Aging Well Conference
The 2026 Aging Well Conference is focused on healthy aging for the older adult.
The two day conference will address the unique healthcare needs of older adults and will advance the knowledge and skills of healthcare providers, caregivers, and community members in rural western North Carolina. With a blend of individual and group presentations, panel discussions, and demonstrations, the conference brings together diverse perspectives of healthcare experts, researchers, government officials, social service providers, as well as older adults and family caregivers.
Join us May 14 – 15, 2026
In-person at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC!
Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences
Appalachian State University
1179 State Farm Road, Boone NC
The Aging Well Conference brings together an interprofessional audience across clinical, community, and aging-services settings to support collaborative, age-friendly care grounded in the 4Ms framework.
Central to this year’s conference is the 4Ms Framework of Age-Friendly Health Systems:
- What Matters Most – Aligning care with each older adult’s health goals and preferences.
- Medication – Ensuring medications do not interfere with what matters most and minimizing harm.
- Mentation – Preventing, identifying, and managing dementia, depression, and delirium.
- Mobility – Supporting safe movement to maintain independence and reduce fall risk.
Through a blend of individual and group presentations and interactive demonstrations, the conference brings together diverse perspectives from healthcare experts, researchers, government officials, social service providers, as well as older adults and family caregivers. This collaborative approach ensures participants gain practical strategies to deliver age-friendly, person-centered care.
Registration and Cost
Registration for Community Members and Students will open soon!
Scholarship assistance to attend the conference will be available for older adults and caregivers who may need financial support.
Participants wishing to receive continuing education credits
Visit the Northwest AHEC conference site
Registration includes administrative costs, technology fees, instructional materials, program materials, lunch, morning and afternoon snacks both days, and a Social Hour after the first day of the conference
Who Should Attend?
This conference welcomes physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, social workers, PT/OT, SLP, pharmacists, dietitians, behavioral health providers, psychologists, care managers, long-term care administrators, and other allied health and community aging professionals
As part of our commitment to creating a space where all BELONG, Northwest AHEC provides education and encouragement for respectful care for all, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, language, nationality, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, geography, disability, and age.
Co-provided by:
BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina and Northwest Area Health Education Center (AHEC), a program of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and part of the NC AHEC System and The UNC Center for Aging and Health, Carolina Geriatric Education Center.
