Empowered Caregiver Conference

Join us for the Empowered Caregiver Conference on April 8, 2025 in Omaha. Register by April 1 to secure your spot.

Our Purpose

This free event event is exclusively for family caregivers of individuals with dementia. Our shared goal is to support family caregivers by providing practical advice, expert insights, and support from a community of people who understand your experience.

Conference Agenda

We’re pleased to provide a variety of sessions with topics geared towards supporting your caregiving experience. 

9:00-9:45 a.m.

Pre-Event Virtual Dementia Tour 

Optional Opportunity: sign up to experience the Virtual Dementia Tour facilitated by Agemark on behalf of Second Wind Dreams

10:00 – 10:05 a.m.

Welcome

Sadie Hinkel, Program Director (The Alzheimer’s Association)

10:05 – 10:45 a.m.

Supporting Independence

Ethan Schroder, Community Educator (The Alzheimer’s Association)

This program focuses on helping the person living with dementia take part in daily activities, providing the right amount of support and balancing safety and independence while managing expectations.

10:45 – 11:00 a.m.

Break

Grab a drink or a snack before our second session.

11:00-11:45 a.m.

Communicating Effectively

Terry Glover, Community Educator (The Alzheimer’s Association)

 

This session teaches how dementia affects communication, including tips for communicating well with family, friends and health care professionals.

11:45 a.m. – Noon

Quick Break

Take a quick break and get ready for our Lunch and Learn Session.

Noon-1:00 p.m.

Lunch and Learn 

Gayleen Bradley

As someone who has worked in senior care, and been a caregiver herself, Gayleen has a lot of experience with dementia. She’ll share her personal story, and will provide practical insights and expert advice for caregivers. 

1:00 – 1:15 p.m.

Break

Take a quick break before learning more.

1:15 – 1:55 p.m.

Exploring Care and Support Services

Sadie Hinkle, Alzheimer’s Association and Nicole Ellermeier, Agemark Senior Living

This session examines how best to prepare for future care decisions and changes, including respite care, residential care and end-of-life care.

1:55-2:00 p.m.

Closing

Jenny Moustakes, Symphony Pointe

2:00-3:00 p.m.

Post-Event Virtual Dementia Tour 

Optional Opportunity: sign up to experience the Virtual Dementia Tour facilitated by Agemark on behalf of Second Wind Dreams

Our Experts

We’ve gathered some of the best local experts on dementia caregiving to share their insight with you. Click on the individuals below to learn more. 

Gayleen Bradley

Gayleen Bradley

PAC Certified Dementia Consultant

Gayleen Bradley has worked in the health care industry for 17 years in the Lincoln and Omaha area, and has experience in home care, independent living, assisted living, skilled care, and hospice settings. She currently is the Administrator at Orchard Park Assisted Living. Gayleen is a PAC Certified Dementia Consultant. She has earned several different certifications in dementia care and has shared her knowledge with many families and professional caregivers to help enhance the lives of those they take care of who are affected by dementia.

She has also volunteered for the Alzheimer’s Association serving as an advocate, educator, committee member and support group facilitator. She currently facilitates two monthly dementia support groups.

PAC Certified Dementia Consultant

Nicole Ellermeier

Nicole Ellermeier

Agemark Senior Living

Bio Coming Soon

Agemark Senior Living

Sadie Hinkel

Sadie Hinkel

Program Director, Alzheimer's Association

Sadie Hinkel is the Program Director at the Alzheimer’s Association – Nebraska Chapter. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English Education from Morningside University and her Master’s Degree in Writing from Coastal Carolina University. Sadie has extensive experience working in public education and advocacy, and is passionate about providing and enhancing care and support for those affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Program Director, Alzheimer's Association

Terry Glover

Terry Glover

Community Educator, Alzheimer's Association

Terry Glover became a Volunteer Community Educator with the Alzheimer’s Association – Nebraska Chapter in 2018. She is retired and after the death of her mother in 2017, she and her husband relocated from Wichita, KS to Omaha to be near her daughter’s family. She has two other children, both sons, living in Kansas City and Dallas and gets to see them fairly regularly.

Terry chose the Alzheimer’s Association as a focused volunteer effort because the Association provided significant support during her mother’s 7 year journey with the disease where she was an active participant in her care. This is her tribute to her mother and “thank you” to the Alzheimer’s Association. She spends her time these days with her two grandsons, her church, and the Association.

Community Educator, Alzheimer's Association

April McKenna

April McKenna

Virtual Dementia Tour Certified Facilitator

April McKenna began as Director of Training and Development for Agemark Senior Living in 2019 and was promoted to Vice President of Training and Organizational Development in 2022. She is responsible for talent development which consists of developing, motivating and retaining talent. This involves new employee orientation, professional and leadership development, and coaching with Agemark employees. Her responsibilities also include organizational development, including team building, organizational effectiveness, change management, employee engagement, family satisfaction, succession planning and maximizing employee performance. 

April brings more than 20 years of experience in sales, operations, human resources, talent strategy, and organizational development and has worked with organizations including Cox Communications, Children’s Hospital, Caterpillar and Blue Cross & Blue Shield. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a master’s degree in Communications & Organizational/Industrial Psychology from Bellevue University. She holds certifications in Six Sigma, Change Management, Learning and Performance, Coaching, Behavioral Assessments and Dementia. She also holds her administrators license to operate assisted living communities in Nebraska, Iowa and California. 

April has first-hand experience with family caregiving, as her father lived with dementia as a result of a traumatic brain injury.

Virtual Dementia Tour Certified Facilitator

Jenny Moustakes

Jenny Moustakes

Symphony Pointe Senior Living

Jenny Moustakes is the Executive Director at Symphony Pointe Senior Living. Before being promoted to her current position, she was the Sales Director at Symphony Pointe for one year. She began her career in senior care a decade ago as a Public Relations Coordinator at Papillion Manor. Over the years, she has honed her skills in key roles, including Marketing Director at Hillcrest Country Estates and Esprit Whispering Ridge. Armed with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Jenny brings both expertise and passion to her work. Now at Symphony Pointe, she continues to make a meaningful impact on seniors’ lives, drawing from her deep community ties and unwavering dedication to their well-being. Symphony Pointe offers Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care services.

Symphony Pointe Senior Living

Ethan Schroeder

Ethan Schroeder

Community Educator, Alzheimer's Association

Ethan Schroeder is a Community Educator for the Alzheimer’s Association. He teaches at Creighton University. Ethan and his wife, Sarah, live in Gretna with their two children. His interest in serving with the Alzheimer’s Association stems from his father-in-law’s early stage diagnosis, as well as other family members affected by dementia.

 

 

 

Community Educator, Alzheimer's Association

Optional Opportunity:
Take the Virtual Dementia Tour

Experience what it’s like to live with dementia by taking this eye-opening tour. The tour is designed to give people the opportunity to experience what dementia is like through an individualized, experiential tour. This tour is appropriate for anyone who interacts with individuals with dementia. VDT slots will be offered before and after the conference. If you’re interested in taking the tour, please request a spot when registering for the conference. Spaces are extremely limited, and will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Event Location

450 S 193rd Street, Omaha, NE 68022

Zenia is a new event venue in Elkhorn and is connected to  All Holy Spirit Greek Orthodox Church.

Plenty of parking is available on the south side of Zenia. 

Register

Please complete the form below to register for the conference. This event is free to family caregivers for individuals with dementia. Those who wish to participate in the Virtual Dementia Tour will be contacted to confirm their time slot. 

This event is supported by Agemark Communities.

Questions? Reach out to learn more.