2009 Second Annual Conference on Aging and Society:

Reforming Long Term Care-Back to the Future

The Second Annual Conference on Aging and Society, organized by the NYIT Center for Gerontology and Geriatrics, was held in the Auditorium of the W. Kenneth Riland Academic Health Care Center on the Old Westbury campus of NYIT on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Long Term Care Challenge

Long term care (LTC) is part health care, part social service. It assists those with chronic, disabling conditions - primarily the elderly - with activities such as eating, bathing, toileting, shopping, cooking, or household chores. LTC is provided at home, in the community, or in a nursing home or other residential care facility. And, family caregivers play a major role; they provide more than half of the needed care on an informal basis.

The U.S. system for financing and delivering LTC is deeply flawed. While families, the government - through Medicaid, Medicare and other public programs - and fledgling private LTC insurance spend over $200 billion annually for such services, many people in need of LTC fail to receive the care they need. This problem is expected to become worse as the Baby Boom generation ages. In addition to the enormous financial and emotional challenges involved, the existing LTC system is also beset by several other problems, including a major shortage of direct care workers.

The conference comes at a critical time, i.e., when the Obama administration and the U.S. Congress have begun historic work on reforming the overall health care system. Our program will examine the need for LTC support, how the current system fails us, various financing options, the LTC workforce crisis, mental health concerns related to LTC, international models and lessons from the United Kingdom and Germany, and prospects for LTC reform in the current political climate. The current state of LTC on Long Island will also be explored.

Featured Speakers

• Dennis L. Kodner, Ph.D.
  NYIT Center for Gerontology and Geriatrics
  New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of NYIT

• Harriet L. Komisar, Ph.D.
  Senior Researcher, The Hilltop Institute
  University of Maryland, Baltimore County
  Download presentation (PowerPoint)

• Robyn Stone, DrPH
  Institute for the Future of Aging Services
  American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
  Download presentation (PowerPoint)

• Kimberly Williams, LMSW
  The Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York
  Download presentation (PowerPoint)

• Professor Carolyn Glendinning, M. Phil
  Social Policy Research Unit
  The University of York, United Kingdom
  Download presentation (PowerPoint)

• Joshua M. Wiener, Ph.D.
  RTI International
  Download presentation (PowerPoint)

• Robert Blancato, MPA
  Matz, Blancato & Associates
  Download presentation (PowerPoint)

Panelists

• Sharon Mullon, DMin
  Nassau County Department of Senior Citizens Affairs
  Download presentation (PowerPoint)

• Herbert Friedman, M.S.
  Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

• Orael Keenan, RN, MSN
  Visiting Nurse Association of Long Island
  Download presentation (PowerPoint)

• Suzanne Fields, M.D., FACP
  Stony Brook University Medical Center, Long Island Geriatric Education Center, and Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
  Download presentation (PowerPoint)

• Kathy Rosenthal, CSW
  F*E*G*S Health & Human Service System
  Download presentation (PowerPoint)

Continuing Education (CEUs)

• The conference has been approved for 6-credit hours (CEUs) for nursing home administrators.

Major Sponsors

• For sponsorship information, please contact Laura Schranz, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, at lschranz@nyit.edu.

Co-Sponsors

Because of the importance of LTC reform, the following 22 national, state, regional, and local organizations are co-sponsoring our conference:

• American College of Health Care Administrators-New York Chapter
• American Parkinson's Disease Association-Long Island Chapter
• Continuing Care Leadership Coalition
• F*E*G*S Health and Human Service System
• Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of Nassau County
• Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York
• Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
• Health and Welfare Council of Long Island
• Home Care Association of New York State
• Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation
• Long Island Geriatric Education Center at Stony Brook University Health Science Center
• Long Term care Community Coalition
• Mental Health Association of Nassau County
• Nassau County Department of Senior Citizens Affairs
• Nassau Health Care Corporation/Nassau University Medical Center
• Nassau*NY Connects Long Term Care Council
• New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
• New York Southern Area Aging Network
• New York College of Osteopathic Medicine Educational Consortium
• Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute
• State Society on Aging of New York
• Hon. Wayne H. Wink, Jr., Nassau County Legislature