GATEWAY WOMEN’S CLUB WELCOMED DR. THOMAS FELKE STEPHANIE MENA AND DEBBY STEPHANO
Dr. Thomas Felke, Ph.D., recently addressed the Gateway Women’s Club. Dr. Felke is chair of Shady Rest Institute for Positive Aging (SRIPA) and professor of Social Work at FGCU. Shady Rest connects faculty, staff and students from across academic disciplines at FGCU with community organizations in a unified purpose of supporting the older adult community through education, service, research and advocacy in Southwest Florida. SRIPA makes aging and thriving in place possible for Southwest Florida seniors. Felke is a recent recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association dedicated to Social Work in Florida.
We must do our part to remain healthy both physically and cognitively, by staying socially connected and adopting a positive mindset. FGCU and SRIPA serve as a hub to strengthen existing senior resources already in place, develop and educate the current workforce on ways to improve the lives of seniors, investigate issues and use data to champion change.
The older adult population in Florida is growing at an astronomical rate. Sixty-three per cent are women. Studies show many seniors in SWFL struggle with issues like poverty, food insecurity and social isolation. These feelings can lead to stress, anxiety, mental health decline and poor dental care. Shady Rest Institute on Positive Aging makes a difference. Areas of Focus include workforce development, community engagement, translational research, policy and targeted needs of older adults. Senior Care Partner is just one of the many programs offered.
ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR ACADEMICS IN THE MARIEB
COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE SHADY REST
INSTITUTE FOR POSITIVE AGING AT FLORIDA GULF
COAST UNIVERSITY
The Cognitive Health Screening Project is open to interested seniors. This program provides free health screening to the community through a 10-minute self-administered, digital cognitive assessment. It is focused on overall cognitive health and is designed to detect cognitive impairment. This screening is intended to be comparable to annual vision screening. The Cognitive Health Screening Project is FDA approved and scientifically backed by over 50 clinical research studies.
The Shady Rest Foundation awarded FGCU $4.1 million in scholarship funds for students in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant and social work degree programs. The goal is to expose more FGCU students to a variety of careers in the healthcare field and the benefits of working with the senior population as a rewarding career.
For further information, call (239) 590-7841 or contact [email protected] or https://fgcu.edu/mariebcollege/aging
