The University of Scranton and the Commonwealth Medical College will host the third annual Northeastern Pennsylvania Conference on Aging on April 11.
The conference will provide a forum to educate practitioners, providers, researchers, economists and the community through presentations that promote healthy aging through an integrated approach. It will be held in the Patrick & Margaret DeNaples Center at the university.
More than 12 lectures will cover topics such as medication, nutrition and vision as components of healthy aging; the changing role of the caregiver; better communication among physicians, nurses and health care professionals who care for the elderly; alternatives to nursing home care; improving elder life quality; and a presentation about aging in Northeast Pennsylvania - a view from the capital.
The presentations will provide an opportunity to learn about new research, best practices and how the nation's changing economy will impact healthy aging in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Linda P. Fried, M.D., dean and DeLamar Professor of Public Health at Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, New York, is the keynote speaker.
A leader in the fields of geriatrics and epidemiology, Dr. Fried is also the senior vice president of Columbia University Medical Center and professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Other presenters include state Sen. John Blake, D-22, Archbald; Brian Duke, secretary of the state Department of Aging; and educators from local universities and health-related companies and nonprofit groups.
Participants are eligible for continuing education credits in several fields, including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, social work, counseling, occupational therapy and physical therapy.
The conference stemmed from a vision by Brian Conniff, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Scranton, and Herbert Hauser, Ph.D., senior research scientist at the University of Scranton.
In addition to the University of Scranton and TCMC, the conference is a collaboration between Johnson College, Keystone College, Lackawanna College, Marywood University and Penn State Worthington Scranton.
Conference registration fees vary. Registration deadline is Friday. For more information or to register, visit www.scranton.edu/academ ics/cas/aging-conference, facebook.com/NEPAConferenceOnAging2013, twitter.com/NEPAAgingConf13, or call 941-5860.