Presenters Nancy Gordon and Donald Koepke created this workshop to assist all those who create programs for older adults  in senior centers, residential settings, congregations and long-term care residences.  Many times the problems we seek to address in programming such as helplessness, loneliness, and boredom are spiritual problem and yet we often don't think about spiritual resources or practices when creating programs for those we serve.  Nancy and Don believe that looking programming through a spiritual lens will help all those who seek to create and provide programming for older adults that goes beyond entertainment and "keeping them busy."

In Cupertino Nancy and Don will be joined by Fieke Dijkstra, founder of Aging Gracefully, who will present her journey from working as a physical therapist within a medical model of care, to developing Aging Gracefully--a programming intiative that brings spirituality infused programs to those in long term care.

Objectives of Course

• To define and explain spirituality in such a way so that it can be seen as a doorway to enhancing resident programming in ways that deepen meaning and purpose and connection to self, others, and the wider world.
• To offer suggested spiritual practices for the nurture of the spiritual component of life and to enable aging with grace and zest.
• To offer examples and pathways of planning programming, using existing resources, that touches the spirit of the residents and the staff.

 As a result of this course participants will take home a simple, practical and accessible definition of spirituality  that allows participants to:

• look at programming through a spiritual lens
• intentionally provide programming for residents that deepen their sense of life’s meaning
• offer opportunities for connection with themselves, others, the wider world, and the transcendent.

About the Presenters

Nancy Gordon has served as director of CLH and Sunny View Centers for Spirituality and Aging since 2008.  From 1998-2007 she was director of Growth Opportunities at Friendship Village of Schaumburg, IL, a large continuing care retirement community. The Growth Opportunities program she developed contained spiritual life, activity/recreation, arts, fitness, and life-long learning components. It was her charge to put a spiritual foundation under all the programs, believing that each of them had the potential to touch residents' spirits in positive ways.  Before entering the world of serving older adults she worked in historical agencies and libraries, attended seminary in mid-life, became an ordained pastor and served as an associate pastor in a congregation in Illinois.  

Donald Koepke is director emeritus of the CLH Center for Spirituality and Aging,  having served as its director from 1999-2008.  Rev. Koepke has been a Lutheran pastor for more than 30 years serving three congregations in three states.  Rev. Koepke has presented many workshops on spirituality and aging for both staff of long-term care facilities and churches throughout the country.  As a retirement community chaplain, Rev. Koepke created annual week-long "Celebration of Life" events that engaged residents in many domains of life-including the spiritual.