April 23, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A conference hosted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) will examine the impact of the current economic crisis on the health and health care of older adults.
The second annual UAB Aging Policy Conference, set for Friday, May 29, will bring together a panel of leading national figures on aging to discuss issues such as the challenges faced by Medicare and Medicaid in providing services to older adults, the link between seniors' health and economic wellbeing and even the actions of the Obama administration.
The "Impact of the Economic Crisis on Older Adults' Health and Health Services" conference, sponsored by the UAB Center for Aging, Lister Hill Center for Health Policy and AARP, will run from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Vulcan Park and Museum, 1701 Valley View Dr., Birmingham.
"Conference speakers will address aging issues of great importance in Alabama, including the burden of funding long term care and the future of Medicare/Medicaid," said Julie Locher, Ph.D., MSPH, director of UAB's Public Policy and Aging Program. "Government, health care professionals and the private sector must take steps to adequately care for our aging population in a time of uncertain financial strength."
Speakers will include Harry R. Moody, Ph.D., director of academic affairs for AARP and senior associate with the International Longevity Center-USA. Moody's presentation is "Challenges of the Times and the Response by the New Administration." Richard Johnson, Ph.D., economist and principal research associate at the Urban Institute in Wash., will speak on "Older Adults' Health and Economic Well-Being."
Michael Morrisey, Ph.D., director of the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy at UAB, will examine Medicare, while Carol Herrmann-Steckel, director of the Alabama Medicaid Agency, will discuss Medicaid issues. David Grabowski, Ph.D., associate professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, will sum up the presentations and help frame the conference's conclusions.
The conference is co-sponsored by the Geriatric Education Center, Deep South Resource Center for Minority Aging Research, and the Southeastern Center for Excellence in Geriatric Medicine.
About the UAB Center for Aging
The UAB Center for Aging is a world leader in optimizing function, enhancing management of illness and reducing health disparities among older adults. The Center involves as interdisciplinary community of more than 200 faculty members and staff working together to promote the health and well-being of older persons and their families. For more information, go to www.aging.uab.edu/.
About UAB's Lister Hill Center for Health Policy
The Lister Hill Center has a university-wide mission to facilitate the conduct of health policy research, disseminate the findings of that research beyond the usual channels of academic publication and sponsor the Lister Hill Health Policy Fellows program. For more information, go to https://www.soph.uab.edu/listerhill
About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50-plus have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. For more information, go to www.aarp.com.