What does it truly mean to grow and thrive as we age?
In this thought-provoking Counterpoint event from the UI’s Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, Mercedes Bern-Klug (School of Social Work, CLAS) and Amy Colbert (Tippie College of Business) will explore the diverse ways we live, adapt, and flourish in our later years, whether we choose to navigate life independently or in a communal care setting.
Against the backdrop of a growing loneliness epidemic among older adults, the two will discuss the health and social benefits of nursing home care; the challenges facing residents, families, and staff at these centers; the vital role families and communities play in older adults’ lives; and the opportunities for connection and personal growth that continue throughout our later years.
For each annual event in Obermann’s new Counterpoint series, two University of Iowa researchers from different disciplines will discuss a compelling topical issue in a public forum. Discussions will take place in the beautiful Voxman Recital Hall, and a short musical program designed to echo the theme of the conversation will open each event. Series events are free and open to all.
About the speakers:
Mercedes Bern-Klug
Mercedes Bern-Klug is a professor specializing in gerontology, with a focus on long-term services and supports for older persons and persons with disabilities. Previously, she was the Director of the UI School of Social Work.
Bern-Klug conducts research on how social workers and other health care providers can support older adults and their family members with the psychosocial implications of medical decision-making in long-term care settings. Her research has been supported by the AARP Andrus Foundation, the John A. Hartford Foundation, The Soros Foundation, the UI Cancer and Aging Program, and the Retirement Research Foundation. In 2010 she was awarded the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty Achievement Award for excellence in research, teaching, and service. In 2011, she was inducted as a fellow in the Gerontological Society of America. In 2014, she was appointed by the Iowa City Council to the Ad Hoc Senior Services committee to review the senior center and senior services in the Iowa City area. She edited the book Transforming Palliative Care in Nursing Homes: The Social Work Role (Columbia University Press, 2010).
Amy Colbert
Amy Colbert is Professor of Management & Entrepreneurship and University of Iowa Distinguished Chair in the UI Tippie College of Business. Her research focuses on the ways in which individuals connect with their work, their co-workers, their supervisors, and their organizations in ways that motivate and sustain them. She also investigates the role of individual differences and identities in shaping people’s responses to work contexts. Finally, she studies leaders, examining the factors that contribute to effective leadership and the mechanisms by which leaders achieve results. Amy has published scholarly articles on these topics in academic journals, including the Academy of Management Journal, the Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, and The Leadership Quarterly.
Full bio