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OLLI 'Conscious Aging' Lecture Series Takes Off Sept. 17

Learners in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Duke (OLLI) turn their attention to practical matters this week as the Conscious Aging Series begins its fifth year of lunchtime offerings. The free public lecture series addresses issues facing older Americans.

This year’s lectures will be held on 10 Wednesdays through early December at the Judea Reform Education Building, 1933 W. Cornwallis Rd. They cover topics as diverse as finding little-known North Carolina travel destinations to reducing everyday stress with yoga.

“We have fun coming up with new ideas and finding speakers for ideas suggested by OLLI members, as well as re-visiting crowd favorites like North Carolina travel and Medicare updates," says Patti Rieser, who co-chairs the series organizing committee with Susan Schaffer.

A talk on Nov. 5, titled “N.C. Ticks and Their Pathogens,” will offer tips to prevent tick-borne diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, of which North Carolina is one of the national leaders. Marcia Herman-Giddens, founder of the nonprofit Tick-Borne Infections Council of North Carolina, Inc., will talk about the risks and symptoms of tick-borne diseases and how to prevent them.

The Conscious Aging lecture series was born in January 2008, under the guidance of then OLLI Director Catherine Frank and members Rita Weimer, Juanita Johnson, Marcia Tuttle and Sara Craven. Most topics address areas of interest or concern for people as they age, though some are just fun.

Here’s the full schedule:

  • Sept. 17 -- The Vibrant Triangle Theater Scene, Tim Scales, general manager of PlayMakers Repertory Company and founder of Wagon Wheels Art Promotion
  • Sept. 24 -- Common Foot Challenges and How to Treat Them, Jane Anderson, podiatrist
  • Oct. 1 -- Acupuncture, Christina Fish, licensed acupuncturist
  • Oct. 8 -- Healthy Brain Aging, Kate Hayden of the Joseph and Kathleen Bryan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Duke
  • Oct. 22 -- Travel in North Carolina, Amy Pasquini, marketing development director of “Our State” magazine
  • Oct. 29 --Healthy Movement for Body, Mind and Spirit, Mischa Decker, PT and Pilates instructor
  • Nov. 5 -- N.C. Ticks and Their Pathogens, Marcia Herman-Giddens
  • Nov. 12 -- Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking, An End-of-Life Option, Susan Schaffer and Dr. Elliot Schaffer
  • Nov. 19 -- Medicare Overview: Current Options and Changes, Barry Mowbray, Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP)
  • Dec 3 – Stress Reduction Through Yoga, Carol Krucoff, co-director of the Teaching Yoga to Seniors program at Duke Integrative Medicine

All of the talks will be held from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. in the Commons Room at JDC.