Opportunities for Learning, Networking
by
 Monika White |
It seems like just yesterday that we were all in Chicago for the ASA-NCOA Joint Conference, and here we are past the middle of summer already! As always, ASA is buzzing with activity regardless of the time of year. For instance, the staff has been busy developing an outstanding ASA Autumn Series on Aging, set for Sept. 17-20 in Philadelphia and Oct. 8-11 in San Francisco. There’s still time to register for one of the best training and education opportunities for practitioners on both coasts. To see the impressive array of half-day and full-day intensives offered -- and to register online -- visit the Autumn Series website.
From diabetes care, falls and injuries to transitions from hospital to home, the sessions provide nuts-and-bolts information geared to a number of healthcare practices. At both the East Coast and West Coast series, HAN Leadership Council member Moira Fordyce will provide dynamic back-to-back sessions: “Medical Conditions and the Older Adult: What Do You Expect at Your Age?” and “Medications and Older Adults Across Diverse Populations.” And for those attending the West Coast Series, on Oct. 9, 12:15-1:30 p.m., Bruce Miller from the UCSF Memory Clinic will present a free lunchtime talk, “Dementia and Art,” as part of ASA’s MindAlert Lecture Series sponsored by MetLife Foundation.
A Decade of HAN Award Winners
Speaking of fall, the deadline for nominating promising health promotion programs for the 2008 HAN Awards is Oct 1, 2007. With the 2008 cycle, we’ll celebrate the 10th anniversary of the awards, which are generously sponsored by the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative. The HAN Awards recognize the best in evidence-based practices at both the local and national levels. Over the past nine years, award winners have come from a variety of health-related fields.
Recently, we have seen winners serving victims of elder abuse, winners reaching out to those at the end of their lives and winners promoting healthy lifestyles through yoga and fall-prevention exercise. For 2007, we honored a number of programs:
- Aging as Ourselves; ElderHelp of San Diego, San Diego, Calif.
- Cool Zones; County of San Diego Aging and Independence Services, San Diego, Calif.
- PREPARE: Disaster/Emergency Training Program for Long Term Care Providers; Mather LifeWays, Evanston, Ill.
- Silver Age Yoga; Silver Age Yoga Community Outreach, San Diego, Calif.
- Transitions; Haven Hospice, Gainesville, Fla.
- The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention; Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale, Riverdale, N.Y.
For full details on the 2007 award recipients, visit the HAN Awards home page.
ASA Conference: New Name, New Form
Moving ahead into next year, be sure to save the date for the 2008 NCOA-ASA Aging in America Conference (notice the new name of what was formerly called the Joint Conference). Set for March 27-30, 2008, in Washington, D.C., the conference will have a new structure, with a streamlined group of “focus areas” replacing the dozens of tracks previously used. We are excited about the opportunities offered by the new approach and think you will like it. For details and to register online, visit www.agingconference.org.
When we get together in D.C., look for an expanded role for poster sessions and program exchanges, which will be featured in the new Learning Center and Exposition Hall. To accommodate the increase in posters and program exchanges, along with constituent group networking and activities, the schedule of days and times for the conference exhibit hall will be expanded. As ASA’s largest constituent group, HAN members will certainly appreciate the new schedule and program formats.
Sharing Your Expertise With HAN
Since this is our second issue of Healthcare and Aging in the new electronic format, we are interested in hearing your reactions. Let us know what you particularly like about the newsletter, where you’d like to see improvements and what features you’d like us to add. We also welcome your ideas for themes, articles and authors for future issues. Write directly to HAN editorial board chair Pat Pannone at patpannone@sbcglobal.net.
If you are interested in getting involved -- or more involved -- with HAN, we want to hear from you. Taking an active role in HAN places you in a great position to share experiences and expertise with leaders from throughout the United States. There are many opportunities ranging from responding to our occasional calls for candidates for the HAN Leadership Council and editorial board to participating in planning activities for the Aging in America Conference. We especially want to learn about the interests and needs of new and emerging professionals in healthcare and aging.
To pass along your ideas or let us know about your interest in getting involved, contact HAN staff liaison Dominick Albano at han@asaging.org.
HAN Leadership Council chair Monika White is president and CEO of the Center for Healthy Aging in Santa Monica, Calif. Contact her at mwhite@centerforhealthyaging.org.
Photo: Courtesy Monika White
Copyright © 2007 American Society on Aging; all rights reserved. This article may not be duplicated or distributed in any form without written permission from the publisher: American Society on Aging, 833 Market St., Suite 511, San Francisco, CA 94103-1824; e-mail: permissions@asaging.org.
