Empowering Communities

 

On November 1 & 2, join us for Caregivers Together, a province-wide, hybrid conference that brings caregivers, healthcare professionals and service providers together.

What is “Caregivers Together 2024?”

Building awareness, community and knowledge around caregiving is essential to empower Alberta’s nearly one-million caregivers. Without support, we all know that caregiver well-being is tough to sustain.

By getting together – in-person and virtually – we can continue to build a community of support for our caregivers, their care recipients, and those that engage with them during their journey.

Join us for a caregiver centred, province-wide conference focused on education, resources and community-building.

Featured Speakers

  • Dr. Cormac Russell

    Dr. Cormac Russell

    Cormac Russelll

    Cormac is a social explorer, an author and a much sought-after speaker. He is the Founding Director of Nurture Development and a member of the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute, at DePaul University, Chicago.  

    Over the last 25 years, Cormac’s work has demonstrated an enduring impact in 35 countries around the world. He has trained communities, agencies, NGOs and governments in ABCD and other community-based approaches in Africa, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe and North America.  

    His most recent books are The Connected Community- Discovering the Health, Wealth, and Power of Neighborhoods (Coauthor John McKnight); Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2022, and Rekindling Democracy – A Professional’s Guide to Working in Citizen Space; Cascade Books, 2020. Cormac’s TEDx talk can be viewed here 

  • Grant Bruno

    Grant Bruno

    Grant Bruno is Nehiyaw (Plains Cree) and a registered member of Samson Cree Nation, one of the reserves that makes up Maskwacîs, Alberta. He is currently finishing his PhD and is starting a faculty position in the Department of Pediatrics this fall. His PhD research explores autism in First Nations communities through a Nehiyaw lens and is exploring ways to develop culturally informed services and supports in the community. 

    Grant currently chairs the Indigenous Relations Circle for the Autism Society of Alberta, he also holds a Data to Policy Fellowship through the Autism Alliance of Canada and is the Indigenous Scholar for the Empowering the Next-Generation Researchers in Perinatal and Child Health (ENRICH) National Program. Grant is currently the lead for the Ispimihk Awasisak program which an Indigenous children’s health initiative through the Women and Children’s Research Institute (WCHRI). 

  • Linda Powell

    Linda Powell, BScPT, ICD.D

    Linda Powell has been involved in the healthcare sector for over forty years. Her initial career started as a physiotherapist, graduating from McGill University and working in rural and urban hospital settings. In 1991, she became actively involved with STARS, a non-profit charitable organization providing aeromedical transport for the critically ill and injured, now providing services in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and eastern British Columbia. She attained her Institute of Corporate Directors certification, ICD.D, in 2006. Ms. Powell transitioned in 2012 from her role as Vice-President, Governance and External Affairs to her role as Ambassador & Special Advisor until 2017, with a focus on fundraising and community engagement, and she continues today as an ambassador and volunteer. With retirement and as previously, Linda continues to be passionately engaged in the community as a volunteer, with non-profit and charitable committee and board experience and involvement. Her current areas of focus are advocacy for organ and tissue donation and transplantation, and the critical role of caregiving in our health care system – both evolving with her lived experience in the role of caregiver for family members. With great pride, she and her husband raised three incredible children in rural Alberta, and now spend as much time as possible and live out much joy with their three grandchildren.

  • Health and Community Panel

    Helen Lightfoot

    Helen is a Senior Practice Consultant with the Connecting People and Community for Living Well initiative. Her background is in Social Work and Community Engagement in rural and urban settings.  She was a frontline Home Care Case Manager for 20 years, and subsequently held management and practice lead positions. Throughout her career she has recognized the important role community plays in supporting people’s wellbeing. Helen’s preferred pronouns are She/Her. 

