The Heartland Caregiving Conference

Presenter: Brittani Wheeler Rhoades

Holy Shift! Creative Expression & Messy Mindfulness is a 30-minute, hands-on, no-dogma workshop helping caregivers rediscover presence, calm, and creativity with no art skills required. Led by a minister‑in‑training and self-proclaimed “Professional Shenaniganist,” participants practice, pause, and play with mindful drawing and messy collage using simple materials and their own sacred symbols. Everyone leaves with a personalized Reset Card for 90‑second micro‑breaks. No perfectionism allowed: just presence, color, and a little holy shift in the day of a caregiver!

Presenter: Georgia Mueller, MS, WIP-C Benefits Specialist

What keeps you up at night? For me, it is definitely trying to figure out how to support my adult son with autism when I am no longer here. How do I get everything organized and paid for before it’s too late? I don’t have all the answers but hopefully you will take away a few new ideas that will help you sleep better. Join us for a new perspective on understanding and organizing you and your adult individuals’ resources in ways you’ve not thought of before. Feel free to bring questions and we’ll work a few of them through the Visioneers System.

Nancy Baum, Certified Yoga Instructor @ CBD American Shaman

Take some time for self care and relaxation with this low impact and heart opening chair yoga class being offered by CBD American Shaman.

Presenter: Kari Ann Forbush

Caring for a loved one with dementia can feel confusing and exhausting, especially when communication begins to change. Many caregivers find themselves correcting, explaining, or trying to reason with someone whose brain simply processes information differently now. These moments can lead to frustration for both the caregiver and the person receiving care.

This session shares simple communication strategies that can make everyday caregiving easier and less stressful. Participants will learn how to respond to repeated questions, confusion about time or place, resistance to help, and emotional distress in ways that reduce conflict and maintain dignity.

Using real caregiving examples, we will explore techniques such as emotional mirroring, curiosity-based responses, and small shifts in conversation that help caregivers connect with their loved one rather than argue with the disease.

Caregivers will leave with practical tools they can use immediately to make daily caregiving interactions calmer, kinder, and more manageable.

Presenter: Stephanie Morris, LCSW, LSCSW

Normalizing resentment in caregiving, the link between resentment and unmet needs, how this can lead to burnout, and safe ways to process these feelings without shame.

I would like to give space to participants to recognize it is okay to love someone deeply but still feel frustration. From this recognition, I would like to explore the cycle of resentment, what it is telling you, what doesn’t help, and what does help. I hope to provide an interactive, engaging, and humorous presentation, while still providing good information for caregivers.

Presenter: Kristen Lienhop, MSOT, OTR/L, SHSS

Driving safely is not guaranteed—most drivers outlive their safe driving skills by 7–10 years (AAA). This session introduces comprehensive driving evaluations, an evidence-based, OT-led process that goes beyond traditional road tests to assess vision, cognition, motor function, medications, and real-world driving performance.

The presentation highlights Limitless Driving Solutions’ client-centered approach, including mobile, in-home on-road assessments using familiar routes, individualized strategies to support safe driving, and structured guidance when driving retirement becomes necessary. Participants will learn to recognize functional and cognitive indicators of elevated crash risk and be introduced to a simple self-assessment, understand what driver evaluations reveal, and learn how to access these services in order to help older adults make proactive, safety-focused driving decisions.

Safe driving isn’t assumed—it’s assessed.

Nancy Baum, Certified Yoga Instructor @ CBD American Shaman

Take some time for self care and relaxation with this low impact and heart opening chair yoga class being offered by CBD American Shaman.

Presenter: Rhonda Osborn, End-of-Life Doula & Grief Coach

Caring for someone at the end of life is sacred, exhausting, and often unfamiliar territory. Many caregivers find themselves asking, Am I doing this right? What should I expect? How do I stay present through this?

This session offers a clear, compassionate look at what it can be like as a loved one nears the end of life. We’ll talk through common physical changes, emotional and spiritual shifts, and the often-unspoken realities of the dying process—so you can feel more prepared and less alone.

We’ll also make space for the caregiver’s experience: anticipatory grief, decision fatigue, and the quiet weight of witnessing someone you love decline.

You’ll leave with a better understanding of what’s happening, language you can lean on, and a steadier sense of how to show up—for them, and for yourself.

Presenter: Amanda Trout, LCSW, LSCSW, OSW-C

Taking care of someone with cancer or another condition can be a rewarding experience. It can also be challenging at times. One challenge of caregiving is navigating grief. Grief is the reaction that occurs after experiencing a loss. People grieve for many reasons. It is not only limited to the physical loss of a person. Grief can also arise when you anticipate loss. This can be the loss of a relationship or future plans. Everyone experiences grief differently. It is a normal part of life and the caregiving experience. This presentation explores what grief is and what you can expect during the grieving process. It provides insight into ways to cope with grief and resources for support.

Presenter: Dr. Nicole Kurlbaum

Nancy Baum, Certified Yoga Instructor @ CBD American Shaman

Take some time for self care and relaxation with this low impact and heart opening chair yoga class being offered by CBD American Shaman.