WesleyLife has partnered with Des Moines-based Broadlawns Medical Center to launch a speaker series focused on health and well-being for older adults. This collaboration also offers a unique opportunity for health care resident physicians to engage with the senior community and gain valuable experience.
“At WesleyLife, we remain steadfast in our focus of increasing health span, ensuring those we serve have access to proactive wellness resources that help them live with vitality and independence,” WesleyLife chief operating officer Allison Pendroy, who is spearheading the partnership with Lora Keipper, Psy.D., director of behavioral sciences for Broadlawns, said.
“Bringing Broadlawns physician residents into our communities aligns well with our mission of supporting the independence, health and well-being of our customers, all the while creating opportunities for the people we serve to engage with the next generation of health care professionals on topics that matter most to their well-being,” Pendroy said.
The speaker series will begin Friday, March 21, at Edgewater, a WesleyLife community in West Des Moines, and will extend through the remainder of the year with offerings at other Des Moines-area WesleyLife campuses, including Wesley on Grand in Des Moines, Brio of Johnston in Johnston, and WesleyLife at Home in Urbandale. Residents and clients of these campuses, as well as members of the greater community, are invited to attend.
The Edgewater event will focus on diabetes education and feature Broadlawns physician Daffney Arnold, D.O., and other members of the medical center’s memory center team, who will educate about specific ways diabetes tends to affect older adults. Other Broadlawns family medicine and psychiatry residents will lecture throughout the series on topics ranging from cardiac health to brain health and nutrition.
"We are excited about the opportunity this speaker series provides to not only enhance our residents' education but also to directly benefit our senior community,” Dr. Keipper said. “By fostering discussions on key health topics, we’re helping older adults and their families gain essential tools to navigate health challenges with confidence. For our residents, this series offers invaluable experience in working with this unique population, strengthening their ability to communicate effectively and understand the complexities of aging. Ultimately, this collaboration aligns with our shared commitment to improving both the quality of care and quality of life for those we serve.”
Pendroy said WesleyLife, which has served in the Des Moines area since 1947, is excited to partner with another long-standing non-profit entity to equip older adults with greater knowledge and tools to better create health and well-being strategies that can help maximize longevity while encouraging them to live purposeful and joyful lives.
“We appreciate having partnered with Broadlawns over the years, especially in the areas of home health and community-based services, and respect and admire the services they have long provided to the Des Moines community,” Pendroy said.
Dr. Keipper added, “We are thrilled our residents and the broader community will benefit from the knowledge and guidance of these dedicated physicians, who exemplify the Broadlawns mission of delivering accessible, cost-effective and high-quality patient care to everyone in the area.”