    Robyn Laczy

    Robyn currently works in service of the Primary Care Networks North Zone as the Project Coordinator. One exciting project she supports is the North Zone Health Neighbourhood groups which are grassroots, cross-sectoral, and span across Northern Alberta. In the past, she’s been honoured to work within the worlds of long-term care, health research, the Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research, and in community working with non-profit organizations co-building mental health and empowerment programming. She is also a passionate advocate for many causes including meaningful and active engagement, cultural change, and climate change awareness. Her primary goal is to support the co-creation of a kinder, more accessible, healthier, and just world for all.  

  • Edmonton Age Friendly Alliance Presenting Partner Speakers

    Dr. Rose Joudi

    Dr. Rose Joudi (Ph.D. Psych.) is an aging and ethnic diversity researcher, consultant, and international speaker on elder abuse and ageism. She is currently the Research Lead on an ethnocultural elder abuse awareness project with carya (Calgary, AB), and teaches at Mount Royal University (Calgary, Canada) on the Psychology of Aging. Dr. Joudi contributes valuable insights to the field through her background in academia and research. She also collaborates with stakeholders to address the unique needs of older adults in diverse populations. Committed to enhancing seniors’ quality of life, she actively promotes educational strategies and facilitates training sessions that include elder abuse awareness, ageism, trauma-informed care, cultural competence, and compassion when working with diverse populations. Dr. Joudi believes in empowering professionals to adopt inclusive strategies and supporting organisations in their person-centred and directed approach to care. She is also a board member of the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (CNPEA), and the Alberta Association on Gerontology (AAG), and serves as an advisor for the Ministry of Seniors, Community, and Social Services in Alberta, Canada.

    Dr. Eleni Stroulia

    Dr. Eleni Stroulia is a Professor in the Department of Computing Science, at the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on addressing interdisciplinary challenges, using AI and machine-learning methods. She has held an NSERC/AITF Industrial Research Chair on Service Systems Management, with IBM, a McCalla professorship, and a Killam Award for Excellence in Mentoring. From 2020 to 2023, she was the Director of the University of Alberta’s AI4Society Signature Area, and since 2021 she is serving as the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Science.

    Sonja Zacharko

    Sonja Zacharko is the Executive Director of Edmonton Meals on Wheels, where she leads the organization in its mission to nourish communities by delivering fresh, thoughtfully prepared meals, fostering connections and promoting well-being. With a background as a registered dietitian, she brings a deep understanding of nutrition and its impact on overall health to her role.
    Throughout her 25+ year career, Sonja has honed her skills in large-scale food production, event management, and leadership. Her dedication to ensuring quality meals reach those who need them most has been a driving force behind her work. With her combined experience in food service and leadership, she continues to make a meaningful impact in the community through her role at Edmonton Meals on Wheels.

    Tessa Hubbell

    Tessa Hubbell is a Registered Dietitian with Alberta Health Services in the area of Public Health. She is a nutrition consultant for other health care professionals and provides a variety of community presentations and programs. Tessa is passionate about nutrition and is excited to share information about supporting healthy eating for older adults.

     

     

Sessions for Caregivers and Professionals

We’re offering sessions for everyone: Some topics may appeal more to Alberta’s caregivers or the professionals who support them. You are free to attend whichever sessions interest you most! And if you can’t decide, you will have the chance to replay the sessions you missed afterwards.

