 • RUSSELL UNION • STATESBORO, GA
