VA researchers playing a lead role at scientific meeting

– VA Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC) researchers educate providers and enhance transitions of care for our older Veterans, and they are playing a lead role at the 63rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), in New Orleans November 19-23. –

From the VA:

Four special GRECC Symposia will be presented at the meeting. Dr. Wes Ely from the Tennessee Valley GRECC (Nashville) will lead a symposium on “Delirium and Dementia in Older Patients Following Critical Illness.” Attendees will receive a broad overview of important aspects of “aging brain” disease experienced in the context of critical illness with an eye towards a way in which healthcare professionals can modify the extent of injury and hopefully facilitate recovery. Dr. Jack Schnelle, from the Tennessee Valley GRECC, will lead a symposium on “Facilitating the Transition of Frail Veterans to the Community.” That presentation will describe current approaches to preventing or addressing barriers to the successful transition of Veterans from post acute and community living centers to home. Dr. Guy Howard from the Miami GRECC will lead a symposium on “Vitamin D and Good Health Across the Aging Continuum” to enable participants to appreciate the benefits that vitamin D supplementation at the appropriate dose affords in helping to stop functional decline in elderly adults and its potential benefits in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Dr. Josea Kramer from the West LA GRECC will lead a symposium on “Educating Rural Primary Care Providers on Care of Older Veterans.” This session will discuss the VA Geriatric Scholars Program, a collaboration of GRECC and VA Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care, with funding from the VA Office of Rural Health. GRECCs are VA’s centers of excellence on aging. There are 20 GRECCs nationwide. Information on the GRECC program is available at www.va.gov/grecc. Information on GSA is available at www.geron.org.