Wellness Wednesday with AARP Senior Planet – Getting to Know Diabetes And How We Age With It
As part of the Lunch and Learn series
DATE: Wednesday, 4 March 2026
TIME: 10:30am PT/1:30pm ET
ZOOM LINK: https://seniorplanet.zoom.us/j/165218752#success\
Meeting ID: 165 218 752
Call-in by Phone: 1-888-788-0099
Please join our speakers and ask your questions about living with diabetes and how we can age with knowledge and community:
- Julia Blanchette, PhD, RN, BC-ADM, CDCES, FADCES: Julia Blanchette, PhD, RN, BC-ADM, CDCES, FADCES, is a clinical scientist and diabetes care and education specialist who has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1999. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University and sees patients at the University Hospitals Diabetes and Metabolic Care Center in Cleveland, OH. Over the past decade, her clinical work has focused on diabetes technology education and accessibility. She is also a community-engaged researcher dedicated to improving the lives of people living with diabetes during life transitions. Her work focuses on partnering directly with diabetes community members to design practical, accessible tools that support daily self-management, and she aims to help older adults navigate the evolving landscape of diabetes technology.
- Joanne Milo: Joanne Milo has lived with Type 1 diabetes for more than 60 years. Diagnosed at age 11, she became an early adopter of diabetes technology and a lifelong advocate for research, education, and patient safety. She is the founder of Loop and Learn, a global peer-support community of more than 14,000 members, and author of The Savvy Diabetic: A Survival Guide. Joanne also created T1Dto100.com, an informational resource and advocacy platform focused on aging with Type 1 diabetes. She lives in Southern California with her husband, Richard. and is passionate about helping older adults with T1D live longer, safer, and more confidently.
- Laurie Harper: Laurie Harper was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age two in 1955. On the advice of their family doctor, her parents traveled more than 300 miles to bring her to the Joslin Clinic — a decision that shaped the course of her life. She has participated in the Joslin 50-Year Medalist Research Study for over 20 years through the Joslin Diabetes Center. A wife, mother of three, and grandmother of nine, Laurie has managed Type 1 Diabetes through childhood, career, family life, travel, surgery, and evolving technology. She was cared for by the same endocrinologist for more than 35 years and has been fortunate to have strong medical support throughout her journey. Having also helped care for aging parents, in-laws, and a sister, Laurie understands the added complexity of chronic illness later in life. She is active in the Type 1 Diabetic to 100 community, focused on improving support for those aging with insulin-dependent diabetes.
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