In his book Morrie: In his own words, Morrie Schwartz discusses the feelings of alienation that ill people experience.  The suffering older person becomes alienated from friends and families as their responsibility for caring has been usurped by medical managers.  Suffering people often feel guilty for the problems they create for family caregivers and even professional caregivers.  Many professional caregivers are taught to maintain “professional distance” from the person who is in pain or suffering.  This strategy in patient care often results in feelings of isolation in the suffering patient.  The professional caregiver may need to find another way in which to manage their countertransferential feelings other than retaining affective neutrality and objectivity.  These and other issues will be explored in this session.

Nutrition Management in the Elderly
Presented by Beverly Mack,  RD, CDE, Clinical Nutritionist, Institute on Aging's Ruth Ann Rosenberg Adult Day Health Center & Alzheimer's Day Care Resource Center

This session will cover topics of specific concern to professionals working with older adults.  Diet and nutrition are particularly important in the management of diabetes, heart disease, and other disorders common among the elderly.   Seniors have unique dietary needs as their appetites decline and their bodies slow down.  Specific issues such as malnutrition, dehydration, and other dietary effects will be addressed.
 

Understanding and Managing Difficult Behaviors
Presented by Karyn Skultety, PhD, Director of Behavioral Health, Institute on
Aging’s On Lok Lifeways

This session will review common behavioral problems encountered by providers who work with older adults. We will discuss ways to better understand these problems and ways to apply basic behavioral principles to these issues. In addition, we will discuss why the problems can be so frustrating for providers and care teams and ways to address these frustrations to be more effective in your approach. The session will include lecture, discussion, and video clips demonstrating a behavioral approach.

Increasingly, older adults are the vulnerable targets of identity theft and various financial abuse scams.  Too many seniors are being convinced to take out unsuitable home and other loans they don’t need, to involve themselves in fraudulent investment, lottery or other scams.  Unfortunately, financial elder abuse doesn't only involve strangers, but too often involves a known person to the elder who is financially exploiting the elder, i.e., a family member, friend or caregiver.  This session will present an overview of what are a number of the types of financial elder abuses occurring and will also present important information on how mandated reporters and others concerned can file appropriate complaints with Adult Protective Services, Ombudsman and/or law enforcement.