The Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of NY

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News - Week of August 24, 2009

2009-08-25T18:01:00.005-04:00

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News

A bi-weekly email to brief you on issues important to geriatric mental health

August 24, 2009 - Vol 3, Issue 08

Status of Older Americans Act Appropriations

On July 24, the House passed the Appropriations Bill (H.R. 3293) for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education that included funding for Older Americans Act (OAA) programs. The Senate moved its version through the committee process on July 30 with a vote of 29 - 1 in the Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Subcommittee. Action on the Senate floor is not expected until this fall. As noted in the attached chart and reported in prior e-mails, the House recommended a total of $1,530,881,000 for Older Americans Act (OAA) programs administered by the Administration on Aging (AoA). Increases were recommended for several programs including: $2.6 million for Choices for Independence, $10 million for Title III-B Supportive Services, $13 million for Title III-C-1 Congregate Meals, $6.4 million for Title III-C-2 Home Delivered Meals plus small increases for Title IV Program Innovations, Title VI grants to Native Americans and program administration for a total increase of $37,038,000.

For Title V, the House recommended an increase of $43.5 million from $571,925,000 in the current year to $615,425,000 for FFY 2010.

Here are the component of House Report for the Labor/HHS/Education that pertains to OAA programs for your information and use.

Senate appropriators have proposed a $1,495,038,000 for OAA programs administered by AoA in FFY 2010, an increase of $1,195,000. They recommended a $3.5 million for Title V. Overall, the Senate was much less generous than the House with program increases.

For more information, please visit NYSOFA's website at http://www.aging.ny.gov

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New NYS Law Regarding Powers of Attorney

Starting on September 1, 2009, new requirements regarding powers of attorney go into effect. We are grateful to Martin Petroff, of Martin Petroff & Associates, who has provided GMHA with a short piece regarding these important changes. It is important to note that the power of attorney executed before September 1, 2009 will continue to be valid after that date.

To read the article, click here or click here for the sample power of attorney (Statutory Short Form Durable Power of Attorney).

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Orange County Begins Training Initiative in Geriatric Mental Health

Orange County has initiated a series of presentations regarding geriatric mental health, using the GMHA Speakers' Bureau to make the arrangements. So far two events have taken place. Michael Friedman, Alliance Chair, did Geriatric Mental Health 101. Amy Stern, LCSW from Weill-Cornell Medical College's Department of Geriatric Medicine, did a presentation on how to screen for mental illness and/or substance abuse. Two more presentations are planned, including:

Practical Strategies for Addressing Medication Safety Issues Among Older Adults
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm
Presenters: Andrew Kolbasovsky, Psy.D. and Arsenio Gonzalez, Pharm.D. of EmblemHealth
Understanding the Differences Between Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, and Depression
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm
Presenter: Gary Kennedy, MD, Montefiore Medical Center

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Upcoming Events

The GMHA is pleased to announce its upcoming educational programming for Fall 2009. Exact dates and location will be announced in early September 2009.

Webinars:

September 22, 2009 - Geriatric Mental Health 101
Presenter: Michael Friedman, LMSW, GMHA

October 22, 2009 - Working with LGBT Elders
Presenter: Bobbi Williams, PhD, Rainbow Access Initiative

November 4, 2009 - Substance Abuse Among Older Adults
Presenter: Frederic Blow, Ph.D., University of Michigan

Best Practices:

October 2009 - Understanding the Pain/Depression Dyad Among Older Adults
Presenter: Cary Reid, MD, PhD, Wright Center on Aging/Weill-Cornell Medical College

November 2009 - Identifying Elder Mistreatment
Presenter: Debra Greenberg, PhD, Montefiore Medical Center

December 2009 - Holocaust Survivors: Stories of Resilience
Presenters: To Be Announced

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Other Upcoming Events

September 16-17, 2009 - The 16th Annual New York State Adult Abuse Training Institute - Strengthening Alliances: Realizing Solutions within Our Reach Sponsored by The NYS Office of Children and Family Services, the event will be held at the Albany Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Albany, NY. Click here for details!

This event is held under special contract with Brookdale Center for Health Aging & Longevity of Hunter College/CUNY September 17-18, 2009 - Building A Successful Aging Friendly Community Workshops sponsored by the NYS Coalition for the Aging and the NYS Association for Area Agencies on Aging. The workshop will help answer what is an Aging Friendly Community, what communities in NYS support and encourage fun and successful aging, and discuss successful examples of practices and programs in NYS.

Please click here for more information. There will be a training in Rochester, Latham, Watertown, and Binghamton, NY.

September 23, 2009 - Geriatric Mental Health Coalition Workshop sponsored by the Westchester County Dept. of Senior Programs and Services - "Out of the Shadows: Documenting Elder Abuse Prevalence and Implications for Policy Services" from 8:30am to 11:am at the Crown Plaza Hotel (66 Hale Ave., White Plains, NY).

Click here for the Save-the-Date!

September 29, 2009 - 2nd Annual Health Aging Conference The keynote speaker is Dr. Robert Butler, president and CEO of the International Longevity Center-USA. The conference will take place from 8:00am-3:00pm at The Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls.

For more information, please click here or please visit www.arhn.org or contact Gail Holstein Danforth at 518-761-0300 ext. 251 or gdanforth@medserv.net.

October 7, 2009 - NYIT Center for Gerontology & Geriatrics's Second Annual Conference on Aging & Society at the Riland Academic Health Care Center on their Old Westbury campus from 8:30am to 4:00pm. This year's theme is Reforming Long Term Care-Back to the Future.

Please visit the conference website for more information.

October 15-17, 2009 - 2009 State Society on Aging of NY Conference: "Caregiving and an Aging Population". The event will be held at The Hyatt Regency, Rochester, NY.

Click here for the preliminary program with registration form.

October 28 & 30, 2009 - Best Practices: Dementia Training SUNY at Albany's Center for Excellence in Aging Services will provide aging network staff with best practices, tools and resources to assist persons with dementia and their caregivers in Batavia and Syracuse, NY. The trainers are Lisa A. Ferretti, LMSW, Director of Operations and Philip McCallion, Ph.D. Professor and Director of the Center for Excellence in Aging Services, School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, State University of New York.

Click here for Training Objectives.

October 29, 2009 - SAVE THE DATE - The Greater New York Chapter of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers Annual Conference The theme is CAREMANAGING IN AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN with keynote speaker, Dr. Robert N. Butler, Founder, President and CEO of the International Longevity Center. The conference will take place from 8:30-4:30 at The Roosevelt Hotel, 45th St. & Madison Ave., NYC.

More Information available in the coming months: NY Chapter Website - www.nygcm.org NY GCM Voice Message - 212-222-9163

The Geriatric Mental Health and Emergency Preparedness Program offered by The Consortium of New York Geriatric Education Centers provides an introduction to emergency preparedness for healthcare professionals and others working with older adults, focusing on effective ways your organization can work with first responders and the government, as well as clinical response to disasters. Participants must attend the 3 day course and 2 additional electives to receive 40-hour Geriatric Scholar Certificate. The Mount Sinai School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 40 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. At American Nurses Credentialing Center, the certification program does accept CME hours for nurses re-certifying. Please see our brochure for details and register online.

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News - Week of August 10, 2009

2009-08-11T14:01:00.005-04:00

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News

A bi-weekly email to brief you on issues important to geriatric mental health

August 10, 2009 - Vol 3, Issue 07

Governor Paterson To Seek $2.1 Billion In Mid-Year Cuts

Revenue shortfalls related to the poor economy in NYS will result in a deficit for 2009-10. To avert this deficit, Governor Paterson has announced that he will seek $2.1 Billion in spending cuts when the Legislature comes back into session in September. These cuts are likely to affect health, mental health, substance abuse, aging, and children's services as well as education. We will let you know details as we learn them. Please be prepared to write, call, and visit your Assemblyperson and Senator to urge them to protect critical services for older adults with mental and/or substance use problems.

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Permanent Timothy's Law

Governor Paterson signed a bill making NYS's parity act (known as "Timothy's Law) permanent. The original act was scheduled to sunset this year. There was widespread agreement to extend it for one year, but mental health advocates (including The Geriatric Mental Health Alliance) fought successfully to make the law permanent. Kudos to Assemblyman Rivera, Senator Huntley, and Governor Paterson for leading the fight.

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Community Empowerment Grants Announced

New York State Office for the Aging Director Michael Burgess announced that $490,000 in State grants has been awarded to fifteen not-for-profit organizations and local governments to support the creation of communities in which older adults can successfully age in place. The choices reflected increased recognition of the importance of mental health to living well in old age-a very positive development.

Please click here for more information.

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Medicare Optimization Project Making Progress

The Geriatric Mental Health Alliance has been working for a number of years to help providers who respond to the mental health needs of older adults to get all of the funding they are entitled to from Medicare and other funding streams. Most recently, the NYS OMH contracted with GMHA to work with 10 demonstration projects to develop plans for them to become financially self-sustaining and to develop finance models that will make it possible to increase mental health services for older adults. The project is producing some promising results, which will be reported to the NYS Interagency Geriatric Mental Health and Chemical Dependence Planning Council on September 30. That meeting will be webcast.

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End of Life Provisions in the Health Care Reform (H.R. 3200) Legislation

Director Burgess of NYSOFA has recommended a more detailed explanation of the end of life provision in H.R. 3200, American's Affordable Health Choice Act.

ISSUE: Some opponents of health care reform are scaring seniors by reporting that Congress is considering legislation to require Medicare beneficiaries to participate in mandatory consultations on how they want to die. This information is NOT correct.

BACKGROUND: H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act, which is being considered in the House, includes a provision to improve the Medicare program by authorizing reimbursement for one Advance Care Planning Consultation every five years. The consultation is not mandatory. Rather, Medicare would provide reimbursement if beneficiaries voluntarily chose to meet with a health care practitioner for information about advance directives, including living wills and durable powers of attorney; the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, such as palliative care and hospice; and orders regarding life sustaining treatment. Consultations could be conducted more frequently if there is a significant change in the health condition of an individual.

The purpose of Sec. 1233 of H.R. 3200 is to help people discuss their views regarding end-of-life care with their families and health care providers before the need for such care arises and to learn what they must do to ensure that their wishes are carried out if they become incapacitated. The Advance Care Planning Consultation, which would be paid for by Medicare, is intended to improve the quality of end-of-life care provided to beneficiaries. These meetings between patients and their doctors would be completely voluntary and no one would be required to complete an advance care directive or living will. The requirement in the 2008 Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) requiring physicians to provide an advance care planning consultation as part of the Welcome to Medicare physical exam is not considered as one of the advance care planning consultations available to beneficiaries every five years.

H.R. 3200 also requires the inclusion of quality measures on end-of-life care in the Physician's Quality Reporting Initiative, and the inclusion of information on advance care planning in the paper and electronic versions of the Medicare & You handbook.

SUPPORT FOR Advance Care Planning Consultations: Supporters of the Advance Care Planning Consultation provision in H.R. 3200, and related legislation that has been introduced in Congress, believe it is very important for people to discuss their views regarding end-of-life care with their families and health care providers before the need for such care arises and to learn what they must do to ensure that their wishes are carried out if they become incapacitated. In addition, it is very helpful for people to know about the wide range of options that are available to them for end-of-life care, from very aggressive treatment to palliative services and hospice care. The purpose of this provision is to help fulfill individual wishes; avoid disputes, such as those that arise among family members when a loved one's wishes are not known; and to improve the quality of end-of-life care.

NYSOFA POSITION:

The purpose of the Advance Care Planning Consultation provisions in health care reform legislation is to improve the Medicare program for beneficiaries. The consultations are completely voluntary.

It is important for individuals to make known their wishes about end-of-life care, both for themselves and for their family members and health care providers, so that their wishes can be carried out without dispute if they become incapacitated.

Having information about the wide range of services available to those with advanced illnesses can help improve the quality of care they receive as they near the end of their lives.

Please share this information with other advocates and seniors!

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Orange County Beings Training Initiative in Geriatric Mental Health

Orange County has initiated a series of presentations regarding geriatric mental health, using the GMHA Speakers' Bureau to make the arrangements. So far two events have taken place. Michael Friedman, Alliance Chair, did Geriatric Mental Health 101. Amy Stern, LCSW from Weill-Cornell Medical College's Department of Geriatric Medicine, did a presentation on how to screen for mental illness and/or substance abuse. Two more presentations are planned, including:

Practical Strategies for Addressing Medication Safety Issues Among Older Adults
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm
Presenters: Andrew Kolbasovsky, Psy.D. and Arsenio Gonzalez, Pharm.D. of EmblemHealth

Understanding the Differences Between Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, and Depression
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm
Presenter: Gary Kennedy, MD, Montefiore Medical Center

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Upcoming Alliance Events

The GMHA is pleased to announce its upcoming educational programming for Fall 2009. Exact dates and location will be announced in early September 2009.

