UMaine Offering Conference on Changes in Geriatric Mental Health Care March 30
Contact: Marjie Harris, 581-3570, or George Manlove, 581-3756
ORONO — The field of geriatric care is changing rapidly, especially as the last few decades have introduced new ways of detecting mental health issues, new medications, innovative therapies and recognizing early signs of worsening health conditions affecting older people.
A conference designed to address and explore some of those changes is being held March 30 at the University of Maine in Orono. The event, titled “What Not to Forget in Geriatric Mental Health, a Special Clinical Colloquium Program of the University of Maine Center on Aging, School of Social Work, and the Maine Geriatric Practicum Partnership Program,” is designed for physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers and any other professionals working with the geriatric population.
The day-long program — from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Buchanan Alumni House — will feature speakers and an expert panel discussion. Two keynote speakers are Robyn Golden, LCSW (licensed clinical social worker) and the director of Older Adult Programs at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and Barry J. Jacobs, PsyD., a clinical psychologist, family therapist and author of The Emotional Survival Guide for Caregivers: Looking after Yourself and Your Family While Helping the Aging Parent.”
The day’s agenda includes discussions about:
- Identifying current trends and initiatives in mental health services for older adults in the United States, and in Maine;
- Differential diagnoses in evaluating mental status of older adults;
- Identifying the recommended treatments for the most common mental health problems of an aging population;
- Developing an understanding of the usefulness of neuropsychology in the assessment of mental status in older adults;
- Learning how to most effectively deal with the challenges of involved with working with overstressed family caregivers;
- Identifying the most commonly prescribed psychotropic drugs used to treat older adults;
- And understanding the changes in mental status that some frequently prescribed non-psychotropic medications may cause in the aging population.
The program will gather more than a dozen authorities in the field on national, state and regional levels to bring participants up to date with the latest in treatments, advisories and educational issues surrounding the complexities of geriatric care.
Advancements in evaluating and treating aging adults for physical and mental health conditions are becoming more important, particularly as the aging population expands in Maine, says Marjie Harris, LCSW and conference planning committee chair. The state already has the highest median age of its citizens in the nation. No longer the minority population it once was, the rising number of aging baby boomers and their parents in Maine are presenting new challenges to both professional and non-professional care-givers, says Harris.
“I think, in general, working with older people is overlooked in our society,” Harris says. “Our society doesn’t spend enough time looking at the unique needs of older adults. It’s really necessary to start treating this age group with the attention it deserves.”
For instance, she adds, it can be easy to mistake an older patient’s symptoms of depression, forgetfulness or confusion as just a normal part of aging. However, conditions that may appear to be age-related could be caused by something as simple as an adverse reaction to medication, according to Harris, since older people metabolize medicines differently from younger people.
“The population is certainly going to be changing in the next 10 years and also, as more knowledge becomes available, education becomes critical” Harris says. “We’ve really started becoming keenly aware and are looking at opportunities for infusing our curriculum with information on older adults at many levels. In the past, very few Schools of Social work as well as other professional programs included any focus on gerontology in their course work. This conference is an attempt to help fill this gap in training by providing professionals with the latest information on the mental health issues facing today’s older adults.
Presenters at the conference also will include: Kathy Caliendo, LCSW and senior clinician, Acadia Hospital, Bangor; Dr. Niamh Holohan, geriatric and adult psychiatrist, Bangor; Lenard Kaye, social work professor and director, UMaine Center on Aging; Nancy Kelly, co-director, Maine Geriatric Practicum Partnership Program; Larissa Mead-Wescott, Neuropsychology Service, Bangor; Dr. Janis Pretzel, geriatric and adult psychiatrist, Hallowell, and research and development coordinator, Veterans Affairs Center, Togus; Robin Russel, professor and director UMaine School of Social Work; Diane Scully, director, Office of Elder Services, Maine DHHS, Augusta; and Phil Walton, psychiatric social work supervisor, Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center, Bangor; Kathryn Pears, director of public policy and advocacy, Maine Alzheimer’s Association; and Jason Charland, graduate research assistant, UMaine Center on Aging.
A program brochure, including the schedule and speakers, can be found on the Maine Center on Aging website.