Continuing education
The New Aging You: 40 Issues for an Aging Society
Includes Inequalities in Late Life: Causes and Solutions, the plenary address of the 38th Conference of the British Society of Gerontologists videoconferenced live from the University of the West of England, in Bristol
A continuing education activity presented by the VCU School of Social Work. This program is designed for social workers and their community partners.
- Course description and objectives
- Agenda
- Program session
- About the facilitator
- Cost and registration
Course description and objectives
As baby boomers age, the growth in the number of older persons promises to permanently alter the nature of health, retirement, caregiving, end-of-life care and many other areas. This workshop identifies 40 problems, issues and trends in five key areas that are critical for an understanding of the changes faced by an aging society.
Sample topics include:
- How long to you have to live? (Plan on 100)
- Lifestyle 3 versus Genes 1
- Aging vs. anti-aging
- Poverty – thy name is woman.
- Where have all the caregivers gone?
- Global aging
Individuals, families, organizations, firms and our government must adapt to these changes. This presentation begins to prepare you for the aging frontier and challenges you to take charge of your own aging. The tide of an aging society is coming in. It’s time to look to your own buoyancy.
Objectives
After attending this three-hour continuing education event, participants will:
- Know the key societal issues affecting older persons
- Understand how the increase in the number of older persons is changing our society
- Learn tools for assessing their own aging experience
Category I contact hours: 3
Continuing education units: 0.3
Agenda
9 to 10:15 a.m.
The New Aging You: 40 Issues for an Aging Society
10:15 to 10:30 a.m.
Break
10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Inequalities in Late Life: Causes and Solutions – This Plenary Address to the 38th Conference of the British Society of Gerontologists will be videoconferenced live as part of this VCU School of Social Work Continuing Education event. Professor Alan Walker of the University of Sheffield will address the fact that inequality is a persistent feature of later life and argues that, in some quarters, this is regarded as both inevitable and immutable. Following some caution about the dangers of either equating inequality with diversity or treating it as a subset, the lecture goes on to demonstrate the continuing power of structured inequalities to frame the nature of old age for different groups including, ultimately, to play a major role in determining the length of the life course. Turning to social policies aimed at reducing inequalities it is argued, first of all, that the present financial crisis is likely to exacerbate inequalities among older people. In fact, if the dominant neo-liberal global policy consensus remains in place, there is little hope of anything other than mild amelioration in the liberal welfare regimes of Britain and the U.S. and a worsening of the deep poverty that afflicts millions of older people in the less developed countries. There is an urgent need, therefore, for alternative strategies and the lecture concludes with a brief review of them.
The University of the West of England is hosting the annual conference of the British Society of Gerontology, “Culture, Diversity and Aging” from Sept. 2-4. The annual residential conference is a major event that brings together approximately 300 delegates from the UK and increasingly from around the world. For more information, visit www.bsg2009.org.uk.
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The New Aging You: 40 Issues for an Aging Society (continued)
Closure and evaluation
Program session
Sept. 3, 2009
9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
VCU University Student Commons – Richmond Salons
907 Floyd Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23284
Phone: (804) 828-1981
About the facilitator
J. James Cotter, Ph.D., is the Assistant Dean for Distance Education, School of Allied Health Professions and Associate professor, Department of Gerontology at VCU. Cotter teaches in the Health-related sciences Ph.D. program. He has authored or co-authored 20 articles and 50 professional presentations. He serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. He is the investigator on more than $1.5 million in external funding to develop programs and initiate research. His current research projects include a project to improve the capacity of home care aides to care for persons with Alzheimer’s and related disorders (Alzheimer’s Related Disease Research Award Fund) and enhance the capacity of geriatric health professionals to serve as mentors (HRSA).
Cotter earned his Ph.D. in Health Services Organization and Research from VCU and his M.A. in Social Sciences – History from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He serves as the president-elect of the Virginia Association on Aging and the chair of the Development Committee of the Southern Gerontological Society. Since 1978, he has developed new programs and improved the quality of services for older persons at the local, regional and state levels.
Cost and registration*
Regular: $55
Student: $30 (with current I.D.)
Senior (65 and older): $45 (with current I.D.)
VCU faculty and current School of Social Work field instructor: $45
VCU School of Social Work Alumni Association member: $45
» Join the VCU Alumni Association
Agency group of three or more: $45 each
Agency group of 10 or more: Contact Linda Gupta at (804) 828-3405.
*Lunch is not included.
Registration opens Aug. 13, 2009.
Registration closes on Sept. 1, 2009 at 9 a.m. Payment must be received by close of registration.*
*Please print a copy of your online registration. Regular attendees may pay by credit card. Other attendee types must follow the directions for their attendee type at the bottom of their printed registration. In order to be eligible for a discounted rate, you must mail or fax the requested documentation. Please mail your check along with requested documentation to the address on that page. Alternatively, once requested documentation has been submitted, call Angela Basmajian at (804) 828-0403 to pay by credit card.
Please read the cancellation and refunds policy [PDF] prior to registration.
Register online at www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/conf/socialwork/register.asp?cid=97.
Participants may register for CEUs by completing a CEU registration form and making a check payable to the VCU School of Social Work in the amount of $15 on the day of the event. No cash or credit cards will be accepted for this purpose.
Questions?
Contact Angela Basmajian at (804) 828-0403 or sswce@vcu.edu.