Webinars:

September 22, 2009 - Geriatric Mental Health 101
Presenter: Michael Friedman, LMSW, GMHA

October 22, 2009 - Working with LGBT Elders
Presenter: Bobbi Williams, PhD, Rainbow Access Initiative

November 4, 2009 - Substance Abuse Among Older Adults
Presenter: Frederic Blow, Ph.D., University of Michigan

Best Practices:

October 2009 - Understanding the Pain/Depression Dyad Among Older Adults
Presenter: Cary Reid, MD, PhD, Wright Center on Aging/Weill-Cornell Medical College

November 2009 - Identifying Elder Mistreatment
Presenter: Debra Greenberg, PhD, Montefiore Medical Center

December 2009 - Holocaust Survivors: Stories of Resilience
Presenters: To Be Announced

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Other Upcoming Events

August 26 & 27, 2009 - Best Practices: Dementia Training SUNY at Albany's Center for Excellence in Aging Services will provide aging network staff with best practices, tools and resources to assist persons with dementia and their caregivers in Batavia and Syracuse, NY. The trainers are Lisa A. Ferretti, LMSW, Director of Operations and Philip McCallion, Ph.D. Professor and Director of the Center for Excellence in Aging Services, School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, State University of New York.

Click here for Training Objectives.
Click here for the Registration Form.
Click for directions to Batavia (Genesse AAA) and Syracuse (NOPL).

Additional trainings are currently planned for October 28 and 30, 2009. Click here for more information.

September 16-17, 2009 - The 16th Annual New York State Adult Abuse Training Institute - Strengthening Alliances: Realizing Solutions within Our Reach Sponsored by The NYS Office of Children and Family Services, the event will be held at the Albany Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Albany, NY. Click here for details!

This event is held under special contract with Brookdale Center for Health Aging & Longevity of Hunter College/CUNY

September 29, 2009 - 2nd Annual Health Aging Conference The keynote speaker is Dr. Robert Butler, president and CEO of the International Longevity Center-USA. The conference will take place from 8:00am-3:00pm at The Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls.

For more information, please click here or please visit www.arhn.org or contact Gail Holstein Danforth at 518-761-0300 ext. 251 or gdanforth@medserv.net.

October 29, 2009 - SAVE THE DATE - The Greater New York Chapter of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers Annual Conference The theme is CAREMANAGING IN AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN with keynote speaker, Dr. Robert N. Butler, Founder, President and CEO of the International Longevity Center. The conference will take place from 8:30-4:30 at The Roosevelt Hotel, 45th St. & Madison Ave., NYC.

More Information available in the coming months: NY Chapter Website - www.nygcm.org NY GCM Voice Message - 212-222-9163

The Geriatric Mental Health and Emergency Preparedness Program offered by The Consortium of New York Geriatric Education Centers provides an introduction to emergency preparedness for healthcare professionals and others working with older adults, focusing on effective ways your organization can work with first responders and the government, as well as clinical response to disasters. Participants must attend the 3 day course and 2 additional electives to receive 40-hour Geriatric Scholar Certificate. The Mount Sinai School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 40 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. At American Nurses Credentialing Center, the certification program does accept CME hours for nurses re-certifying. Please see our brochure for details and register online.

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Combining Physical and Mental Health

Medicaid beneficiaries with chronic physical conditions and serious, persistent mental illness do best when both physical and behavioral care services are integrated, concludes a new report from the United Hospital Fund's Medicaid Institute. Among this chronically ill population, the addition of one behavioral health condition doubles medical expenditures for physical health, the emergency room visit rate, and the hospital admission rate. The report suggests ways New York can reduce avoidable exacerbations of illness that often result in high-cost services. The report also proposes that New York consider two options for this population: fully capitated health plans that integrate physical and behavioral services, and capitated behavioral health organizations that are separate from existing managed care plans. "Providing Behavioral Health Services to Medicaid Managed Care Enrollees" is online at www.uhfnyc.org.

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ASA-MetLife Foundation MindAlert Awards

Deadlines: October 1, 2009

Purpose: The ASA-MetLife Foundation MindAlert Awards were established to recognize innovations in mental fitness programming for older adults. One MindAlert award will be made to a program within each of the following three categories that reflect the focus of the program and the population it serves.

Lifelong Learning /Third Age Educational programs

Programs specifically focused on enhancing mental fitness for the general population of older adults.

Programs designed to enhance mental fitness specifically for early stage cognitively-impaired older adults.

Eligibility:
Programs and products or tools that promote cognitive function in later life that have been in operation or distributed for at least one year are eligible. Submission must come from non-profit organizations located in the United States. Submission must come from a member of ASA (either individual or organizational membership).

Applicants must have completed a recent evaluation of their programs or products. If you have questions about eligibility, please contact Cary Speidell, Project Manager, at mindalert@asaging.org, 415-974-9630

Each of the three programs will receive $1,500.

Please click here for more information.

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Congress Tackles Long-Term Care

Congress Tackles Long-Term Care
The New York Times
By Paula Span
July 22, 2009

Generally overlooked in the debate over health care reform, and of particular interest to New Old Age readers, is the C.L.A.S.S. Act, a bill introduced by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, that would establish a national long-term care insurance program. The idea has circulated for years, but now advocates think there's a real possibility such a plan will be incorporated into whatever health care bill emerges from Congress.

The C.L.A.S.S. Act (short for Community Living Assistance Services and Support, if you're wondering) could transform the way people pay for long-term care. Participants would receive daily benefits - money they could use to pay for home care, adult day programs, assisted living or nursing homes - whether they're elderly or young and disabled.

To date, two of the five Congressional committees working on a health care overhaul have adopted the proposed legislation; the others have yet to vote. Howard Gleckman, a senior researcher at the Urban Institute, pointed out that while some insurance companies oppose the idea, "the biggest problem the C.L.A.S.S. Act has isn't opposition, but indifference - a sense on the Hill that they just don't want to mess with long-term care."

Mr. Gleckman added, "That it's gotten this far is a surprise to lots of people. But Senator Kennedy has been pushing it hard. Given his health and his interest, there may be some sentiment for doing this for him."

Barbara Manard, a health economist with the American Association of Housing and Services for the Aging, worked with Mr. Kennedy's staff to draft the legislation. Here are her answers, edited and condensed, to questions about how the program would work.

Q: What's the basic idea behind the C.L.A.S.S. Act?

To read more, click here.

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CMS Proposes Huge Reduction in Medicare Payments to Physicians

Washington, D.C. -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing a whopping 21.5% reduction in payment rates for services furnished during calendar year (CY) 2010 by more than 1 million physicians and non-physician practitioners who are paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). The proposal is expected to prompt significant angst and resistance within the U.S. physician community, especially within the powerful American Medical Association (AMA), the nation's largest organization representing the interests of physicians, according to Aging News Alert, an online, interactive and continuously updated online news service. In previous years when CMS proposed reductions in physician payment rates, the AMA responded with dire warnings of Medicare beneficiaries seeing reduced access to doctors and other healthcare professionals. By law, CMS is required to adjust the MPFS payment rates annually based on an update formula which includes application of the Sustainable Growth Rate -- or SGR -- that was adopted in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. This complex formula has yielded negative updates every year since 2002. Even so, CMS took administrative steps to avert a payment rate reduction in CY 2003, and Congress has taken a series of legislative actions to prevent reductions in CYs 2004-2009. Given the level of criticism now being directed at the Democrat-controlled Congress regarding the ever-increasing deficit, it is uncertain whether federal lawmakers will intervene this time to stop the proposed cuts from taking effect.

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Archive of GMHA Newsletters

If you're looking for a previous edition of the Geriatric Mental Health Alliance's Newsletters, please don't hestitate to contact Yusyin at yhsin@mhaofnyc.org.

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News - Week of July 6, 2009

2009-07-07T16:33:00.003-04:00

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News

A monthly newsletter to brief you on issues important to geriatric mental health

July 06, 2009 - Vol 3, Issue 6

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Update on Behavioral Health and Long-term Care Act

Despite support from over 125 agencies, the Behavioral Health and Long-term Care Act will not pass this year. The bill was introduced in both the Assembly and the Senate and was voted out of the Mental Health and Aging Committees. Given the turmoil in Albany, we did not anticipate that it would pass this year. We will be working over the coming months to line up support for next year.

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NYC Council Restores GMH Initiative at $2.4 million

The NYC Council has restored funding for the Geriatric Mental Health Initiative at $2.4 million. This funding allows 24 agencies to enhance mental health services for older adults in non-traditional settings such as in the home, senior centers, or NORCs.

During the budget negotiations, GMHA participated in a briefing and press conference convened by Council Member G. Oliver Koppell, Chair of the Committee on Mental Health Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services. At the briefing, providers presented to City Council members and their staff about the benefits and importance of the Initiative and advocated for the City Council to restore funding in Fiscal Year 2010.

Thank you to the Council for their continued support of this most important initiative.

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2008 GMHCD Planning Council Annual Report

The 2008 Annual Report to the Governor and Legislature of NYS on Geriatric Mental Health and Chemical Dependence highlights activities from the past year, provides updates on the service demonstration projects, and outlines future planning efforts. To read the report, click here.

On June 11, 2009, The Council held its quarterly meeting where there were presentations on the OMH clinic restructuring initiative, the Medicare optimization project, and the Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment (SBIRT) program for substance use problems. To view an archive of he webcast, click here.

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UHF Report on Integration for People with Serious Mental Illness

The United Hospital Fund's Medicaid Institute recently released a report entitled Providing Behavioral Health Services to Medicaid Managed Care Enrollees which concludes that Medicaid beneficiaries with chronic physical conditions and serious and persistent mental illness do better when physical and mental health services are integrated. The report offers recommendations for improving care and reducing exacerbations of illness that often result in avoidable utilization of high-cost services.

To download the report, click here.

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Other Upcoming Events

July 8, 2009 - Medicaid and National Health Reform The United Hospital Fund will hold a conference to address issues regarding Medicaid. Topics include Medicaid's role in national health reform, the impact of national health reform on New York, the future of Medicaid in New York, and integrating behavioral health under Medicaid. Speakers include James Tallon, Deborah Bachrach, Jo Ivey Bufford, Bruce Vladeck, and others. Michael Friedman will make a presentation regarding behavioral health and long- term care. The conference will take place from 8:30 to 4:30 at the CUNY Graduate Center at 365 Fifth Avenue.

July 12-14, 2009 - CHCANYS Region II Conference The conference will include presentations by Richard Daines, MD, Commissioner of Health; Deborah Bachrach, NYS Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Health Insurance Programs; and Jacki Leifer of Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP. The conference is hosted by CHCANYS and held in collaboration with the New Jersey Primary Care Association, Asociacion de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Health Centers. Themed Community Health Centers-Yes We Can! , this 3-day event will be held at the Hilton Rye Town Hotel in Rye Brook, New York. Registration, hotel and sponsor/exhibit information are available by clicking here.

October 29, 2009 - SAVE THE DATE - The Greater New York Chapter of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers Annual Conference The theme is CAREMANAGING IN AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN with keynote speaker, DR. Robert N. Butler, Founder, President and CEO of the International Longevity Center. The conference will take place from 8:30-4:30 at The Roosevelt Hotel, 45th St. & Madison Ave., NYC.

More Information available in the coming months: NY Chapter Website - www.nygcm.org NY GCM Voice Message - 212-222-9163

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New NYS Law Regarding Powers of Attorney

New requirements regarding powers of attorney go into effect on September 1, 2009. We are grateful to Martin Petroff, of Martin Petroff & Associates who has provided GMHA with a short piece regarding these important changes. To read the article, click here.

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Archive of GMHA Newsletters

If you're looking for a previous edition of the Geriatric Mental Health Alliance's Newsletters, please don't hestitate to contact Yusyin at yhsin@mhaofnyc.org.

