Visiting Geriatric Scholars at UMaine Monday-Thursday
Contact: Media contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571
ORONO — Two of the leading national authorities on vision loss and aging will visit the University of Maine Oct. 27-30 as part of the UMaine Center on Aging’s BAC/Toyota Visiting Geriatric Scholar Program.
Cynthia Stuen and Amy Horowitz, both from the International Lighthouse for the Blind in New York City, will be involved in a series of presentations and workshops during their four days in Maine. They will share their expertise with UMaine students, staff and faculty members, along with community professionals who help to serve the needs of older people.
“Vision loss is a common and difficult problem for seniors,” says Prof. Lenard Kaye, director of UMaine’s Center on Aging. “These visiting scholars aUMaine Peace Week 2003 Schedule Setre among the foremost experts in the management of these issues and they will bring information and perspectives that will be very useful to those of us who study the aging process and directly serve older citizens.”
Stuen and Horowitz will present a community program for health and human services professionals, “Aging and the Senses: Is Vision Loss on Your Radar Screen?” on Thursday, Oct. 30. The session, which is scheduled for 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at UMaine’s Doris Twitchell Allen Village, is intended to provide information about recognizing normal vision changes and disease-related vision loss among older adults. It will also include discussion of the impact on the affected individuals, their families and their friends. There is no cost to attend, but RSVPs are required in advance at 581-3444. Lunch will be provided to those who attend.
The visit to Maine by Stuen and Horowitz is part of the BAC/Toyota Visiting Geriatric Scholar Program at UMaine. It is funded by a grant, announced on May 30, from Toyota and Brewer Automotive Components. Through Toyota’s Community Connection Program, it provided $20,000 to enable UMaine to bring a series of nationally recognized experts on aging issues to the state.