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HomeRegional NewsSDSU, NDSU Extension to Host Free Virtual Workshops on Aging Well

SDSU, NDSU Extension to Host Free Virtual Workshops on Aging Well

BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension and North Dakota State University Extension are hosting a series of free workshops to help older adults learn how to age well, stay healthy and remain in their own homes for as long as possible.

These aging well workshops will be held online via Zoom on Jan. 15, Feb. 19 and March 19, 2025. All presentations start at 9 a.m. MT / 10 a.m. CST and last one hour. They are free, and attendees can register as individuals or as watch party hosts. Ideal watch party hosts include county Extension offices, senior centers, libraries and community centers.

Workshops will be recorded and emailed to everyone who registers. To register for the January presentation, visit https://extension.sdstate.edu/events and search for “aging well”.

“Our aging well workshops offer older adults and family caregivers the opportunity to learn from local experts. Each workshop will provide clear ideas about what you can do to age well,” said Leacey Brown, SDSU Extension Gerontology Field Specialist. “What makes these workshops unique is that you can either view them as a webinar or you can join a watch party. Watch parties are great for anyone who may not have internet at home.”

Joseph Rees, a geriatrician with Avera in Sioux Falls, will kick off the 2025 aging well series on Jan. 15 with a presentation on how exercise can help older adults remain in their homes. He will describe how his patients benefit from exercise and how to incorporate it into daily life.

On Feb. 19, Dakota Witzel, an SDSU assistant professor of human development in context, will talk about mental health in older age, including common misconceptions. The session will help attendees spot the difference between conditions like depression and dementia, learn how to approach friends and family who may be experiencing mental health challenges and learn to support better well-being in themselves and others.

For the final presentation on March 19, Susan Johnson-Drenth will present on 2025 updates to elder law and estate planning. Johnson-Drenth is an elder law attorney certified by the National Elder Law Foundation and the president of JD Legal Planning PLLC, a Fargo, North Dakota, law firm focused on estate planning, elder law, probate, probate litigation, guardianship and trust law, including special needs trusts for people with disabilities.

For more information about this workshop or hosting a watch party, contact Leacey Brown, SDSU Extension Gerontology Field Specialist, at 605-394-1722 or Leacey.Brown@sdstate.edu.

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