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News - Week of May 24, 2009

2009-05-26T11:32:00.001-04:00

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News

A bi-weekly email to brief you on issues important to geriatric mental health

May 24, 2009 - Vol 3, Issue 5

GMHA Annual Conference Draws Over 300

On Friday, May 15th, 2009 GMHA hosted its third annual geriatric mental health conference entitled Treatment and Beyond: Meeting the Behavioral Health Challenges of the Elder Boom at the Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn, NY. The conference was attended by over 300 participants from the fields of mental health, health care, and aging services as well as public officials, consumers, and older adults. The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Michael Friedman, GMHA Chair and Kim Williams, GMHA Director followed by remarks from Dr. Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, Commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging. GMHA honored Assemblyman Peter Rivera with the Geriatric Mental Health Leadership Award for his efforts in promoting geriatric mental health in New York State. Dr. Cameron Camp, of Hearthstone Alzheimer Care, delivered an exciting keynote address describing innovative techniques for working with older adults affected by dementia. At lunch, participants were addressed by Dr. Adam Karpati, Executive Deputy Commissioner for Mental Hygiene at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Twenty-four workshops were offered throughout the day focusing on current best practices, research, and policy in geriatric mental health. GMHA would like to thank all of the organizations and individuals who sponsored or participated in this year's conference. We look forward to planning next year's event!

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Update on Behavioral Health and Long-Term Care Act

The Behavioral Health, Chemical Dependency, and Long-term Care Act, an Act that would push the state to better address mental, substance, and behavioral problems in long-term care, has been reported out of the Senate Aging Committee and the Assembly Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Developmental Disabilities Committee. The bill is now being reviewed by the Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee even though we believe there is no cost implication.

We still welcome organizational supporters, so if your organization has not signed on and wants to be listed among the supporting organizations, please let us know.

Over 125 organizations have signed on in support of the Act thus far. Thank you for your support!

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GMHA Participates in OMH Geriatric Mental Health Planning Day

On May 20, the NYS Office of Mental Health hosted a geriatric mental health planning day at the New York State Psychiatric Institute in order to discuss optimizing the effectiveness of the geriatric mental health demonstration programs and the dissemination of models around the state; recommendations for serving people with serious and persistent mental illness who are aging; recommendations for serving older adults with substance abuse problems; and policy recommendations for the Interagency Geriatric Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Planning Council.

The planning day, which was facilitated by Susan Essock, Ph.D., Director of the Division of Mental Health Services and Policy Research at OMH, included presentations by a number of the demonstration programs as well as insights from a panel of geriatric mental health experts. The experts included Stephen Bartels, M.D., Dartmouth Medical School; Fred Blow, Ph.D., University of Michigan; Martha Bruce, Ph.D., M.P.H., Weill-Cornell Medical College; Yeates Conwell, M.D., University of Rochester; Davangere Devanand, M.D., Columbia University; Michael Friedman, L.M.S.W., MHA of NYC; and Barnett Meyers, M.D., Weill-Cornell Medical College. Several OMH staff members participated in the day including Robert Myers, Ph.D., Senior Deputy Commissioner for Division of Adult Services at OMH.

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GMHA Signs-On to Positive Aging Act of 2009

The Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York has signed-on in support of the Positive Aging Act of 2009. Senator Collins (R-ME) is planning to reintroduce the Positive Aging Act in the next week. As you may recall, this bill was previously a Clinton-Collins collaboration and the 2009 version of this bill is the same as the Positive Aging Act of 2007 (110th Congress). This legislation is designed to make mental health services for older adults an integral part of primary care and to extend them to other community settings where older adults reside and receive services.

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GMHA Opposes Cuts to Aging Services in NYC's Executive Budget

On May 16, 2009, GMHA presented testimony at a City Council Executive Budget Hearing held by the Committee on Finance, chaired by David Weprin; Committee on Aging, chaired by Maria Del-Carmen Arroyo; and the subcommittee on Senior Centers, chaired by Melissa Mark-Viverito. We strongly opposed the proposed cuts to aging service programs in the Mayor's Executive Budget. We supported restoration of cuts to, and elimination of, programs for older adults in the previous funding reductions including social adult day care, intergenerational programs, caregiver support, and non-core services. We also asked for restoration of funding for the New York City Council Geriatric Mental Health Initiative. GMHA has also joined with other NYC umbrella organizations supporting aging services - Council of Senior Centers and Services, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, Human Services Council, UJA-Federation of NY, and United Neighborhood Houses - to support their NYC FY2010 Budget Priorities for Aging.

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GMHA Advocates for the NYC Council Geriatric Mental Health Initiative

GMHA will also submit joint testimony with United Neighborhood Houses of New York and UJA- Federation of New York on the mental hygiene portion of the Mayor's FY10 Executive Budget. In our testimony, we strongly urge the Council to restore $2.4 million in funding for the Geriatric Mental Health Initiative.

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New NYS Law Regarding Powers of Attorney

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Upcoming Events

May 27, 2009 - Geroposium: Medical Home and the Frail Elderly A conference being sponsored by the New York Institute of Technology Center for Gerontology and Geriatrics with co-sponsors Long Island Geriatric Education Center at Stony Brook University Health Science Center (LIGEC), New York College of Osteopathic Medicine Educational Consortium (NYCOMEC), New York Chapter- American College of Physicians (ACP), and New York State Osteopathic Medical Society (NYSOMS). The conference will take place from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the DeSeversky Conference Center, Northern Boulevard, Old Westbury, New York

June 2, 2009 - Safety in a Storm: Identification and Prevention of Elder Abuse The Fourth Annual multi- disciplinary NYC Elder Abuse Conference will be held from 8:00am-3:00pm at the New School Institute for Retired Professionals, 66 West 12th St., New York City. In one of the afternoon workshops, Kim Williams, GMHA Director, will be joining a panel of presenters at a workshop entitled The Interfacing of Elder Abuse and Adult Protective Services (APS): Working with the Mentally Ill Elder Abuse Offender.

June 2-3, 2009 - 13th Annual "Aging Concerns Unite Us" (ACUU) Conference The ACUU Conference attracts professionals from all regions of New York State who are devoted to coordinating and providing quality services to the aging population and their caregivers. The Geriatric Mental Health Alliance is one of the organizations serving on the ACUU Advisory Committee. Over 30 workshops are offered, including a presentation by Michael Friedman, "Aging Well - The Role of Mental Health" on June 2nd at 9:30 am.

The opening Keynote Address will feature George Vaillant, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He will draw upon the insights from his widely acclaimed 2002 book Aging Well and let us know why "Growing Old is a Lot More Fun Than You Expected."

Enticing educational programs are being offered and back by popular demand are the Aging Forums which generated discussion and problem-solving at last year's ACUU.

The agenda and registration forms are posted to www.nysaaaa.org/acuu For questions, contact NYS Association of Area Agencies on Aging at 518-449- 7080 or by email office@nysaaaa.org

June 11, 2009 - Meeting the Mental Health Challenges of the Elder Boom This conference will inform mental health professionals about current trends and service delivery for older adults, including intergenerational strategies, animal-assisted treatment, and substance misuse. It is being co- sponsored by the Social Work Network of St. Vincent's Hospital Westchester and the Geriatric Mental Health, Elder Abuse, and Caregivers Coalitions of the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services. The conference will take place from Noon-4:00pm at St Vincent's Hospital Westchester.

June 11, 2009 - Interagency Geriatric Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Planning Council The Council meeting will begin at 10:30am. To view a live webcast of the event, click here prior to the start of the meeting.

June 12, 2009 - 14th Annual Jarvie Colloquium: Lifting Every Voice: Coming Together to Meet the Challenges of Change for Older People, Community and Society This year's colloquium explores changes for older people as our nation continues to adapt the challenges of a growing older population at a time of economic uncertainty. Equally important, the colloquium will look at how older people are meeting the "challenges of change" in their individual lives. The agenda includes: morning plenary presentations by Jeanette Takamura, Ph.D., and DFTA Commissioner Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, Ph.D.; morning workshops; an afternoon plenary session presented by Wendy Lustbader, MSW; and afternoon workshops. The Colloquium will take place at the Interchurch Center, Lobby Floor, 475 Riverside Drive/120th Street, New York, NY.

June 12, 2009 - Answering the Call: A Community Forum on Health Aging and Civic Engagement This event, hosted by the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged (JASA) will engage older adults, senior care providers, community organizers, and legislators in discussions about healthy aging and civic engagement. A poster session held immediately following the panel presentations will allow professionals in the field of aging and public service to showcase their work. The event will take place from 9:00-12:00pm at UJA Federation of New York, 130 East 59th Street, 7th Floor, NYC.

July 8, 2009 - Medicaid and National Health Reform The United Hospital Fund will hold a conference to address issues regarding Medicaid. Topics include Medicaid's role in national health reform, the impact of national health reform on New York, the future of Medicaid in New York, and integrating behavioral health under Medicaid. Speakers include James Tallon, Deborah Bachrach, Jo Ivey Bufford, Bruce Vladeck, and others. Michael Friedman will make a presentation regarding behavioral health and long- term care. The conference will take place from 8:30 to 4:30 at the CUNY Graduate Center at 365 Fifth Avenue.

July 12-14, 2009 - CHCANYS Region II Conference The conference will include presentations by Richard Daines, MD, Commissioner of Health; Deborah Bachrach, NYS Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Health Insurance Programs; and Jacki Leifer of Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP. The conference is hosted by CHCANYS and held in collaboration with the New Jersey Primary Care Association, Asociacion de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Health Centers. Themed Community Health Centers-Yes We Can! , this 3-day event will be held at the Hilton Rye Town Hotel in Rye Brook, New York. Registration, hotel and sponsor/exhibit information are available by clicking here.

October 29, 2009 - SAVE THE DATE - The Greater New York Chapter of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers Annual Conference The theme is CAREMANAGING IN AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN with keynote speaker, DR. Robert N. Butler, Founder, President and CEO of the International Longevity Center. The conference will take place from 8:30-4:30 at The Roosevelt Hotel, 45th St. & Madison Ave., NYC. More Information available in the coming months: NY Chapter Website - www.nygcm.org NY GCM Voice Message - 212-222-9163

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UHF Releases Report on New York's Medicaid Long-Term Care Programs

The Medicaid Institute at United Hospital Fund has published a comprehensive report on Medicaid long- term care programs in New York, which serve 247,000 Medicaid beneficiaries each month and account for roughly one quarter of all Medicaid spending. Care for these beneficiaries can be intensive and costly.

Created to inform discussions among New York's policymakers, health care stakeholders, and community advocates, the report provides an overview of the current organization of long-term care services under New York's Medicaid program, a September 2007 snapshot of program enrollment and associated annual spending, and a summary of the rules that govern how each program operates. The report also identifies policy options for addressing the key challenges facing the state as it looks at options to better serve New York's frail seniors and adults with physical disabilities through its 12 long-term care programs.

An Overview of Medicaid Long- Term Care Programs in New York is available free of charge, both in its component chapters and in its entirety, from the Fund's website.

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Article: Integration with Primary Care Can Save Psychotherapy

By Paula Hartman-Stein, Ph.D.

Akron, Ohio

Nicholas Cummings, Ph.D., a former president of the American Psychological Association, predicts that psychotherapy will die within ten years if there is not greater integration of psychological practice in primary care settings.

Cumming spoke at an April 23-24 conference hosted by the Archives of the History of American Psychology at the University of Akron.

He said he comes from the clinical perspective of someone who has worked in clinical settings for many years, beginning his practice in 1948 in San Francisco when he was one of only five private psychological practitioners in the city. "At that time there was no license, malpractice insurance, societal recognition, or insurance reimbursement," he said.

"At the present time psychotherapy is languishing," he said. He cites factors such as psychology making the choice many years earlier to separate itself from health care rather than integrating. "Because we said we are not a health profession, we have created two silos, effectively separating the mind from the body. Rene Descartes is still alive and kicking," he said.

Borrowing a metaphor first described by a health economist, Cummings said that at the current time mental health care is analogous to the chicken who feeds off the few oats found within the droppings of the horse (the healthcare system).

For example, Cummings said that in the 1980s mental health care costs comprised 9 percent of the national health care budget. Today, despite parity legislation designed to pay for mental health on par with health care, behavioral health care takes up only 4.2 percent of the budget. If the cost of psychotropic medication is removed, the amount spent on behavioral health interventions drops to 1.5 percent with an ever lower percentage expected in 2009.

Advocating for additional legislation to improve parity between health and mental health care is not the answer, Cummings said. "Economics will trump legislation. Managed care companies will always find a way around parity, such as dropping their mental health care benefits."

Integration of behavioral care has become a popular buzzword, but according to Cummings, "Ninety-nine percent of what passes as integrated care is actually collaborative care."

To read more, click here.

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News - Week of April 20, 2009

2009-04-20T17:32:00.002-04:00

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News

A bi-weekly email to brief you on issues important to geriatric mental health

April 20, 2009 - Vol 3, Issue 04

NYS Budget Impact on Geriatric Mental Health

On April 3, 2009, the New York State 2009-10 Budget was enacted. Given the tough budget year, we are pleased that the state continued to fund the geriatric mental health demonstration programs, for which we strongly advocated. GMHA was also active in advocating on a number of issues pertaining to older adults with mental disorders, many of which had positive outcomes.

For a breakdown of the areas we were concerned about and their outcomes, click here.

In addition, we are pleased that the state continued the exemption for social workers and other mental health practitioners who are not LCSWs until June 1, 2010. However, we supported an exemption until 2013 as was proposed in the 2009-10 Executive Budget Request.

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Update on A.7027/S.3341

The Behavioral Health, Chemical Dependency and Long-term Care Act of 2009 (A.7027/S.3341) was introduced in the NYS Legislature a few weeks ago. Assemblyman Peter Rivera, Chair of the Mental Health Committee, introduced the bill in the Assembly. Senator Ruben Diaz, Chair of the Aging Committee, introduced it in the Senate.

The bills will be on the agenda of their respective committees very soon.

Has Your Organization Signed-on to the Legislation?

Over 100 organizations have signed on in support of the Act.

If your organization has not signed-on, and wants to be listed among the supporting organizations, simply reply to this email with a 'YES' and with the name of the organization(s) that you represent.

Thank you for your support! We will be in touch with action alerts as the legislation moves along.

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GMHA Training and Technical Assistance Center: Upcoming Events

April 21, 2009 - Creativity in Late Life: A Best Practices Presentation in Geriatric Mental Health co-sponsored by the Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York, the Consortium of New York Geriatric Education Centers, and the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging and Longevity of Hunter College.

This presentation will provide an overview of the role of creativity in the lives of older adults. Topics covered will include: the meaning of creative aging, how creativity may be used to enhance quality of life among older adults and tools practitioners may use to foster creativity among the older adults with whom they work.

The event will be held from 3:00 - 5:00PM at the Hunter College School of Social Work - Auditorium, 129 East 79th Street, NYC, (Between Lexington and Park Avenues). Please register by clicking here or visit: http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2gqiqfwfrb0o81r/start. If you have any questions, please email or call Yusyin Hsin at yhsin@mhaofnyc.org or (212) 614-6356. The event is free but pre-registration is required.

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May 15, 2009 - Save-the-Date - Third Annual Geriatric Mental Health Alliance Conference.

REGISTER TODAY!!!

TREATMENT AND BEYOND: Meeting the Behavioral Health Challenges of the Elder Boom
Brooklyn Marriott, NY

Keynote Speaker: Cameron J. Camp, Ph.D.

Click here for the registration brochure.
Click here for the Sponsors/Vendors Prospectus

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Report on GMHCD Interagency Planning Council Meeting

The Geriatric Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Planning Council, which is chaired by Commissioner of the Office of Mental Health (OMH), Michael Hogan; Director of the State Office for the Aging (OFA), Michael Burgess; Commissioner of the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), Karen Carpenter Palumbo; and Director of the Division of Veterans Affairs, Jim McDonough met on March 26, 2009.

At the opening of the meeting, Commissioner Hogan presented a brief state budget outlook for 2009-10. Commissioner Carpenter Palumbo, shared with the Council OASAS initiatives on geriatric substance abuse including the establishment of a Senior Advisory Committee. Ron Adelman, Risa Breckman, and Ron Goralewicz from NY Presbyterian presented on their geriatric mental health demonstration program to integrate mental health into a primary health care clinic. The Commissioners were very impressed with their successful model for integration and were interested in seeing the demo model disseminated across the state. They were also interested in identifying and removing any barriers to replication. It was announced that OMH will be hosting a geriatric mental health planning day in order to maximize the success of the grants programs and discuss dissemination of the models.

Michael Friedman, Council member, presented on the Behavioral Health, Chemical Dependency and Long-term Care Act. He also recommended the formation of a Council taskforce on long-term care in order to identify gaps and needs regarding the behavioral health needs of recipients of long-term care. The creation of such a taskforce is also being proposed as part of the legislation.

To view an archive of the meeting via webcast, click here.

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GMHA Testifies on NYC's FY10 Preliminary Budget

On March 25, 2009, GMHA presented joint testimony with the Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies, United Neighborhood Houses of New York, and the UJA Federation of New York at a City Council FY10 Preliminary Budget Hearing held by the Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services, chaired by Council Member Oliver Koppell and the Subcommittee on Drug Abuse, chaired by Council Member Annabel Palma. In our testimony, we address the continual problems with the significantly delayed contracting and allocation process. We also urged the Council to support restoration of funding for the Geriatric Mental Health Initiative.

On March 30, 2009, GMHA presented testimony at a City Council Preliminary Budget Hearing held by the Committee on Aging, chaired by Council Member Maria Del-Carmen Arroyo and the subcommittee on Senior Centers, chaired by Council Member Melissa Mark Viverito. We strongly opposed the proposed cuts to aging service programs in the Mayor's preliminary budget. We supported restoration of cuts to, and elimination of, programs for older adults in the November FY'09 PEGs including social adult day care, intergenerational programs, caregiver support, and non-core services. We also asked for restoration of funding for the New York City Council Geriatric Mental Health Initiative.

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GMHA Participates in SOFA Preventative Health Institute

On April 2, 2009, GMHA participated in a NYS Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) sponsored event Preventative Health and Older Adults Institute: A Call to Action and Commitment which brought together key stakeholders from the health and aging sectors to strategize about how to increase the use of Medicare health screenings and preventative services and to expand the use of evidence based practices for older adults. In his opening remarks, SOFA Director acknowledged the presence of GMHA and the importance of mental health to promoting health and wellness in old age.

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GMHA Joins Statewide Caregiving Coalition

GMHA has joined the advisory committee for the Statewide Caregiving and Respite Coalition of NY (SCRCNY), a network of organizations committed to providing support services for caregivers and caregiving programs and to foster cooperative efforts in developing programs, public awareness, training and more. As a committee member, we plan to highlight issues and concerns pertaining to the mental health needs of family caregivers.

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Other Upcoming Events

April 21, 2009 - Brain Injury in the Community: Wounded Warriors in Transition. This Third Annual Conference sponsored by ICD, AHRC-NYC, and The Brain Injury Association of NYS will be held 9:00am to 4:00pm at OMRDD, 1st Floor Auditorium, 75 Morton Street.

This conference will provide an opportunity for professionals from the TBI field, mentlal health and substance abuse agencies, and programs serving military personnel to learn about the impact of TBI in this context and strengthen their ability to provide services and supports to our wounded warriors.

April 25, 2009 - New York City Mental Health Film Festival The theme this year is stomping out stigma. We have selected four films. One is "crazy enough to care." This is the true story of a father who battled manic depression for 10 years. He fought the stigma that he was unable to be productive. He started a non profit that travels to psychiatric wards, hospitals and nursing homes to spread love through music and comedy. Our feature film "stop pointing" is a full length film. This film is compromised of 6 people telling their stories on fighting stigma, from our relatives, our potential employers and society at large. Our last film is "Open Space". Open space is a documentary about 4 people you would not assume to be mental health recipients who find ways to cope with their psychiatric disabilities. The movie ends with a surprise, revealing someone you never would suspect is a mental health recipient.

April 28, 2009 - Living Longer, Living Better: News You Can Use- Join the Women's City Club of New York as you learn about the latest thinking and research on living longer and more productive lives - a goal we all share for ourselves and our loved ones. Dr. Robert Butler and Carol Raphael are pioneers in fields related to longevity and they will educating people on how to live longer and better and advises society on how to maximize the benefits of today's age boom.

For more information, please click here.

April 29, 2009 - Medicare Basics for Advocates - The Medicare Rights Center is hosting a training for professionals to help people with Medicare get the most out of their coverage. In this 2 hour training, topics that will be covered are: Medicare overview, who is eligible for Medicare? What does Medicare cover? And much more.

For more information or to register by phone, please contact Chinwe Nwosu at 212-204-6217 or cnwosu@medicarerights.org.

May 4, 2009 - CIAD Video Screening - Join The Coalition of Institutionalized Aged and Disabled (CIAD) and its award-winning Resident Media Team as they screen a number of their videos (produced and reported by adult home residents on adult home issues) at the Legislative Office Building, Room 711A, Albany NY from 11:30am to 1:30pm.

Go to http://hub.witness.org/ciad to view a sample of the videos. To RSVP or for more information, please contact Geoff Lieberman at 212-481-7572 or glieberman@ciadny.org

May 6, 2009 - NYSOFA's Senior Citizen's Day Celebration. This year's them is Empowering Communities Through Civic Engagement and Volunteerism and older New Yorkers from around the state will be recognized for their achievements. The afternoon will feature entertainment, exhibit booths related to senior issues, refreshments, giveaways, and remarks from NYSOFA's Director Michael Burgess and Mark Walter from the NYS Commission of National and Community Service.

May 7, 2009 - Mental Health and Geriatric Individuals with Developmental Disabilities. RRTI is offering this free course instructed by Dr. Phil McCallion, PhD and Dr. Lisa Ferretti, PhD. It will be held at various videoconference sites across New York State on May 7, 2009 from 9am to 4pm, available to all levels of Nurses.

Topics include assessment of mental health issues such as personality disorders, paranoia, and depression; behavioral changes and the differentiationbetween various dementias; Alzheimer's disease; substance abuse issues; aging and sensory loss and related behaviors; affective disorder; and understanding treatment, therapies, and supports.

To register: http://rrti.org

If you have further questions please contact the HRSA Program Assistant; Matt Yaeger at 518-449-2976 or matt@nyrehab.org

May 8, 2009 - 9th Annual Early Stage Forum - Taking Control: Knowing How, Knowing When - Alzheimer's Association - NYC Chapter's annual forum. This year's keynote speaker is Lisa Genova, author of the best-selling "Still Alice", a novel about a 50 year old English professor who develops young-onset AD. For more information, please click here.

June 2, 2009 - Safety in a Storm: Identification and Prevention of Elder Abuse - The Fourth Annual NYC Elder abuse Conference will be held at the New School Institute for Retired Professionals, 66 West 12th St.

Click here for the Save-The-Date card.

June 12, 2009 - Answering the Call: A Community Forum on Health Aging and Civic Engagement. The Jewish Association for Services for the Aged (JASA) invites you to engage older adults, senior care providers, community organizers, and legislators in discussions about health aging and civic engagement. A poster session held immediately following the panel presentations will allow professionals in the field of aging and public service to showcase their work.

Click here for the Save-the-Date Card.
Click here for the RFP to submit a poster proposal.

RRTI 2008-9 Geriatrics and Developmental Disabilities Nurse Training Program The Rehabilitation Research and Training Institute is pleased to announce the schedule for the 2008-2009 Geriatrics and Developmental Disabilities Nurse Training Program. For a full list of courses and their descriptions and registration, please visit www.rrti.org. Nurses with all levels of training are invited to register for these free courses. Please note that a certificate is available for those Nurses who complete C1-C4 and Nursing Contact Hours can be obtained. For more information and questions, please contact Matt Yaeger at matt@nyrehab.org or 518-449-2976 ext 101. Courses start September 17, 2008 at various videoconference sites.

This continuing education activity has been submitted to the New York State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation

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New York State Coalition on Elder Abuse

The NYS Coalition on Elder Abuse is a multidisciplinary, statewide network of individuals, private organizations and public agencies working together to protect elders from abuse, neglect and financial exploitation. The Coalition was formed to implement the Action Agenda created by the 2004 New York State Elder Abuse Summit.

If you or your organization would like to join the NYS Coalition on Elder Abuse, please contact Denise M. Shukoff, Esq., Coordinator, NYS Coalition on Elder Abuse at (585) 244-8400 ext. 186 or dshukoff@lifespan-roch.org

For more information, please click here.

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Press Release...Sate Awards $3.2 Million to Adult Care Facilities

State Awards $3.2 Million to Adult Care Facilities to Improve Air Conditioning in Residents' Rooms

ALBANY, N.Y. (April 15, 2009) - A total of $3.2 million in New York State grants have been awarded to 51 adult care facilities (ACF) across the State to provide increased air conditioning in resident rooms.

The Adult Care Facility Air Conditioning Initiative grants, administered by the Department of Health, are the result of a competitive process under which operators of adult homes and enriched housing programs applied for funding to support the installation, operation and maintenance of air conditioning in resident rooms. The Department's goal is to provide increased comfort for residents of adult care facilities

In distributing the grant funds, the Department gave priority to applicants whose residents demonstrated the highest level of need, including but not limited to those with psychiatric disabilities and the elderly, and to those applicants in the greatest financial need of such assistance. Facilities are required to use either NYSERDA pre-qualified equipment or Energy Star certified equipment. Funds to pay for the cost of a NYSERDA energy audit to assess a facility's air conditioning needs are included in the award for those facilities that obtained an audit prior to applying for funds.

To read more, please click here.

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Article...Doctors are Opting Out of Medicare

Doctors Are Opting Out of Medicare
By JULIE CONNELLY
Published: April 1, 2009

EARLY this year, Barbara Plumb, a freelance editor and writer in New York who is on Medicare, received a disturbing letter. Her gynecologist informed her that she was opting out of Medicare. When Ms. Plumb asked her primary-care doctor to recommend another gynecologist who took Medicare, the doctor responded that she didn't know any - and that if Ms. Plumb found one she liked, could she call and tell her the name?

Many people, just as they become eligible for Medicare, discover that the insurance rug has been pulled out from under them. Some doctors - often internists but also gastroenterologists, gynecologists, psychiatrists and other specialists - are no longer accepting Medicare, either because they have opted out of the insurance system or they are not accepting new patients with Medicare coverage. The doctors' reasons: reimbursement rates are too low and paperwork too much of a hassle.

Click here to read more.

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Article...Cognitive Therapy May Ease Seniors' Anxiety

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GMHA Participates in SOFA Preventative Health Institute

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GMHA Joins Statewide Caregiving Coalition

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Other Upcoming Events

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New York State Coalition on Elder Abuse

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Press Release...Sate Awards $3.2 Million to Adult Care Facilities

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Article...Doctors are Opting Out of Medicare

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Article...Cognitive Therapy May Ease Seniors' Anxiety

Cognitive Therapy May Ease Seniors' Anxiety
Cognitive Therapy Improves Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder Common in Older Adults, Study Shows

By Caroline Wilbert
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Generalized anxiety disorder is common among seniors. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on changing a person's way of thinking in order to change their behavior or emotions.

In a new study with 134 older adults, some participants received cognitive behavior therapy for three months. Treatment included education and awareness, motivational interviewing, relaxation training, cognitive therapy, problem-solving skills training, and sleep management training. Other participants received enhanced usual care, which consisted of biweekly phone calls from a therapist to offer support and ensure patient safety.

The participants had an average age of 67. They were evaluated at the start of the study, after the three months of therapy, and several times during the next year. The participants with the cognitive behavioral therapy improved significantly at three months, compared with the other group, on several measures, including worry severity, depressive symptoms, and general mental health. However, in another key measure, severity of anxiety, there was no difference between the two groups.

The differences in treatment response rates at three months were not apparent at 15 months, suggesting that the enhanced usual care group had some improvement and that "booster sessions" of cognitive behavioral therapy might be helpful. There were no significant differences in use of anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication between the two groups.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine, was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Generalized anxiety disorder is common late in life, affecting up to 7.3% in the community and 11.2% in primary care, according to the study. Anxiety in older adults is associated with physical disability, memory difficulties, decreased quality of life, increased use of services, mortality, and depression.

"This study is the first to suggest that CBT can be useful for managing worry and associated symptoms among older patients in primary care," the authors write. "This study paves the way for future research to test sustainable models of care in more demographically heterogeneous groups."

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News - Week of March 23, 2009

2009-03-25T13:42:00.002-04:00

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News

A bi-weekly email to brief you on issues important to geriatric mental health

March 23, 2009 - Vol 3, Issue 03

The Behavioral Health, Chemical Dependency and Long-term Care Act Is Introduced!

The Behavioral Health, Chemical Dependency and Long-term Care Act of 2009 (A.7027/S.3341) was introduced in the NYS Legislature last week! Assemblyman Peter Rivera, Chair of the Mental Health Committee, introduced the bill in the Assembly. Senator Ruben Diaz, Chair of the Aging Committee, introduced it in the Senate.

We will provide updates as the legislation moves along.

Has Your Organization Signed-on?

Over 80 organizations have signed on in support of the Act.

If your organization has not signed-on and you want to be added, please email Erica Izenberg at eizenberg@mhaofnyc.org.

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Next Geriatric MH and CD Planning Council Meeting

The next meeting of the NYS Interagency Geriatric Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Planning Council is this Thursday, March 26th at 10:30am. To link to the live webcast, click here. You can view an archive of the webcast by clicking here.

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GMHA Upcoming Events

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May 15, 2009 - Save-the-Date - Third Annual Geriatric Mental Health Alliance Conference.

TREATMENT AND BEYOND: Meeting the Behavioral Health Challenges of the Elder Boom
Brooklyn Marriott, NY

Keynote Speaker: Cameron J. Camp, Ph.D.

Click here for the Save-the-Date Card.
Click here for the Sponsors/Vendors Prospectus

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GMHA Joins Coalition to End the Two-Year Wait for Medicare

GMHA has signed on to The Coalition to End the Two-Year Wait for Medicare for people with severe disabilities. The Coalition is supporting Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2009 which is to be introduced by Senator Jeff Bingaman and Congressman Gene Green. The legislation would eliminate the unjustifiable two-year delay in coverage for people with severe disabilities who are waiting to become eligible for Medicare coverage.

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GMHA presents at ASA/NCOA Conference

At the annual joint conference of the American Society on Aging (ASA) and the National Coalition on Aging (NCOA), Kim Williams presented on the work of the Geriatric Mental Health Alliance, including successes and current activities. She presented as part of a panel presentation entitled A Mental Health National and State Policy Update, with co-presenters Lynn Friss Feinberg, Deputy Director, National Center on Caregiving, Family Caregiver Alliance; Willard Mays, MA, Assistant Deputy Director for Public Policy, Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction; and Anita Rosen, PHD, MSW, Senior Project Advisor, Self Employed.

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Other Upcoming Events

April 7, 2009 - Living in the Community - This program is for those who plan to offer services to older adults and are interested in understanding program and service options for older adults with vision impairment, identifying way sin which technology can be used to keep older adults at home, identifying housing options, and identifying treatment and options for older adults with mental illness. The training will be held at the Samuel Field YM & YWHA (58-20 Little Neck Pkwy, Little Neck, NY 11362)

For more information, click here

April 16, 2009 - Older Adult Caregivers of People With Psychiatric Disabilities: Practice, Cultural, Legal and Policy Issues. This Video and Multidisciplinary discussion will be from 5:30pm to 7:30pm in the McMahon Hall Lounge of Fordham University-Lincoln Center Campus (155 West 60th St./Amsterdam Ave.). Please RSVP to bial@fordham.edu. The event is free but registration is required.

Click here for more information.

April 21, 2009 - Brain Injury in the Community: Wounded Warriors in Transition. This Third Annual Conference sponsored by ICD, AHRC-NYC, and The Brain Injury Association of NYS will be held 9:00am to 4:00pm at OMRDD, 1st Floor Auditorium, 75 Morton Street.

This conference will provide an opportunity for professionals from the TBI field, mentlal health and substance abuse agencies, and programs serving military personnel to learn about the impact of TBI in this context and strengthen their ability to provide services and supports to our wounded warriors.

April 25, 2009 - New York City Mental Health Film Festival The theme this year is stomping out stigma. We have selected four films. One is "crazy enough to care." This is the true story of a father who battled manic depression for 10 years. He fought the stigma that he was unable to be productive. He started a non profit that travels to psychiatric wards, hospitals and nursing homes to spread love through music and comedy. Our feature film "stop pointing" is a full length film. This film is compromised of 6 people telling their stories on fighting stigma, from our relatives, our potential employers and society at large. Our last film is "Open Space". Open space is a documentary about 4 people you would not assume to be mental health recipients who find ways to cope with their psychiatric disabilities. The movie ends with a surprise, revealing someone you never would suspect is a mental health recipient.

May 7, 2009 - Mental Health and Geriatric Individuals with Developmental Disabilities. RRTI is offering this free course instructed by Dr. Phil McCallion, PhD and Dr. Lisa Ferretti, PhD. It will be held at various videoconference sites across New York State on May 7, 2009 from 9am to 4pm, available to all levels of Nurses.

Topics include assessment of mental health issues such as personality disorders, paranoia, and depression; behavioral changes and the differentiationbetween various dementias; Alzheimer's disease; substance abuse issues; aging and sensory loss and related behaviors; affective disorder; and understanding treatment, therapies, and supports.

To register: http://rrti.org

If you have further questions please contact the HRSA Program Assistant; Matt Yaeger at 518-449-2976 or matt@nyrehab.org

June 2, 2009 - Safety in a Storm: Identification and Prevention of Elder Abuse - The Fourth Annual NYC Elder abuse Conference will be held at the New School Institute for Retired Professionals, 66 West 12th St.

Click here for the Save-The-Date card.

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Benefits Checklist for Older Adults

Produced by the Sadin Institute on Law & Public Policy of the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging & Longevity of Hunter College, the Benefits Checklist for Older Adults is an essential tool for all advocates for the elderly including elder lawyers, social workers, nurses, doctors, financial advisors, accountants, public officials and their staffs, academics and all others who work in any capacity to advise and assist elderly clients.

Click here for details and ordering instructions.

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SAMHSA Accepting Applications for $11 Million in Grants...

SAMHSA Accepting Applications for $11 Million in Grants to Expand and Strengthen Treatment Services for Persons Who Are Homeless

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for fiscal year 2009 grants for the Development of Comprehensive Drug/Alcohol and Mental Health Treatment Systems for Persons Who are Homeless program. The purpose of this program is to expand and strengthen treatment services for persons who are homeless (including those who are chronically homeless) and who also have substance use disorders, mental disorders, or co-occurring substance use and mental disorders.

SAMHSA expects that up to $11 million will be available for up to 33 grants of approximately $350,000 per grant for up to five years. The actual award amount may vary, depending on the availability of funds and the progress achieved by the awardees. Funds are available for grants in two categories: "General" and "Services in Supportive Housing." Approximately $4.5 million per year of the $11 million will be used to provide services in supportive housing. The remaining $6.8 million will be available for "General" Treatment for Homeless grants. The grants will be administered by SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

This is the increase to the Services in Supportive Housing funding that the Network has been successfully advocating for in recent years. It is probable that some additional funding will be included in the final FY 2009 appropriations bill, currently being worked on by Congress. Thanks to Congresswoman Nita Lowey, (NY 18-Westchester) for playing a leadership role in securing these much needed funds, part of the effort to fund supportive housing services in the Health and Human Services budget. Network members are strongly encouraged to apply.

WHO CAN APPLY: Domestic public and private nonprofit entities are eligible to apply.

HOW TO APPLY: Applications for No. TI-09-006 are available by calling SAMHSA's Information Line at 1-877-SAMHSA7 [TDD: 1 800-487-4889] or by downloading the application at http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/2009/ti_09_006.aspx

Applicants are encouraged to apply online using www.grants.gov.

APPLICATION DUE DATE: April 30, 2009. Applications must be received by the due date and time to be considered for review. .

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Applicants with questions about program issues should contact Bryant Goodine at (240) 276-2828 or bryant.goodine@samhsa.hhs.gov . For questions on grants management issues contact Kathleen Sample at (240) 276-1407 or kathleen.sample@samhsa.hhs.gov

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Article...Mentally ill a threat in nursing homes

Mentally ill a threat in nursing homes
By CARLA K. JOHNSON

CHICAGO (AP) - Ivory Jackson had Alzheimer's, but that wasn't what killed him. At 77, he was smashed in the face with a clock radio as he lay in his nursing home bed.

Jackson's roommate - a mentally ill man nearly 30 years younger - was arrested and charged with the killing. Police found him sitting next to the nurse's station, blood on his hands, clothes and shoes. Inside their room, the ceiling was spattered with blood.

"Why didn't they do what they needed to do to protect my dad?" wondered Jackson's stepson, Russell Smith.

Over the past several years, nursing homes have become dumping grounds for young and middle-age people with mental illness, according to Associated Press interviews and an analysis of data from all 50 states. And that has proved a prescription for violence, as Jackson's case and others across the country illustrate.

Younger, stronger residents with schizophrenia, depression or bipolar disorder are living beside frail senior citizens, and sometimes taking their rage out on them.

To read more, click here.

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Article...Legislators Propose 'Geriatrics Loan Forgiveness Act'

Legislators Propose 'Geriatrics Loan Forgiveness Act'
Key bill would help address growing nationwide shortage of healthcare professionals trained to meet the unique healthcare needs of older Americans
(3/18/2009)

NEW YORK-The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) applauds Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) for introducing the "Geriatrics Loan Forgiveness Act" today. This key legislation will help address the acute and growing nationwide shortage of geriatricians and other geriatrics healthcare providers in the United States by enabling healthcare professionals pursuing advanced training in geriatrics to participate in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.

With the eldest of the nation's baby boomers reaching retirement age in just two years, the number of Americans 65 and older will nearly double, to 77 million, by 2030. Yet the number of geriatricians-physicians with advanced training that prepares them to meet the unique healthcare needs of older adults-is expected to remain flat, at roughly 7,500, over the next two decades, unless steps are taken to address disincentives to entering and remaining in the field. Other geriatrics healthcare professionals, including geriatric psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, and psychologists are also in increasingly short supply.

In its groundbreaking 2008 report, Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that the nation's elder healthcare workforce is too small and too unprepared to meet the healthcare needs of the rapidly growing number of older Americans.

Just as children's healthcare needs differ from those of adults, older people's healthcare needs differ from those of younger adults. The average 75-year-old, for example, has three chronic health problems and takes five prescription medications.

To read more, click here.

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News - Week of February 23, 2009

2009-02-20T13:37:00.002-05:00

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News

A bi-weekly email to brief you on issues important to geriatric mental health

February 23, 2009 - Vol 3, Issue 02

GMHA Budget Recommendations

In response to the Governor's proposed budget, The Geriatric Mental Health Alliance calls for the Legislature to:

Add $1 million for geriatric mental health and/or addictions demonstrations

Reject cuts to home care and to community-based services funded through OFA

Insure that new federal stimulus funds that are designated for health care be used for that purpose

Reject the proposed cut of the state share of SSI

Reject the 1% cut to base funding for mental health and aging services

Reject deferral of scheduled cost of living adjustments

Provide full funding for advocacy services in adult homes and nursing homes, such as those provided by the Coalition of Institutionalized Aged and Disabled and the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program

Continue funding for EPIC and Medicaid to cover medications not covered by Medicare

Reject the proposal to add anti-depressants to the Medicaid preferred drug program and insure full access to all mental health medications

Reject the proposal for NYS Psychiatric Center Directors to serve as representative-payees for hospital patients

Reject cuts to continuing day treatment programs, some of which serve older adults with serious mental illness.

And more

For more information about GMHA's budget recommendations, click here to read our two-pager about the budget.

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GMHA Calls for Behavioral Health and LTC Act

GMHA is pressing for the Legislature to pass a Behavioral Health and Long-term Care Act to force the state to address mental and behavioral disorders that contribute to avoidable instances of institutionalization. A large proportion of older adults receiving, or in need of, long-term care in New York State have diagnosable behavioral disorders, however their behavioral health needs and those of their family caregivers are not adequately addressed in NYS's long-term care system. Long-term care restructuring cannot be effective without confronting these disorders. The Act begins to address the interface between behavioral health and long-term care. The Act calls for:

Establishing a Long-term Care Subcommittee of the NYS Interagency Geriatric Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Planning Council to examine NYS's current long-term care reform initiatives, develop recommendations and a plan to build in appropriate measures related to behavioral health, and promote public-private partnerships.

Expanding and/or sets aside Nursing Home Diversion Slots to include people with mental or substance use disorders

Requiring "New York Connects" and similar long-term care information and assistance services to have adequate resources to respond to people with mental or substance use disorders.

Requiring the NYS Department of Health and the Office for the Aging in consultation with the Departments of Mental Hygiene to review and make necessary modifications to their training requirements in long-term care, to provide technical assistance to community-based long-term care providers regarding geriatric behavioral health and to work with professional schools to enhance curricula regarding behavioral health and long-term care.

Click here to read a full draft of the Act.

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Dawn Lannon of the NYS OMH Receives GMHA Leadership Award

On February 06, 2009, at GMHA's annual meeting, Dawn Lannon, Associate Commissioner for the Adult Community Care Group at the NYS Office of Mental Health received the GMHA Leadership Award for her critical contributions to geriatric mental health in NYS. She was instrumental in the negotiations that led to the passage of The Geriatric Mental Health Act and has provided strong, ongoing leadership regarding geriatric mental health in the Office of Mental Health. She has been a great force for progress.

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GMHA Upcoming Events

March 4, 2009 - GMHA Substance Abuse Workgroup Meeting

Location: UJA Federation of New York, 130 E 59th St, Room 706/708
Time: 1:00-3:00pm

The purpose of the workgroup is to develop a position paper on the needs of older adults with substance abuse problems. We hope you will be able to join us.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Abby Marquand at amarquand@mhaofnyc.org.

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March 5, 2009 - The 12th Annual Comprehensive Approach to Dementia Symposium: A Practical Update for Practitioners in Mental Health, Primary Care and Long-Term Care Settings.

Location: New York Academy of Medicine, 103rd Street at 5th Avenue, NYC

This course will offer the practitioner an overview of emerging trends in the diagnosis and treatment of the dementias. A nationally recognized faculty will discuss the characterization and treatment of the cognitive, behavioral and psychological signs and symptoms of dementia.

GMHA members attend for $25 but need to register in advance.

For more information, click here or http://www.mhaofnyc.org/yusyin/AGENDAsansAddresses.doc

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March 31, 2009 - Symptoms of Paranoia Among Older Adults: A Best Practices Presentation in Geriatric Mental Health co-sponsored by the Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York and the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging and Longevity of Hunter College.

This presentation will give an overview of the symptoms of paranoia which may occur among older adults with mental health needs. Topics to be covered include: differential diagnosis, best practices in clinical treatment and systems issues which can affect treatment outcomes. Examples of challenging cases and their management will be discussed.

The event will be held from 3:00 - 5:00PM at the Hunter College School of Social Work - Auditorium, 129 East 79th Street, NYC, (Between Lexington and Park Avenues). Please register by clicking here or visit: http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2gqipy9frb0b4w4/start. If you have any questions, please email or call Yusyin Hsin at yhsin@mhaofnyc.org or (212) 614-6356. The event is free but pre-registration is required.

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May 15, 2009 - Save-the-Date - Third Annual Geriatric Mental Health Alliance Conference.

TREATMENT AND BEYOND: Meeting the Behavioral Health Challenges of the Elder Boom
Brooklyn Marriott, NY

Keynote Speaker: Cameron J. Camp, Ph.D.

Click here for the Save-the-Date Flyer.
Click here for the Sponsors/Vendors Prospectus

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GMHA Annual Report

GMHA has written an annual report documenting its work in 2008. It was a year of considerable activity and a number of noteworthy achievements. GMHA's membership grew to over 3000 members. GMHA's advocacy contributed to important policy developments in New York including regulatory changes that open the door to expanding mental health services for older adults, continued funding of the NYC Council Geriatric Mental Health Initiative, and the growth of local geriatric mental health alliances.

GMHA has also expanded its educational activities with another successful annual conference, another lecture series on best practices, training programs on clinical practice and on how to finance services, a tool kit on how to organize geriatric mental health advocacy, a bi-weekly newsletter, and steps towards the creation of a geriatric mental health training and technical assistance center without walls.

To read the full report, click here.

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Other Upcoming Events

March 04, 2009 - Navigating Medicare Part D Appeals: Helping Clients Get The Most Out Of Their Drug Plan

The Medicare Rights Center is offering a training for professionals to help people with Medicare get the most out of their prescription drug coverage. In the 2 hour training, topics such as the following will be covered: What is the Medicare drug benefit?, An overview of the Part D appeals process., How to appeal a Part D denial., Tips for success, and Follow-up steps after winning an appeal.

The event will be from 9:30 - 11:30am, at 520 Eighth Avenue (between 36th and 37th), 4 North

Fee: $35 per person

Click here to register online.

For more information or to register by phone, please contact Chinwe Nwosu at 212-204-6217 or cnwosu@medicarerights.org.

March 18-22, 2009 - Allied Team Training for Parkinson (ATTP) The National Parkinson Foundation, Inc is pleased to announce its signature educational program for health care professionals and students. Allied Team Training for Parkinson is a unique, comprehensive interdisciplinary training program where over 4.5 consecutive days, participants will learn:

Key symptoms and treatment approaches for early, middle, and late stage Parkinson disease

Specialized assessment and care techniques specific to their profession

How to participate in interdisciplinary health care teams by practicing in teams

Key concepts in health literacy and culturally responsive services

Click here for brochure.

Recognizing Medicaid Planning Opportunities at the Brookdale Center for Health Aging & Longevity With increasing longevity, the likelihood that most people will require medical intervention and supportive care at some point in the future has increased along with the potential for enormous medical bills and intense service needs. Financing these requires forethought and careful planning, including planning for Medicaid eligibility. This course provides information needed to raise these issues with clients and guidance on when to refer clients to an attorney specializing in elder law for sophisticated Medicaid planning. Medicaid planning strategies such as transfer of assets, spousal protections, home preservation, the use of trusts and avoiding liens and estate recoveries are discussed. Class runs over 5 sessions. Thursdays, February 26 - March 26 from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm at the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging and Longevity of Hunter College. (cost $450 for 5 sessions).

Click here for more information.

RRTI 2008-9 Geriatrics and Developmental Disabilities Nurse Training Program The Rehabilitation Research and Training Institute is pleased to announce the schedule for the 2008-2009 Geriatrics and Developmental Disabilities Nurse Training Program. For a full list of courses and their descriptions and registration, please visit www.rrti.org. Nurses with all levels of training are invited to register for these free courses. Please note that a certificate is available for those Nurses who complete C1-C4 and Nursing Contact Hours can be obtained. For more information and questions, please contact Matt Yaeger at matt@nyrehab.org or 518-449-2976 ext 101. Courses start September 17, 2008 at various videoconference sites.

This continuing education activity has been submitted to the New York State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation

Educational Seminar Series at Service Program for Older People (SPOP) This training opportunity features SPOP clinicians who have extensive experience with older adults and mental health. It is offered to the professional geriatrics community and all who work with seniors. Each seminar is held at: 302 West 91st Street at West End Avenue, New York, NY. Seminar fee: $15. Discount for 3 or more attendees from the same organization. Space is limited. Please register in advance by mail or online at www.spop.org or call: 212-787-7120.

For topics, dates, and registration information, click here.

Consortium of New York Geriatric Education Centers
GNYGEC 2008/2009 is beginning another semester of Core and Elective trainings throughout the five boroughs. Click here for the 2008/2009 program announcement, registration form, credit card forms, and training locations. You may also register online here.

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NIA: Talking With Your Older Patient: A Clinician's Handbook

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has released this comprehensive publication designed to enhance health care providers' communication with older patients. The overall aim is to introduce and/or reinforce communication skills essential in caring for older patients and their families. It suggests practical tips, techniques, and approaches to help with diagnosis, promote treatment adherence, make more efficient use of clinicians' time, and increase patient and provider satisfaction. Click here for the handbook.

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SPOP Receives National Award for Geriatric Mental Health Outreach Services

The Geriatric Mental Health Foundation (GMHF) and the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) have selected SPOP to receive the first GMHF/AAGP Deirdre Johnston Award for Excellence and Innovation in Geriatric Mental Health Outreach Services. The Award Committee selected SPOP "for its dedication and exemplary service to Manhattan's older adults needing mental health services, including those who are homebound."

To read the full description of the award click here. For more information about services that SPOP provides in the home click here.

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Article...Health Care Costs Much Higher for Older Adults with Depression Plus...

Health Care Costs Much Higher for Older Adults with Depression Plus Other Medical Conditions

From National Institute for Mental Health
Science Update
February 13, 2009

Medicare participants who have diabetes or congestive heart failure as well as depression have significantly higher health care costs than their counterparts who do not have co-existing depression, according to a recent NIMH-funded analysis published online ahead of print January 16, 2009, in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society.

Background
Jürgen Unützer, M.D., MPH, of the University of Washington, and colleagues analyzed Medicare claims of 14,903 participants for a 12-month period between November 2004 and August 2006. The participants were enrolled in a pilot Medicare disease management program called Medicare Health Support, operated by Green Ribbon Health in Florida. The majority of participants had diabetes. Many had congestive heart failure. About 20 percent had both.

The researchers compared health care costs for three groups-

2,108 participants who had been diagnosed with depression,

1,081 participants not officially diagnosed with depression but who screened positive when given a questionnaire or who reported taking antidepressant medication, and

11,713 participants who did not have depression.

Results of the Study
Over one year, participants diagnosed with depression incurred about $22,960 in total health care costs, while those without depression incurred costs of about $11,956. Those with possible depression, based on depression screening or reported antidepressant use, incurred $14,365.

Participants with diagnosed depression spent significantly more in nearly every health care cost category, including home health care, skilled nursing facility costs, outpatient care, inpatient care, physician charges, and medical equipment. However, they did not spend more money on specialty mental health care compared to their non-depressed counterparts. Mental health care costs accounted for less than 1 percent of total health care costs.

Significance
The results indicate that among these Medicare beneficiaries with chronic medical illness, those who also have depression have significantly higher health care costs. Moreover, many in this high-risk group are not getting needed mental health care, the researchers said. The researchers theorize that the higher Medicare cost-sharing associated with outpatient mental health care-50 percent compared to 20 percent co-payments for medical services-may be a major obstacle to such care. In addition, older adults may be less likely to seek mental health care if they perceive a stigma associated with it. The researchers conclude by suggesting that improving mental health care for this population may help decrease overall medical costs.

What's Next
The results echo findings of other studies that have found health care costs tend to be higher for people in managed care situations who have depression. More research is needed to better understand the barriers to care, and efforts are needed to improve the quality and access to mental health care for older adults in managed care situations.

Reference
Unützer J, Schoenbaum M, Katon W, Fan M, Pincus H, Hogan D, Taylor J. Health care costs associated with depression in medically ill fee-for-service Medicare participants. Journal of the American Geriatric Society. Published online ahead of print Jan. 16, 2009. PMID: 19175438

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Article...Searching for Bobby Fischer...and Bobby Neugeboren

Searching for Bobby Fischer... and Bobby Neugeboren

By Jay Neugeboren
The Huffington Post, January 17, 2009

One year ago, on January 17, 2008, Bobby Fischer died in Reykjavik, Iceland, at the age of 64. In the fall of 1957, when Fischer and my brother Robert were both 14 years old and sophomores at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, they were in the school's chess club together. By this time, Fischer had become the youngest player ever to win the United States National Junior Chess Championship. Yet when Robert, who would spend most of his adult life, beginning shortly before his nineteenth birthday, as a mental patient, would try to get Fischer to play with him, Fischer would refuse. "'With you, Neugeboren, I don't play,' he always said to me," Robert says. Why not? "Because," Robert says, smiling, "he said I played crazy."

After winning the United States Junior Championship twice--he was 13 the first time--Fischer went on to become the youngest player ever to become a United States Master, the first and only player to win eight United States Chess Championships, the youngest player ever to become an International Master, and in 1972, at the age of 29, by his victory over the Russian grandmaster, Boris Spassky, in Reykjavik, Iceland, the first American-born player to become world champion.

Fischer also became famous through the years for his eccentricities, and, especially, for his pro-Nazi, anti-Semitic, and anti-American rants--for what Dick Cavett called Fischer's "gradual decline into [a] raving lunatic."

The parallels in the lives of my brother and Fischer are often as remarkable as they are sad, and I've tried here to tell part of the story:

Click here to read more.

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Article...Sensors Help Keep the Elderly Safe, and at Home

Sensors Help Keep the Elderly Safe, and at Home

By JOHN LELAND
Published: February 12, 2009

Increasingly, many older people who live alone are not truly alone. They are being watched by a flurry of new technologies designed to enable them to live independently and avoid expensive trips to the emergency room or nursing homes.

Bertha Branch, 78, discovered the power of a system called eNeighbor when she fell to the floor of her Philadelphia apartment late one night without her emergency alert pendant and could not phone for help.

A wireless sensor under Ms. Branch's bed detected that she had gotten up. Motion detectors in her bedroom and bathroom registered that she had not left the area in her usual pattern and relayed that information to a central monitoring system, prompting a call to her telephone to ask if she was all right. When she did not answer, that incited more calls - to a neighbor, to the building manager and finally to 911, which dispatched firefighters to break through her door. She had been on the floor less than an hour when they arrived.

Technologies like eNeighbor come with great promise of improved care at lower cost and the backing of large companies like Intel and General Electric.

Click here to read more.

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Article...AHRQ: Use of Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs Increase Risk of Cardiac Death

Patients ages 30 to 74 who took atypical antipsychotics such as risperidone, quetiapine, olanzapine and clozapine had a significantly higher risk of sudden death from cardiac arrhythmias and other cardiac causes than patients who did not take these medications, according to a new study funded by the Department of Health & Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The risk of death increased with higher doses of the drugs taken. The study is published in the January 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Press Release: http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2009/antipsychpr.htm

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Article...Coffee Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

Coffee Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
Published: January 23, 2009

Drinking coffee may do more than just keep you awake. A new study suggests an intriguing potential link to mental health later in life, as well.

A team of Swedish and Danish researchers tracked coffee consumption in a group of 1,409 middle-age men and women for an average of 21 years. During that time, 61 participants developed dementia, 48 with Alzheimer's disease.

After controlling for numerous socioeconomic and health factors, including high cholesterol and high blood pressure, the scientists found that the subjects who had reported drinking three to five cups of coffee daily were 65 percent less likely to have developed dementia, compared with those who drank two cups or less. People who drank more than five cups a day also were at reduced risk of dementia, the researchers said, but there were not enough people in this group to draw statistically significant conclusions.

Dr. Miia Kivipelto, an associate professor of neurology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and lead author of the study, does not as yet advocate drinking coffee as a preventive health measure. "This is an observational study," she said. "We have no evidence that for people who are not drinking coffee, taking up drinking will have a protective effect."

Click here to read more.

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Article...Study Finds Risks With Newer Antipsychotics

Study Finds Drug Risks With Newer Antipsychotics

By BENEDICT CAREY and RONI CARYN RABIN Published: January 14, 2009

The popular drugs known as atypical antipsychotics, prescribed for an array of conditions, including schizophrenia, autism and dementia, double patients' risk of dying from sudden heart failure, a study has found.

The finding is the latest in a succession of recent reports contradicting the long-held assumption that the new drugs, which include Risperdal, Zyprexa and Seroquel, are safer than the older and much less expensive medications that they replaced.

The risk of death from the drugs is not high, on average about 3 percent in a person being treated at least 10 years, according to the study, published Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine. Nor was the risk different from that of the older antipsychotic drugs.

But it was significant enough that an accompanying editorial urged doctors to limit their prescribing of antipsychotic drugs, especially to children and elderly patients, who can be highly susceptible to the drugs' side effects, including rapid weight gain.

In recent years, the newer drugs, which account for about 90 percent of the market, have become increasingly controversial, as prescription rates to children and elderly people have soared. Doctors use the drugs to settle outbursts related to a host of psychiatric disorders, including attention deficit disorder and Alzheimer's disease. Most are not approved for such use. After an analysis of study data, the Food and Drug Administration required that all antipsychotics' labels contain a warning that the drugs were associated with a heightened risk of heart failure in elderly patients.

The new study, an analysis of more than 250,000 Medicaid records, is the first to rigorously document that risk for the newer drugs in adults over 30 without previous heart problems.

Click here to read more.

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Article...Dementia More Likely in Some Isolated and Inactive Seniors, Study Finds

Dementia More Likely in Some Isolated and Inactive Seniors, Study Finds

By RONI CARYN RABIN Published: January 22, 2009

Attention, neurotic Woody Allen types: you really ought to get out more.

That's the latest news from researchers exploring whether people with certain personality traits are more likely than others to develop dementia. Past studies consistently have shown that worriers -who get stressed easily and are prone to anxiety and depression - are more likely to develop dementia later in life.

Now a new report from Sweden suggests that neurotics can shape their destiny to some extent, because lifestyle also plays a role. The study appeared on Tuesday in the journal Neurology.

Scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm followed a group of 506 people ages 78 and older who had no dementia at the beginning of the study. The subjects completed a personality questionnaire and were interviewed about their lifestyles, and then were monitored for several years, with medical exams at three years and again at six years.

After six years, 144 adults in the group had developed dementia. The researchers analyzed the accumulated data for possible associations between cognitive function, neuroticism and other characteristics, as well as lifestyle factors.

Very neurotic people were more likely to have developed dementia over time than were people who were calmer, more relaxed and self-satisfied, but only if they were also socially isolated and inactive, the researchers discovered. The subjects with all these risks were three times more likely to have suffered dementia compared to participants who were not neurotic but just as isolated and inactive, the study found.

Click here to read more.

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News - Week of January 19, 2009

2009-01-16T17:50:00.004-05:00

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News

A bi-weekly email to brief you on issues important to geriatric mental health

January 19, 2009 - Vol 3, Issue 01

GMHA Concerns Re. NYS Budget

As a first step to developing an advocacy agenda, the GMHA's policy and advocacy committee identified a number of concerns about the NYS Executive Budget Request for 2009-10 including:

Reduction of the state's contribution to SSI payment

Delay of mental health housing start-ups

Whether funding for the indigent care pool for mental health clinics is adequate to prevent cuts of service

Cuts to aging service programs

Cuts to home care

Cuts to hospitals and nursing homes despite plans to reinvest some savings in outpatient care

Cuts to the long-term care ombudsman program

Inclusion of anti-depressants in the Medicaid preferred drug program

The need for emergency coverage when Medicare Pt. D does not pay for needed medications

And more

The Alliance will provide information about specific activities in subsequent communication. In the meantime please send us notes about your concerns.

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NYSOMH Mission Should Include Older Adults

The NYS Office of Mental Health is revising its mission, vision, and values statements and is asking for feedback on the proposed changes. We are concerned because the proposed changes do not specifically mention older adults, however they do mention adults and children. Given the significant growth in the elder population and the fact that the needs of older adults are as different from adults as the needs of children are from adults, we believe it is important for OMH to specifically mention in its mission statement addressing the mental health needs of elders in NYS.

Here is the proposed revised mission statement:

"The New York State Office of Mental Health promotes the mental health of all New Yorkers. Our mission it to facilitate recovery for adults with serious mental illness, resilience for children with serious emotional disturbances, and to improve the capacity of communities across New York to achieve these goals.

Please take a minute to contact OMH suggesting that they include older adults in their mission statement.

Suggestions and comments can be sent to transformation@omh.state.ny.us by February 15, 2009.

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2009 Annual Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of NY Meeting

Please join your fellow Alliance members for an exciting annual membership meeting.

The meeting will take place:

Date: Friday, February 06, 2009
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Location: Health Insurance Plan of New York (HIP)
55 Water Street, 3rd Floor, Connecticut/NJ Room.
New York, NY 10041

Guest Speaker and Award Recipient: Dawn Lannon, Associate Commissioner, Adult Community Care Group, NYS Office of Mental Health

Ms. Lannon will be speak about the state's vision for geriatric mental health. The Alliance will also present her with an award for her commitment to the mental health needs of older adults.

For the agenda, click here.

Please RSVP by clicking here or http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2fpbke1fppvese2/start.. If you have any questions or concerns, please email or call Yusyin Hsin at yhsin@mhaofnyc.org or (212) 614- 6356.

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GMHA Upcoming Events

January 20, 2009 - Models of Substance Abuse Treatment for Older Adults: A Best Practices Presentation in Geriatric Mental Health co-sponsored by the Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York and the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging and Longevity of Hunter College.

This presentation will give an overview of the issues faced by seniors with substance abuse disorders, including the dynamics of substance abuse among this population and information about effective treatment models for older adults.

The event will be held from 3:00 - 5:00PM at the Hunter College School of Social Work - Auditorium, 129 East 79th Street, NYC, (Between Lexington and Park Avenues). Please register by clicking here or visit: http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2f56lfkfongg4b8/start. If you have any questions, please email or call Yusyin Hsin at yhsin@mhaofnyc.org or (212) 614-6356. The event is free but pre-registration is required.

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March 5, 2009 - The 12th Annual Comprehensive Approach to Dementia Symposium: A Practical Update for Practitioners in Mental Health, Primary Care and Long-Term Care Settings.

Location: New York Academy of Medicine,
103rd Street at 5th Avenue
New York City

This course will offer the practitioner an overview of emerging trends in the diagnosis and treatment of the dementias. A nationally recognized faculty will discuss the characterization and treatment of the cognitive, behavioral and psychological signs and symptoms of dementia.

GMHA members attend for $25 but need to register in advance.

For more information, click here.

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May 15, 2009 - Save-the-Date - Third Annual Geriatric Mental Health Alliance Conference.

TREATMENT AND BEYOND: Meeting the Behavioral Health Challenges of the Elder Boom
Brooklyn Marriott, NY

Keynote Speaker: Cameron J. Camp, Ph.D.

Click here for the Save-the-Date Flyer...

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Other Upcoming Events

January 29, 2009 - CSCS Annual Conference - The Power of Aging: Uncovering the Opportunities in Change, sponsored by Emblem Health, the conference will include political and economic updates on key issues in aging services on the Federal, State and City levels as well as remarks from both City Council Speaker Quinn and City Comptroller Thompson. The keynote speaker is Greg Newton who will speak about the simple but effective steps everyone in your agency can take to transform a first-time visitor into an on-going participant.

