Palatine senior center director speaker at Taiwan conference

Carol Reagan, executive director of the Palatine Township Senior Citizens Council and chairman of the National Council on Aging's National Institute of Senior Centers, was a keynote speaker at the 2014 International Conference of Elder Education and Intergenerational Learning: Toward an Aged Society of Intergenerational Cohesion, which was held March 7-8, in Taipei, Taiwan.

Organized by National Chung Cheng University, the conference drew approximately 600 attendees from Taiwan, Japan and the United States.

Reagan spoke on "The Development and Management of Innovative Senior Centers," highlighting programs and services from senior centers throughout the United States.

"This was an amazing opportunity to showcase innovative U.S. programs and services, and to learn about senior centers in Taiwan," Reagan said.

Conference attendees heard simultaneous translation of each presentation into their primary language, and the conference program book contains the PowerPoint slides of all speakers translated into English and Mandarin, as appropriate.

Reagan visited the Ji Mei Senior Citizens Learning Center, an Active Learning Demonstration Center, Taiwan's version of a senior center, in New Taipei City. The Ji Mei Center is collocated with an elementary school, providing opportunities for intergenerational programming. Reagan visited a paper cutting class, a traditional art, and was given gifts of samples of their work.

Reagan also visited Taipei Medical University, one of the Active Life Long Learning Universities. Reagan attended a class taught by a physical therapist about therapeutic massage, which she volunteered to be part of a demonstration of massage technique.

Reagan will be presenting information on Taiwan Active Learning and Life Long Learning Universities at the 2014 National Institute of Senior Centers/Florida Conference on Aging in August.

For over 40 years, PTSCC has provided programs and services which support older adults and their families by encouraging independence, well-being and connection to the community. Recreation, Education, Health and Wellness, Noon Dining, Home Delivered Meals, Adult Day Care, and Social Services programs are available to persons 50 and older and their families that live in Palatine Township and the surrounding communities in the North and Northwest suburbs. Services are available in English, Spanish and Russian at seven satellite locations. The Social Services staff also makes home visits as needed.

For information, visit www.ptscc.org or call (847) 991-1112.

Information on the National Council on Aging's National Institute of Senior Centers is available at www.ncoa.org/national-institute-of-senior-centers.