News/Press Releases

New York (April 25, 2017)—“I have said that Texas is a state of mind, but I think it’s more than that,” extolled John Steinbeck in his now famous Travels with Charley. The same might also be said for geriatrics in the heart of Texas, as the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) prepares to bring the field’s premier educational forum for clinical care, research on aging, and innovative care delivery to San Antonio, Texas (May 18-20; Preconference: May 17), to toast the Society’s 75th anniversary of leading change and improving care for older adults.

More than 2,500 physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, social workers, long-term and managed care providers, healthcare administrators, students, and other geriatrics stakeholders will come together for a program built from more than 800 abstract submissions and inclusive of more than 100 events.

“This is a special year for the Annual Scientific Meeting since it’s the AGS’s 75th anniversary,” notes Paul Mulhausen, MD, MHS, FACP, AGSF, Program Chair. “This meeting will be a celebration not only of how far we’ve come in the field, but also of the research and innovations that will drive our future—the best care possible for older adults.”

Noteworthy focal points for the 2017 gathering include:

Goals-Oriented Care for Older Adults in Specialty Clinics (Thurs., May 18; 7:30-9am Central Time)

New York (April 19, 2017)—Without a substantial increase in federal funding for geriatrics education and research we risk further decimating a workforce that is essential to training health professionals on the unique healthcare needs of older adults, say researchers reporting on the impact that Geriatrics Academic Career Awards (GACAs) have had on geriatrics academic careers, health professional training, and the care of older adults. In an article for the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, interprofessional experts looked at the impact of the GACA program, which served as a vital resource for more than 200 geriatrics clinicians and educators before it was eliminated as part of a consolidation of several geriatrics training programs in 2015.

Qualitative and quantitative results from the research team’s survey of GACA recipients point not only to a growing need for geriatrics skills but also to the importance of dedicated time and financial support to develop emerging geriatrics faculty for training a U.S. healthcare workforce with the skills and knowledge to optimally care for older adults:

The American Geriatrics Society and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration roll out "Safe Driving" campaign for older adults

New York (April 4, 2017)—With support from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the American Geriatrics Society’s (AGS’s) Health in Aging Foundation today announced the start of a public information campaign focused on helping older adults and caregivers access resources for safely navigating the open road. The campaign features a toolkit providing actionable safe driving tips, advice on how to have important conversations with older adults about driving limitations, and ways to continue being mobile and independent when personal driving is no longer a safe option. 

Distributed during National Public Health Week (April 3-9) in the U.S., the toolkit’s release also coincides with World Health Day—Friday, April 7th—focusing this year on depression prevention, a significant concern for older adults who discontinue driving but are not aware of transportation alternatives for maintaining independence. The AGS’s safe driving campaign specifically provides information to these older adults and their caregivers to help them identify resources available to promote mobility, independence, and freedom to maintain physical and mental well-being. With the number of older adult drivers rapidly increasing—already up thirty-four percent in 2012 versus 1999—the need for resources to help us all practice safe driving as we age has never been greater. 

New York (Mar. 16, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) expressed its deep disappointment with proposed cuts to geriatrics training, healthcare research, and a range of services for older adults—all outlined by President Trump in his budget plan for 2018. 

Among several concerns, the AGS noted that the budget would eliminate $403 million from training programs that educate the doctors, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, social workers, and many other health professionals essential to our care as we age. The Trump proposal is premised on a flawed assumption that health professions and nursing training programs “lack evidence that they significantly improve the Nation’s health workforce.” 

“We are especially concerned about the potential impact of these cuts on the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) under Titles VII and VIII,” said Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA, Chief Executive Officer of the AGS. “This is the only federal program aimed at improving the quality, safety, and affordability of our care by increasing the number of professionals with the skills needed to care for us as we age.” 

New York (March 9, 2017)—As an organization dedicated to the health and well-being of us all as we age, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today voiced opposition to several components of the newly released American Health Care Act—legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and legislation AGS experts believe would harm access to key health services for older adults, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.

“Policy changes that would increase costs, reduce coverage, or cut benefits put health, independence, and quality of life at risk for all of us as we age,” notes Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA, Chief Executive Officer of the AGS. “We are committed to working with Congress and the Trump Administration on meaningful reforms that would improve health care, for example, by reducing regulatory burdens, but we continue to oppose changes like those proposed in the American Health Care Act, which might jeopardize access to high-quality, person-centered, and affordable health coverage for all older Americans.”