WESTLOCK— Westlock and District Family Community Support Services (FCSS) partnered with Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Hope Resource Centre Association to host a free community dinner on Tuesday, Jan. 21. The dinner, held at Westlock Memorial Hall, was open for all to attend and featured a special presentation from Dr. Rose Joudi on resilience in older adulthood.
With a turnout of 200 people, the dinner was a huge success. Doors opened at 4:30 p.m., with the presentation beginning at 5 p.m. Dinner was served shortly after the talk at 6 p.m. Those wanting to attend were asked to pre-register on the FCSS website prior to the event.
Dr. Rose Joudi, the guest speaker for the evening, is a certified consultant on aging, ethnic diversity, and senior living. FCSS had a brief consultation with her at 11:30 on the morning of the presentation to get her well-acquainted with the organizers and help prepare for her talk that evening.
Dr. Joudi has more than a decade of experience in academia, research, and program management in the field of aging and ethnic diversity. Her talk on Tuesday touched on topics of dementia, caregiving, and supporting older adults and their support networks, to name a few.
The presentation rang close to home for many of the attendees, providing an in-depth look at dementia, the importance of self-care and prioritizing one’s own mental well-being, in order to show up as your best self for your loved ones. The concept can seem counterintuitive, however, is key to supporting loved ones in the long run.
Maureen Schiller, FCSS program coordinator, helped the dementia team to organize the event. After attending the dinner and presentation herself, she voiced her admiration for the talk that Dr. Joudi gave.
“We heard all kinds of wonderful comments of how people really enjoyed our speaker,” said Schiller.
