Register Now for Fall Workshops
Registration is filling fast for our upcoming workshops on Alzheimer's disease, handling stress, and behavioral interventions for depressed elders. To see costs and to register, go to our workshops website. All three events will be held at the Country Inn and Suites, just up Rte. 96B.
 Research and Treatment Updates for Alzheimer's Disease
Thursday, September 19,
2:00-4:30 p.m.
Presenter: Frederick Marshall, M.D., University of Rochester Medical Center, School of Medicine and Dentistry
Dr. Frederick Marshall will discuss recent updates on research and treatment for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and provide information that can be used to improve care in residential and community-based settings.
Handling Stress in a Rapidly Changing Environment
Wednesday, October 16, 2:00-4:30 p.m.
Presenter: Francis Battisti, Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, State University of New York Distinguished Service Professor, Broome Community College
Questions about the rapidly emerging changes in Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act can cause stress for older people, their caregivers, and the professionals who support them. Noted speaker Francis Battisti, Ph.D., LCSW, BCD, will provide health and aging services practitioners with practical and helpful strategies and tips on how to understand and handle the stress that often comes with change.
Behavioral Interventions for Depression in  Cognitively Impaired Elders
Tuesday, November 19,
2:00-4:30 p.m.
Presenter: Cassandra Bransford, Associate Professor, Department of Social Work and Director of Applied Clinical Research, Southern Tier Center on Aging, State University of New York at Binghamton
Cassandra Bransford, Ph.D., M.S.W., will share insights from her research on depression in older adults with cognitive impairments. She will examine specific theories of mental health and teach participants how to turn them into practical applications for behavioral interventions in health and human services work settings.
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Ithaca Walks to End Alzheimer's 
Cass Park in Ithaca (Meet at Pavilion above Children's Garden)
Sunday, Sept. 29,
Noon to 3pm
The Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer'sŪ is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's care, support and research. Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide-and now again in Ithaca!-this inspiring event calls on participants of all ages and abilities to reclaim the future for millions. Alzheimer's disease is now the nation's sixth-leading cause of death.
There is no cost to register. The walk is a three-mile loop, but there is no mandatory length; people can walk as little or as much as they want. Wheelchairs, strollers, and well-behaved pets are all welcome. For more details, visit the Walk's website, contact Georgia Vieira by email or call 607.785.7852, x120. |
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Aging Studies Grad Finds "Dream Job"
Shelby Smith's college and career journey has taken her far from her childhood home in Petaluma, California, but her dream of working in the activities department of an elder care facility has been with her all along that journey.
A May 2013 graduate of the Ithaca College aging studies program, Shelby recently landed her "dream job" as an activities aide at Hudson Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, a 200-bed skilled nursing facility located in the heart of Albany's Capital District. [read more]
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Aging Studies Faculty Members and Alumna Publish Research on What Drives Student Interest in Aging
Kudos to two of our aging studies faculty members and an alumna who minored in aging studies, who have recently published their research in the journal Educational Gerontology. "Attracting and Training Tomorrow's Gerontologists: What Drives Student Interest in Aging?" was authored by Elizabeth J. Bergman, assistant professor, Mary Ann Erickson, associate professor and department chair, and Jocelyn N. Simons HSHP '11.
 | | Asst. Professor Elizabeth Bergman |
Demographic and labor force trends point to a critical need for professionals trained to work with older adults. This current study investigated factors associated with interest in aging-related topics and careers and knowledge of the opportunities that exist in the field of gerontology. Readers can access the research methodology and read the authors' conclusions in this on-line article.
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"Watching the Lights Go Out": A Memoir from Inside Alzheimer's Disease
 This incredible blog is written by Dr. David Hilfiker, a 68-year-old retired physician who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in September 2012. As Hilfiker explains on his site: "This blog is the story of my day-to-day life with this illness and my reflections on it. We tend to be scared of Alzheimer's or embarrassed by it. We see it as the end of life rather than a phase of life with all its attendant opportunities for growth." At times clinically informative and other times deeply personal, Hilfiker's blog--and readers' comments and his responses--offers us a rare and treasured opportunity to share in one patient's experiences with this devastating disease. |
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Faculty Fellow of Gerontology Institute Publishes Research on Pain Management
 Katherine Beissner, Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and a faculty fellow of the Gerontology Institute, recently published two interrelated papers in the fall issue of the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy.
The papers, titled "Implementing a Cognitive-Behavioral Pain Self-Management Program In Home Health Care Part 1: Program Adaptation" and "Implementing a Cognitive-Behavioral Pain Self-Management Program In Home Health Care Part 2: Feasibility and Acceptability," detail the application and response of a pain self-management program originally developed for use in senior centers that was adapted for physical therapists working in home care. This research is part of an ongoing line of work investigating non-drug management of pain in older adults. Specifically, Beissner and her fellow researchers are interested in the potential for physical therapists to incorporate pain self-management education into usual patient care. |
