Our brain is an incredible and complex organ that impacts virtually every aspect of our existence, from monitoring vital life functions, to processing information, and creating memories. While memory is an important part of cognitive function, it is just one aspect of the brain’s interdependent functionality which impacts our ability to govern how we live and how we age. Let’s journey together and unpack how each of the brain’s cognitive domains are designed to harmoniously work together to optimize your total health and wellness.

Brian Browne, Cognitive Care Management, Neuro Nutrition^TM

Brian Browne is the president of Cognitive Care Management and founder of Neuro Nutrition™. Brian is a cognitive scientist and neuro-nutritionist. He possesses over 20 years of expertise in the fields of aging, dementia, nutrition, and clinical research. He is a noted public speaker and a frequent lecturer at meetings and conferences regionally and nationally. His research interests include examining the role of nutrition and non-pharmacological approaches to reduce the risks of cognitive decline, chronic disease and abnormal aging. Brian has the pleasure of serving on the leadership council of the Alzheimer’s Association, the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, and the boards of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, AZ-TW Society of Technology, the Southwest Association for Education in Biomedical Research and Dementia Research & Education Network. Brian has been featured by many media outlets and produces regular content for various publications. His award-winning podcast BrainHealth 365™ has been featured in Podcast Magazine® and can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Explore various tips and tricks on how to prevent fall and discover local resources that will help those in our community remain upright.

Margaret Ricchio, B.S. and Haleigh Couch, B.A., Kenosha County Aging and Disability Resource Center

Margaret Ricchio is The Caregiver Support Coordinator for the Kenosha County Aging and Disability Resource Center. She provides Family Caregiver support and information through Evidence-Based programs, on-line services, and oversees grants for respite. She facilitates the Kenosha County Caregiver Coalition. Margaret has years of experience as a family caregiver and realizes the importance of self-care for caregivers. She has also been a Residential Program Manager for Kenosha Human Development Services and Lake County Society for Human Development. Margaret earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from U.W. Parkside.
 

Haleigh Couch received her Bachelors of Arts in Health Promotion and Exercise Science from Waldorf University in Forest City, Iowa. After college she was an Activity Coordinator in Assisted Livings, Independent Livings, and Memory Care. She received a Certified Dementia Practitioner certificate during her time in memory care, helping her understand Alzheimer’s and Dementia care better. Haleigh started working for the Aging and Disability Resource Center in 2022, and has become very passionate for falls and for helping those prevent future falls. Haleigh provides support and information for those that are experiencing frequent falls. She also helps facilitate the Health and Wellness Programs and Kenosha County Falls Coalition.

Dance is an art form increasingly recognized for its role in promoting lifelong brain health and wellbeing in part through community engagement coupled with physical fitness. A growing body of evidence illustrates the protective effects of dance on brain health among older adults: engaging motor function, supporting well-being, offsetting depression, and offering ameliorative cognitive effects. For people living with dementia, dance centers dignity and meaning and extends resources for engagement and connection at a time when other forms of communication might be limited. Magda Kaczmarska is a community-based dance artist, creative aging advocate, and Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health. In this interactive discussion, Magda will discuss current research on the connection of dance and brain health and offer examples of how this research can be translated to practice for older adults and people living with dementia, creating a safe and fun space for creativity, health, and community.

Magda Kaczmarska, MFA, Global Brain Health Institute

Magda Kaczmarska is a dance artist, researcher and creative aging thought leader. She is an Atlantic Fellow for Equity for Brain Health with the Global Brain Health Institute, an international organization dedicated to mitigating the scale and impact of dementia and promoting brain health across the life course. Magda mentors future leaders in the arts and health sector through a regular partnership at the Fordham Ailey School of Dance in New York City and the Arts in Medicine Fellowship in Lagos, Nigeria. Magda serves as a representative to the UN with Generations United, is on the executive committee of the UN NGO Committee on Ageing New York and is the Vice President of the Foundation Dementia Action Alliance Poland. Through DanceStream Projects, an arts and health collective centering dance as a catalyst for systems change, Magda created and runs several award-winning dance programs which apply evidence-informed approaches to extend brain health to older adults and people living with dementia while amplifying their creative voice. Magda received an MFA in Dance Performance & Choreography and a BS in Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics from the University of Arizona.

Learn more about Dance Stream Projects

Over 90% of individuals living with dementia will experience distress behaviors putting themselves and others at risk. But it doesn’t have to be this way. This session will describe a highly effective, non-pharmacological approach to prevent and de-escalate distress behaviors and improve quality care outcomes.

Kim Warchol, OTR/L, President of Dementia Care Specialists, Crisis Prevention Institute

Kim has been practicing as an Occupational Therapist for over 22 years and she founded Dementia Care Specialists in 1999. Kim is an expert in the Allen Cognitive Disabilities Model, and since 1999 she has educated over 5,000 therapists and other health care professionals on the best abilities approach to dementia evaluation, treatment, and programming. In addition, she has set up many dementia living environments and care programs using this model. Kim was instrumental in the advocacy effort which led to the 2001 CMS Memorandum prohibiting the denial of therapy services based solely on the diagnosis of dementia. Kim was a committee member which was responsible for creating the Illinois Dementia Care Unit Minimum Standards of Care. She was member of the AOTA Cognitive Disability Expert Panel, and Kim contributed to the development of the Dementia Care Guidelines for Assisted Living Facilities and Nursing Homes published by the Alzheimer’s Association. She has authored several dementia care articles and she lectures nationally on various topics of dementia care and the aging.

This session will discuss essential skills in skin care and inspection, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the process. Special emphasis will be placed on disease-specific considerations such as diabetes and heart failure. The session will also cover guidelines for recognizing when to seek professional medical advice for skin issues. Furthermore, participants will be equipped with knowledge of skin injury prevention strategies, promoting proactive health measures. Lastly, the session will explore community and health system resources, empowering individuals to navigate and utilize available support networks effectively.

Jessica Birkholz, BSN, RN, WCC, Advocate Aurora Health

Jessica is a Certified Wound Care Coordinator in the Home Health & Hospice setting. She has been an RN at her organization for nearly 14 years. Her experience includes Emergency Nursing, Home Health Nursing Case Management for 9 years and Wound Care and Ostomy Specialty/Wound Care Coordinator for the last 5 years.  

In her current role, Jessica develops and provides wound & ostomy training for nurses in the Home Health and Hospice settings. She is a resource to both nurses and leaders, keeping up to date on best practices in her field and performing wound & ostomy consultations for high-risk patient populations. She is involved in policy and procedure development and review, assists in the management of the medical supply, and patient safety. 

She is a member of a regional level Skin & Wound Care Committe at her organization. In this region level role, she assists in the review & development of wound/ostomy related policy, procedure, and practice standards, education courses and materials, product review and implementation, as well as efforts to reduce pressure injury incidence. Jessica is also a member of a regional level Home Health and Hospice Subject Matter Expert group that reviews and supports implementation of clinical documentation optimization. 

Jessica is passionate about educating, engaging and supporting patients and clinicians with information in the Wound and Ostomy Specialties. 

Cary Thompson, BSN, RN, WCC, Advocate Aurora Health

Cary is a Certified Wound & Ostomy Care Coordinator in the Home Health & Hospice setting. She has been an RN for 16 years, with 7 years' experience in Inpatient Medical-Respiratory and Medical-Surgical Telemetry/Stepdown patient care areas and 9 years' experience as a Certified Wound Ostomy Specialist in the Inpatient, Outpatient and Home care settings.  

In her current role, Cary develops and provides wound & ostomy training for nurses and uses her expertise to provide regular consultation services to patients, nurses and providers, influence practice standards, policy & procedures, supply management, and patient safety in the Home Health & Hospice setting.

She co-chairs a regional level Skin & Wound Care Committe at her organization and is responsible for coordinating the review & development of organizational wound/ostomy related policy, procedure, and practice standards, education courses and materials, product review and implementation, as well as efforts to reduce pressure injury incidence. 

Cary is passionate about engaging and supporting patients and clinicians in the Wound & Ostomy Specialty. 

Our brain is an incredible and complex organ that impacts virtually every aspect of our existence, from monitoring vital life functions, to processing information, and creating memories. While memory is an important part of cognitive function, it is just one aspect of the brain’s interdependent functionality which impacts our ability to govern how we live and how we age. Let’s journey together and unpack how each of the brain’s cognitive domains are designed to harmoniously work together to optimize your total health and wellness.