  • Friday Day, November 1, 2024 – Inspiration & Engagement
    8:00 – 9:00 pm  Registration & Breakfast
    8:55 – 9:10 am Welcome and Opening Remarks
    9:10 – 9:50 am Plenary Session: Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) with Dr. Cormac Russell
    10:00 – 10:45 am   Facilitated workshop on Asset-Based Community Development
    10:45 – 11:00 am Transition Break
    11:00 – 11:40 am 1A) Social Prescribing 1B) Caregiver Connect 1C) Self-Care Session: Respite 1D) Edmonton Age Friendly Alliance: Diversity and Aging
    11:40 – 1:00 pm Lunch
    1:00 – 1:40 pm 2A) Understanding the Caregiving Journey 2B) Caregiver Case Management 2C) Self-Care Session 2D) Edmonton Age Friendly Alliance: Food Security and Aging
    1:40 – 1:50 pm Transition Break
    1:50 – 2:30 pm 3A) Caregiver Centred Care 3B) Generational Caregiving 3C) Self-Care Session 3D) Edmonton Age Friendly Alliance: GeronTechnology
    2:30 – 2:50 pm Active Break
    2:50 – 3:40 pm Panel Session: Integrating and Building Community Support in Caregiving
    3:40 – 3:45 pm Closing Remarks
  • Friday Day, November 1, 2024 – Edmonton Age Friendly Alliance Presenting Partner Sessions
    11:00 – 11:40 am  1D) Edmonton Age Friendly Alliance: Diversity and Aging
    1:00 – 1:40 pm  2D) Edmonton Age Friendly Alliance: Food Security and Aging
    1:50 – 2:30 pm   3D) Edmonton Age Friendly Alliance: GeronTechnology
  • Friday Evening, November 1, 2024
    5:00 – 6:00 pm  Registration 
    6:30 – 9:00 pm  Banquet Dinner (in-person) 
    7:00 – 7:15 pm   Evening Program: Welcome Remarks
    7:15 – 7:45 pm   Keynote: Empowering Our Journey! with Linda Powell
    7:45 – 8:15 pm  Awards Ceremony 
    8:15 – 9:00 pm  Entertainment 
  • Saturday Day, November 2, 2024 – Empowerment & Action
    8:00 – 9:00 pm  Registration & Breakfast
    8:55 – 9:10 am Welcome and Opening Remarks
    9:10 – 9:50 am Panel Session: CCCE, National Caregiving Strategy
    9:50 – 10:00 am   Transition Break
    10:00 – 10:45 am 4A) Creating Empowering Spaces 4B) Balancing Relationships 4C) Indigenous Led Self-Care session
    10:45 – 11:00 pm Transition Break
    11:00 – 11:45 pm 5A) Empathic Communication in Health & Community 5B) Work & Care 5C) Self-Care Manage Stress
    1:00 – 1:40 pm 6A) Caregiver AWARE Communities, Rapid Round 6B) Empowering First Nations Caregiving: Braiding Traditional and Modern Practices with Grant Bruno 6C) Self Care: Conversation Café
    1:40 – 2:20 pm 7A) Caregiving at a Distance 7B) Grief & Loss 7C) Self-Care Session: Laughter Yoga
    2:20 – 2:30 pm Transition Break
    2:30 – 3:10 pm Panel Session: Caregiver Friendly Communities led by Dr. Cormac Russell
    3:10 – 3:15 pm Closing Remarks

For more details check out Caregivers Together 2024 on the Whova App

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For feature details, visit Whova

 

Disclaimer: Please note that session topics are subject to change. We will make every effort to notify attendees of any significant changes in advance.

Venue Details

Whether attending in person or virtually, Caregivers Together 2024 offers something for everyone.

Attending in-person venue

DoubleTree by Hilton West Edmonton
16615 109 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5P 4K8

For reservation please call 1-800-661-9804 or 780-484-0821, and ask for the Caregivers Conference 2024 room block. Or book through this link: https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/caregiversconference2024/ to ensure a room in our guestroom block. All reservations in the guestroom block must be made before Saturday, October 5, 2024.

Attending Virtually

Caregivers Alberta has secured the use of Whova; a virtual platform that will live stream all sessions, provide virtual interactions with exhibitors, and connect you to conference delegates across Alberta.

Whether attending in-person, or virtually, all attendees will receive a conference bag!

Ticket Pricing

Caregiver Ticket Pricing
$40 Early Bird
$50 General Admission

Healthcare Professionals and Service Providers
$100 Early Bird
$150 General Admission

Banquet Tickets
$15

Early Bird sales end September 30, 2024

Caregivers Alberta has partnered with donors to provide a subsidy program to support caregivers who wish to attend but may not be able to afford the cost. To request subsidy support, please click on the link below and complete the form. Upon approval applicants will receive up to two conference registrations.

Conference Subsidy

Join us for Caregivers Together 2024!