VCU Gerontology

Are you:
60 years or older?
A Virginia Resident?
If you answered yes to both, this message is for you.

You are invited to participate in a brief survey about senior nutrition programs in Virginia. This needs assessment is part of an Administration for Community Living (ACL)–funded initiative to strengthen how meal programs support our nutritional and behavioral health needs.
Your experience will help inform training, technical assistance and resources designed to support programs across Virginia.

What to Expect:
- The survey takes approximately 15–20 minutes
- Questions focus on barriers to access and participation in group meal programs, as well as opportunities to improve congregate meals
- You may skip any question
- You may stop at any time

If you would prefer to complete the survey by telephone, please contact:
Morgan Carr, Project Manager
[email protected]

Survey Link: https://redcap.vcu.edu/surveys/?s=WWH4WCJFANH3PY9K

Congratulations to Dr. Annie Rhodes on receiving the 2026 Rising Star Award from the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Richmond 🌟

This award honors community leaders, advocates, and care facilities that have championed dementia inclusion, raised vital funds and expanded local community awareness.

Dr. Rhodes' dedication to furthering Alzheimer's awareness through her work with the Virginia Memory Project and Alzheimer's Association demonstrate her passion for advocacy.

We are thrilled to announce that Jenny Inker, Ph.D. has been selected as the recipient of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) 2026 Distinguished Faculty Award 🌟

The Distinguished Faculty Award recognizes persons whose teaching stands out as exemplary, innovative, of impact or any combination thereof.

Congratulations, Dr. Inker! We are so proud of you. Your excellence in teaching continues to blaze a trail forward for gerontologists everywhere.

An estimated 5 million, or 1 in 10, older Americans experience elder abuse, neglect or
exploitation. Working together across our networks, we can generate awareness and foster
action to end elder abuse. Let’s work to keep everyone safe as we age.
https://ncea.usc.edu/weaad

The 5th Annual RVA WEAAD Conference is an annual event brought to you by individuals and organizations working collaboratively to raise awareness and offer education to combat abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults, in the Richmond metro area.

Members of this committee represent the following organizations and localities: THE SPAN CENTER (the local area agency on aging), VCU Health, Virginia Center on Aging, Richmond City and the counties of Henrico and Chesterfield.

This year our theme is that of “Powered by Partnerships” and its feature presentation will focus on the intersection of dementia and elder mistreatment. Individuals living with dementia are particularly susceptible to elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. This abuse often goes undetected due to challenges with memory, communication, and judgement.

Along with highlighting dementia as a significant risk factor for elder abuse, this session will provide attendees with an understanding of dementia and how it affects judgement, language, and memory. Participants will gain strategies for successfully communicating with individuals living with dementia in interviews.

Register today at https://redcap.vcu.edu/surveys/?s=N9HJF8YPXTHARP9D.

WEAAD 2026 Registration

The recordings from The Missing Middle: Aging with Lifelong Disabilities Webinar Wednesday Series are available on the Area Planning and Services Committee on Aging with Lifelong Disabilities (APSC) YouTube Channel.

This four-part series explored practical, real-world topics relevant to adults ages 20–40 with lifelong disabilities and the families, caregivers, self-advocates, and professionals who support them. The series addresses the needs of adults who often find themselves in the "missing middle" after transitioning out of school-based services and while navigating a fragmented system of adult supports.

Topics included:

• Supported Decision-Making in Virginia
• All Needs Planning
• Housing Advocacy: Centers for Independent Living, and Shared Living Options in Virginia
• Social Connection, featuring a panel of self-advocates sharing their lived experiences and perspectives

Watch the full playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpZ890KYnH6J8B7XWJWurkjqM6Hn1CIWR

Please share these recordings with colleagues, community partners, individuals with disabilities and their family members, and others who may find them helpful.

The Missing Middle: Aging with Lifelong Disabilities in Early Adulthood This Wednesday Webinar Series explores practical, real-world topics for adults ages 20–40 with lifelong disabilities, including housing and independent livin...

Virginia Center on Aging's ALTER Program invites you to see this documentary film that addresses the important issue of caregiving for a loved one. Afterward there is opportunity for a Q&A with local experts in caregiving, dementia navigation and healthy living. Register today at https://vcu.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=81625c4d6cbe716e1a73df184&id=68bc95af33&e=c39b72e91c.

CORRECTED TIME: Join us for a free virtual training series for nursing home staff across Virginia. Sonya Barsness, Karen Stobbe, and VCU Gerontology will discuss: All Hands on Deck: It Takes a Village to Do Person-Centered Dementia Care.

In this session, we will focus on the idea that, in order to truly practice person-centered dementia care, each team member plays a part. This means everyone: nurses, nurse aides, housekeepers, life enrichment folks, maintenance, receptionists etc. What does this look like? How do you take steps to have all hands on deck?

Register for this training at https://form.jotform.com/260436625678163.

This series has been created for the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) Nursing Facility Quality Improvement Program (NFQIP) using Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Reinvestment Funds.

Join us for a free virtual training series for nursing home staff across Virginia. Sonya Barsness, Karen Stobbe, and VCU Gerontology will discuss: All Hands on Deck: It Takes a Village to Do Person-Centered Dementia Care.

In this session, we will focus on the idea that, in order to truly practice person-centered dementia care, each team member plays a part. This means everyone: nurses, nurse aides, housekeepers, life enrichment folks, maintenance, receptionists etc. What does this look like? How do you take steps to have all hands on deck?

Register for this training at https://form.jotform.com/260436625678163.

This series has been created for the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) Nursing Facility Quality Improvement Program (NFQIP) using Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Reinvestment Funds.

Henrico County recently earned the Virginia Association of Counties’ highest award for a program designed to increase awareness of ageism and highlight how stereotyping, prejudice or bias against older adults can lead to poorer health outcomes.

The program, titled “Combating Ageism Amongst Emergency Service Providers,” received the Best Achievement Award among the 40 recipients of VACo’s 2026 awards program.

Henrico also earned an Achievement Award for “Arrive Alive,” a comprehensive transportation safety program to improve understanding and address patterns of fatal and serious injury crashes across the community.

“Combating Ageism” was developed in 2024 by the Outreach & Engagement Agency’s Older Adult Services unit and the Division of Fire, with guidance from the Virginia Center on Aging.

To read the full article by Henrico Citizen, click this link: https://www.henricocitizen.com/henrico-ageism-awarness-program-earns-top-vaco-award/. Photo from Citizen files.