Brian Browne, Cognitive Care Management, Neuro Nutrition^TM

Brian Browne is the president of Cognitive Care Management and founder of Neuro Nutrition™. Brian is a cognitive scientist and neuro-nutritionist. He possesses over 20 years of expertise in the fields of aging, dementia, nutrition, and clinical research. He is a noted public speaker and a frequent lecturer at meetings and conferences regionally and nationally. His research interests include examining the role of nutrition and non-pharmacological approaches to reduce the risks of cognitive decline, chronic disease and abnormal aging. Brian has the pleasure of serving on the leadership council of the Alzheimer’s Association, the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, and the boards of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, AZ-TW Society of Technology, the Southwest Association for Education in Biomedical Research and Dementia Research & Education Network. Brian has been featured by many media outlets and produces regular content for various publications. His award-winning podcast BrainHealth 365™ has been featured in Podcast Magazine® and can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Did you know that Medicare loses billions, yes BILLIONS of dollars each year due to fraud, errors, and abuse? Think it can’t happen to you? Think it doesn’t happen in Wisconsin? Unfortunately, think again: it could, and it does. Join us to learn more about how you can protect, detect, and report Medicare-related fraud with the help of Wisconsin’s Senior Medicare Patrol.

Ingrid Kundinger, MBA, Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources

Ingrid joined the SMP program in September 2018. A life-long Wisconsinite, Ingrid grew up in northern Wisconsin, and has lived in Madison for the past 20+ years. Ingrid completed her undergraduate studies at UW – Green Bay and holds a Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Health Care Administration. Ingrid has dedicated most of her professional career to working with older adults and being involved in the aging network.
Ingrid is excited to be a part of the SMP team to empower Wisconsin's Medicare beneficiaries to prevent, detect and report health care fraud, abuse, and errors. She looks forward to visiting every corner of Wisconsin, sharing the SMP message.

When most people think of stroke recovery they think of hours of therapy, not fun and games. For those that don’t qualify for therapy or those looking to supplement therapy with something fun, board games are a way to do just that! Learn how games can help in your recovery, allow you to see progress over time and just have fun!

Linda Bub MSN, RN, GCNS-BC, NPD-BC, Aurora Advocate Health

Linda is the Regional Manager for Nursing Education and Professional Development at Advocate Aurora Health in Milwaukee, WI for the past 5 years. Her nursing background includes Nursing Education and Professional Development, Geriatrics and Home Care.

Andrew S. Bub

Andrew S. Bub — the GamerDad — has been writing about videogames, movies, and children for over 25 years. Andrew has worked as a magazine journalist, then switched gears to write about how media violence affects children, educated parents about them, and worked closely with magazines, newspapers, major retailers and even politicians. GamerDad is an internationally recognized expert in this field. In 2022 at the age of 51, Andrew had 2 strokes that impacted his vision, his memory and executive function. He used board games as therapy to learn to adapt to his vision loss, improve his memory and overall function. He is now sharing this with others and is now the “Brainer” dad!

Experience Zumba Gold, a vibrant dance workout tailored for active older adults, offering the exhilaration of Zumba at a lower intensity. Join us for an invigorating session that will help you work on balance, flexibility, and coordination, leaving you feeling empowered and energized. 

Gina Mayer

Wife of a hero & a mom of five adult children. Fur-mama of four. Gina teaches six classes a week of all formats of Zumba including: B1 Zumba, Zumba Toning, Zumba Gold, Aqua Zumba, Strong Nation(by Zumba), Piloxing, RIPPED. Gina also instructs private, personal training & choreography.

Gina's fitness journey includes maintaining a healthy weight with strength, training and cardio. Gina uses her time as a ministry to uplift other women young and young at heart.

Come learn and explore what music therapy and a music therapist is and how they take the therapeutic nature of music and use it for different areas of wellness. Learn  the difference between music therapy and therapeutic music, the different populations that can benefit, as well as participate in some examples of music therapy experiences.

Heidi Wojtak, MT-BC, Hospice Alliance

Heidi Wojtak is a Kenosha native with a life long passion for music and helping people. She attended the University of Minnesota Twin Cities received a Bachelors in Music Therapy and completed her internship at Bethany Children's Home in Pennsylvania before receiving her board certification in 2009. She has worked as a music therapist with a variety of populations including memory care, adult and pediatric mental health, children and adults with developmental delays, and has spent the past five years working with hospice patients. Heidi along With Hospice Alliance was recently awarded a grant to help add a heartbeat recording project to the services provided by Hospice Alliance and their music therapy program.