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Rural Health Conference

2026 Let’s Talk About Health: Caring for Older Adults in Rural New York

A virtual conference for healthcare professionals and caregivers serving older adults in rural areas

Access to healthcare and other supportive services are critical to maintaining good health as we age, yet older adults in rural areas face a variety of access barriers. These challenges are a topic not often covered in health professions education. The goal of this conference is identify and mitigate the challenges of providing health care in rural areas by increasing knowledge of population health data, treatment strategies, and supports and services in order to encourage and build resilience in rural caregivers and health care providers.

Date: Friday, May 8, 2026, 8:30am - 3:30pm ET

Cost: FREE

Registration is closed.

Rural Photos: We are continuing the tradition of the Rural Life in Pictures project - a slideshow of rural photos is shown during the lunch break. Pictures of scenery, landmarks, wildlife and nature are all welcome! You can email them to tsblasio@alz.org

AGENDA

8:30am - Welcome - Thera Blasio, Program Manager, Alzheimer's Association
8:35am - Opening Remarks - Doris Green, MPA, Director, NYS Caregiving and Respite Coalition
9:05am - Panel and discussion of the PBS documentary "Caregiving" (registrants will receive a link to watch the film for FREE)
10:25am - Break
10:40am - Wellness Interlude - Wendy Fambro, Lifespan of Greater Rochester
11:00am - Caregiving and Resiliency - Kristen Chalmers, LCSW, Roberts Wesleyan College
12:15pm - Lunch (on your own) with Rural Life in Pictures slide show
1:00pm - Trusts and Long Term Care Planning - Tania Anderson, JD, and Karin Sloan DeLaney, JD, Bousquet Holstein PLLC
2:15pm - Break
2:30pm - Alzheimer's Association Awareness - Thera Blasio and Andrea Foote, Alzheimer's Association
2:50pm - Closing and Evaluation

A free gift (i.e., conference swag) will be mailed to the first one hundred registrants who attend the full conference!

Don't want to watch on Zoom? Join us in-person at a Watch Party!

Yates-Schuyler Watch Party

Emergency Services Meeting Room, 939 Route 14A, Penn Yan, NY
Register by calling 1-800-272-3900 or email nfriedman@alz.org

For more information about this conference, please email tsblasio@alz.org

Continuing Education Credits

Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center, Inc. (WNY R-AHEC) is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Boards for Social Work (#SW-0685), Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Mental Health Practitioners (#MHC-0268), and Speech Language Pathology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers, physical therapists and assistants, occupational therapists, and assistants, licensed mental health counselors, and speech language pathologists.

ATTENDANCE AT THE ENTIRE PROGRAM IS REQUIRED TO CLAIM CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS.