2022 Spring Conference: Family Vitality and Variation in Aging

The Spring Conference focuses on a single concept related to Bowen theory. Guest scientists, researchers, and leaders in the study of family systems offer presentations related to the topic during this two-day conference. There is ample time for questions and discussion with the audience.

Date: April 8-9th, 2022

Location: Online via Zoom

This conference explores how the family relationships interact with the process of aging.  Aging family members have an important place in vital families impacting health and vigor of all. More disconnected families include more isolated elders impacting health and life satisfaction. Presentations and interviews will illustrate how the use of Bowen theory impacts growing old.  

Melissa deCardi Hladek, Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University Nursing, will bring her expertise, as researcher-clinician, to discuss her research that focuses on how stress, self-efficacy, resilience, and sociocultural factors influence the biology of aging, chronic disease, frailty progression and resilience trajectories. Dr. Hladek’s presentations will focus on the biological underpinnings of aging. She will report on preliminary findings from a research project on successful aging during a global pandemic. The data comes from a nationally representative large cohort study and includes findings from a COVID-19 supplement cohort. Her research goals are to further understand the role of stress and coping in aging and develop novel strategies and policies to mitigate these effects. 

Sections

Order Recordings | Guest Speaker | Schedule | Recommended Resources | CEU/CEs | Previous Spring Conferences

Melissa deCardi Hladek

Assistant Professor
Department of Nursing Faculty- Johns Hopkins School of Nursing

Melissa deCardi Hladek is a researcher-clinician with work focusing on how stress, self-efficacy, resilience, and sociocultural factors influence the biology of aging, chronic disease, frailty progression and resilience trajectories. Her research spans from nationally representative large cohort datasets to community participatory qualitative and mixed methods for interventional design and implementation. Her research goals are to further understand the role of stress and coping in aging and develop novel strategies and policies to mitigate these effects. Dr. Hladek attended Johns Hopkins University for her PhD and postdoctoral training, Columbia University for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing, and Scripps College for her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience. She is a special volunteer at the NIH working on novel methods of collecting biological data. A family nurse practitioner since 2004, Dr. Hladek has worked with vulnerable populations experiencing homelessness and incarceration and in both rural and urban settings with primarily Spanish-speaking immigrant communities. She is currently the president-elect for the National Association of Hispanic Nurses-DC Chapter and advisor for the Latinx Health Advisory Group at Hopkins School of Nursing.

DR. Hladek spoke ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS AT THE conference:

• Resilience and Resilience Trajectories in Healthy Aging

  In health-related research, the constructs of resilience and self-efficacy are used quite broadly to capture physical, mental and structural- related health dynamics. In this lecture, Dr. Hladek will explore aspects of resilience and self-efficacy relating to stress biomarkers and physical and mental states, and how the aging process interacts in this framework.  This talk will also discuss the potential usefulness of resilience trajectories in predicting disease progression and mortality in certain older adult populations.

• Living our Best Lives and Aging Successfully in the Midst of a Global Pandemic

  The COVID-19 pandemic has caused not only severe illness and death, but also significant disruptions in the day-to-day lives of older adults. In this lecture, Dr. Hladek will explore survey findings from a nationally representative sample of older adults along with results from recently concluded qualitative, survey and biological work from a local sample of frail and non-frail older adults to glean insight into adaptation and coping used with the pandemic in multiple domains of life including: family and social interactions, technology and medical care access, finances, and physical and mental health.

Friday, April 8th

Saturday, April 9th

Family Matters videos

We have created a playlist of relevant Family Matters videos to encourage your thinking. Check it out here!

Journal Articles

Bowen, M. (2017). A Systems View of the Aging Process. Family Systems Journal 13(1): 47-62.

Brooks, L. (1998). Family Process and Variability in Human Aging. Family Systems Journal 4(2): 107-117.

The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family/Georgetown Family Center is authorized by the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners and the District of Columbia Board of Social Work to provide continuing education credit. This program is a Category I offering.

The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family/Georgetown Family Center has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6225. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family/Georgetown Family Center is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

The two-day conference will provide a total of 10 hours of Category I continuing education credit for social workers and for counselors. Registrants must attend the conference live to receive continuing education credit. We do not offer continuing education credit for viewing conference recordings.

IF YOU PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CEU/CE PROCESS, IT IS NECESSARY TO:

• Pay the CEU/CE fee of $30 prior to the start of the conference.

• Attend the entire livestreamed conference.

• Enable video so that you are visible throughout the entirety of the conference (except during designated breaks or lunch).

• Submit a completed evaluation.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn more about how Bowen theory illuminates an understanding of family life across generations that extends beyond the gathering of genealogical facts.

• Participants will have a better understanding of how learning about the history of their family affects who they are today.

• Participants will learn about the origins and history of genealogical research.

• Participants will learn from Bowen thinkers how research in their families has contributed to work on differentiation of self.

If you have any questions about CEU/CEs, please email ceu@thebowencenter.org.

Georgetown Family Center, Inc.

Spring Conference

ACEP No. 6225

2022- Family Vitality and Variation in Aging

2021- Unlocking the Mystery of the Family Emotional History

2020 - Creating a Climate for Change

More Info

For further information, please email The Bowen Center.