Marilyn Gugliucci gives several presentations on older adult topics

Marilyn R. Gugliucci, Ph.D., professor in the College of Osteopathic Medicine and director for Geriatrics Education and Research, has provided a number of invited lectures during the month of May, 2014.

On May 8, Gugliucci participated in the Pecha Kucha (Japanese for “Chit Chat”) event at River Tree Arts in Kennebunk, which required a very unique style of presentation. Her topic was on the Learning by Living nursing home project and was presented using 20 images from the project.  No words were used on the images; only pictures, and only 20 seconds of oral presentation were allotted for each slide. The presentation took 6 minutes and 40 seconds. Approximately 100 community members attended the Pecha Kucha, which included 10 presentations in total. 

On May 12, she was the keynote presenter for the Maine Colloquium on Aging. The Conference focus was on “Helping Older Adults in Crisis.” Gugliucci conducted focus groups with 85 older adults representing a variety of ages, health status, and finances. Quotations from the older adults were incorporated into the presentation. The words “help” and “crisis” are hot buttons for older adults who advise health care providers to ask older adult patients if they are in crisis rather than presume that they are.

On May 19, Gugliucci presented a grand rounds session to the practitioners at The Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle, Maine, and on May 20, she was the keynote presenter for the Aroostook Area Agency on Aging Senior Expo, which attracted 250 attendees. 

The last of Gugliucci’s May presentations was held at the Augusta Civic Center on May 28. Dr Gugliucci was the keynote presenter for the Maine Association of Retirees.  The audience included over 300 attendees.

Presenting to older adults is a highlight for Gugliucci.  She noted that “it is great fun, and the audience response is always incredibly gratifying.”  Her message is centered on moving beyond the disease, decline, withdrawal paradigm associated with aging.