For more information, please view the brochure, and to register for the conference, please complete the registration form and fax it back to 212-398-8398. For more conference details, go to www.cscs-ny.org/conference

February 20, 2009 - Wellness Is For Everyone: Improving the Physical and Mental Health of New York City's Culturally and Ethnically Diverse Communities. Mental health consumers from diverse cultural/ethnic backgrounds and older adults are more vulnerable to chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease than other groups. In this workshop, consumers and experts will speak on the combination of risk factors for physical illnesses, techniques for communicating, and ideas for having a healthier lifestyle.

For more information, click here.

March 18-22, 2009 - Allied Tea Training for Parkinson (ATTP) The National Parkinson Foundation, Inc is pleased to announce its signature educational program for health care professionals and students. Allied Team Training for Parkinson is a unique, comprehensive interdisciplinary training program where over 4.5 consecutive days, participants will learn:

Key symptoms and treatment approaches for early, middle, and late stage Parkinson disease

Specialized assessment and care techniques specific to their profession

How to participate in interdisciplinary health care teams by practicing in teams

Key concepts in health literacy and culturally responsive services

Click here for brochure.

RRTI 2008-9 Geriatrics and Developmental Disabilities Nurse Training Program The Rehabilitation Research and Training Institute is pleased to announce the schedule for the 2008-2009 Geriatrics and Developmental Disabilities Nurse Training Program. For a full list of courses and their descriptions and registration, please visit www.rrti.org. Nurses with all levels of training are invited to register for these free courses. Please note that a certificate is available for those Nurses who complete C1-C4 and Nursing Contact Hours can be obtained. For more information and questions, please contact Matt Yaeger at matt@nyrehab.org or 518-449-2976 ext 101. Courses start September 17, 2008 at various videoconference sites.

This continuing education activity has been submitted to the New York State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation

Educational Seminar Series at Service Program for Older People (SPOP) This training opportunity features SPOP clinicians who have extensive experience with older adults and mental health. It is offered to the professional geriatrics community and all who work with seniors. Each seminar is held at: 302 West 91st Street at West End Avenue, New York, NY. Seminar fee: $15. Discount for 3 or more attendees from the same organization. Space is limited. Please register in advance by mail or online at www.spop.org or call: 212-787-7120.

For topics, dates, and registration information, click here.

Consortium of New York Geriatric Education Centers
GNYGEC 2008/2009 is beginning another semester of Core and Elective trainings throughout the five boroughs. Click here for the 2008/2009 program announcement, registration form, credit card forms, and training locations. You may also register online here.

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Medicare 2009 in a Nutshell

Martin Petroff, principal of Martin Petroff & Associates, an elder law firm that concentrates in the long-term care needs of disabled individuals and the elderly has created a great summary of Medicare for 2009.

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Health and Aging Policy Fellows: 2009-2010 Call for Applications

Supported by The Atlantic Philanthropies and directed by Harold Alan Pincus, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University (in collaboration with the American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship Program), this national program seeks to provide professionals in health and aging with the experience and skills necessary to make a positive contribution to the development and implementation of health policies that affect older Americans. The program offers two different tracks for individual placement: (1) a residential track that includes a nine-to-12-month placement in Washington, D.C. (as a legislative assistant in Congress, a professional staff member in an executive agency or in a policy organization) or at a state agency; and (2) a non-residential track that includes a health policy project and brief placement(s) throughout the year at relevant sites. Core program components focused on career development and professional enrichment are provided for fellows in both tracks.

The program is open to physicians, nurses and social workers at all career stages (early, mid, and late) with a demonstrated commitment to health and aging issues and a desire to be involved in health policy at the federal, state or local level. Other professionals with clinical backgrounds (e.g., pharmacists, dentists, clinical psychologists) working in the field of health and aging are also eligible to apply. Under special circumstances, exceptions may be made for non-clinicians who are in positions that can impact health policy for older Americans at a clinical level.

The application deadline for the 2009-2010 fellowship year is April 15, 2009.

For further information, please visit the website at www.healthandagingpolicy.org .

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Article...Antipsychotic Use in Elders With Alzheimer's Leads to...

Antipsychotic Use in Elders With Alzheimer's Leads to Large Increase in Mortality

NEW YORK -- January 8, 2009 -- There is a large increased long-term risk of mortality in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) who are prescribed antipsychotic medication, according to the long-term follow-up results of the Dementia Antipsychotic Withdrawal Trial (DART-AD) published early online and in the February edition of The Lancet Neurology.

While there is evidence of modest short term benefits of antipsychotic treatment for the neuropsychiatric symptoms of AD, there is also clear evidence of an increase in adverse effects. However, all the data regarding mortality so far relate to short term follow-up of 12 weeks or less.

Clive Ballard, MD, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, London, United Kingdom, and colleagues have provided the first long-term follow-up data for AD patients given antipsychotic drugs.

To read more, click here.

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Article...Perceptions: With Age, Memories Carry Less Emotion

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
Published: December 29, 2008

Younger people, it appears, take a dimmer view of the past than their elders, and it might be because they process and retain memories differently.

Researchers showed 180 pictures to 15 people in their 20s and to 15 older than 65, asking them to rate the pictures as emotionally negative, positive or neutral while their brains were monitored with functional M.R.I. After a break of 30 to 45 minutes, they were tested on their ability to recall the pictures. The report appears in the December issue of Psychological Science.

The M.R.I. results showed that older people were processing the negative pictures in different parts of the brain from the ones used by the younger people - regions used for rational thinking rather than feeling. On the memory test, while memory for neutral pictures was the same in young and old, older adults remembered fewer negative pictures.

That was not the result of declining mental ability, said Florin Dolcos, a co-author of the study and an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Alberta in Canada. "In the emotion detection region of the brain, we saw similar activity in the old and young," he said. "Older people have preserved emotional reactivity, but they are better able to control those emotions, and this control influences their memory for negative information."

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/30/health/30perc.html?_r=1&ref=health

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Article...Cookbook Medicine' Won't Do for Elderly

By JANE E. BRODY
Published: December 29, 2008

The Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York is like no medical clinic I've ever seen. It is brightly lighted and quiet - there is no television blasting. It has wide corridors and plenty of comfortable chairs with sturdy arms, and yet few people wait more than 10 minutes to see a doctor or nurse practitioner.

The center, which opened in 2007, was designed especially for primary care of older adults, many of whom have complex chronic medical problems like diabetes, heart disease and hypertension as well as debilitating conditions like arthritis and osteoporosis.

Just as a child is not a small adult and requires specialized care, adults over the age of, say, 65, are not just old adults and should not be treated like patients half their age.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/30/health/30brod.html?em

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Article...Blood Sugar Control Linked to Memory Decline, Study Says

By RONI CARYN RABIN
Published: December 31, 2008

Spikes in blood sugar can take a toll on memory by affecting the dentate gyrus, an area of the brain within the hippocampus that helps form memories, a new study reports.

Researchers said the effects can be seen even when levels of blood sugar, or glucose, are only moderately elevated, a finding that may help explain normal age-related cognitive decline, since glucose regulation worsens with age.

The study, by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and funded in part by the National Institute on Aging, was published in the December issue of Annals of Neurology.

"If we conclude this is underlying normal age-related cognitive decline, then it affects all of us," said lead investigator Dr. Scott Small, associate professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center. The ability to regulate glucose starts deteriorating by the third or fourth decade of life, he added.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/health/31memory.html?em

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Article...New Model of Care is Needed, Experts Say

By JANE E. BRODY
Published: December 29, 2008

American medicine is already in a crisis mode when it comes to geriatric care, and the problem will only become worse unless new approaches are found, experts say.

"There's been a drastic decline in the number of geriatricians - and just 300 new ones are being trained each year - yet the number of people over 65 will double in the next 20 years," Dr. Atul Gawande, a surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and an associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, said in an interview. "Those who work in geriatric care are among the worst paid in the health care system. Is the time I spend as a surgeon excising a patient's cancer worth 10 times more than the time the primary care doctor spent finding the cancer in the first place?"

Dr. Gawande, who examined the problems of medical care for the aged last year in The New Yorker, pointed out that as we grow older, "we don't get one problem at a time."

"People with multiple problems need time, and that is not cheap and is currently not paid for by medical insurance," he said. "It's not possible to address five different problems in a 20-minute visit."

He and others see a pressing need for new approaches to keep aging patients as healthy as possible and living independently as long as possible. Dr. Chad Boult, a geriatrician at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, says the goal should be care that is well coordinated, and patients and families who are involved in and educated about the care plan.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/30/health/30bbox.html?em

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Article...Higher Co-Payments a Bar for Seniors Needing Mental Health Care

By RONI CARYN RABIN
Published: January 7, 2009

Seniors who were hospitalized for a psychiatric illness were less likely to get recommended follow-up care if their Medicare plans required that they pay more for mental health care than for other medical care, researchers have found.

"We have solid evidence that people who get appropriate care after leaving the hospital are less likely to be readmitted to the hospital and have better mental health outcomes," said Dr. Amal N. Trivedi, assistant professor of community health at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University and an author of the study.

"What our study found is that these co-payments act as a pretty potent barrier to getting appropriate care," he added.

The study, published recently in The Journal of the American Medical Association, reviewed the records of 43,892 Medicare beneficiaries who had been hospitalized for a mental illness between 2001 and 2006.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/health/08mental.html?_r=1&ref=health

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News - Week of December 22, 2008

2008-12-23T16:13:00.006-05:00

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News

A bi-weekly email to brief you on issues important to geriatric mental health

December 22, 2008 - Vol 2, Issue 13

Tough Budget But GMH Demos Will Continue

The Governor's Executive Budget Request, released on December 16th, included $3.5 billion in cuts to Medicaid and other health care services, including aging service programs. Most of the cuts were to hospitals and nursing homes, some of which will be reinvested in outpatient and community based services, including mental health services.

Cuts to mental health and aging were not as large, but will have an impact. The general approach in the mental health and aging budgets is to not provide a cost of living adjustment and to delay start-up of new programs included in prior year budgets.

We are still analyzing the budget. Our concerns include:

The proposed decrease in the state share of the SSI payment

Changes in the pharmacy coverage in Medicaid and EPIC

Phase out of 6000 nursing home beds into new assisted living program beds

And more

As we get more information, we will provide updates.

We hope you will join us in our advocacy efforts with the state legislature.

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NYC Council Restores Elder Abuse Programs

On December 18th, the NYC Council voted to restore funding for NYC's elder abuse prevention services at $ 424,000. The other proposed mid-year cuts to important services for the aging community - social adult day, intergenerational programs, caregiver programs, non-core services, and congregate services - were not restored.

This is terrific news for elder abuse services, but the cuts in other programs are very sad for the aging community.

We all have been aggressively advocating for the restoration of this funding. Despite the unfortunate outcome, we should be proud of our efforts in what is a very difficult fiscal time. We must continue our fight to improve the lives of elders with mental illness!

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NYC Senior Center RFP Withdrawn

After months of debate, the City has decided to re-evaluate DFTA's plan to modernize senior centers. The announcement was made on December 19th at a City Hall press conference. City Council and Borough President funds, which were going to be used for senior center contracts, will be released to programs.

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New DFTA Commissioner

The NYC Department for the Aging Commissioner, Edwin Mendez Santiago resigned last week. Commissioner Mendez Santiago was a strong leader and advocate for older adults in NYC, and he understood the importance of geriatric mental health services. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Lilliam Barrios-Paoli has been appointed as the new DFTA Commissioner. Barrios-Paoli has had a long career in both City government and the nonprofit sector. Most recently, she has served as President and Chief Executive Officer at Safe Space since 2004. Prior to joining Safe Space, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Executive for Agency Services at United Way of New York City. Barrios-Paoli's has served as Commissioner at three city agencies -- the Department of Employment, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Human Resources Administration.

We look forward to working with Ms. Barrios-Paoli as we continue to advocate for improved services and policies for elders with mental disorders.

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GMHA Upcoming Events

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May 15, 2009 - Save-the-Date - Third Annual Geriatric Mental Health Alliance Conference.

More information soon.

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Other Upcoming Events

January 06, 2009 - The Integration of Behavioral Health and Primary Care The Institute for Family Health's Faculty Development Program presents a training about existing models for integration, Problem Solving Therapy and Behavioral Activation, Psychopharmacology, strategies to maximize productivity and patient outcomes through efficient use of behavioral health services in a primary care setting, and more.

For more information, please click here.

January 09, 2009 - Mental Health and Quality of Life Improvement A one-day event to discuss behavioral problems and their treatment in dementia, diagnosis and course of depressive illness in older persons, mental health aspects of bereavement and widowhood, and more. The event will be from 8:00am to 5:00pm at Manhattan VAMC (423 East 23rd St., New York, NY 10010). Go to www.nygec.org and click on Registration and then choose the appropriate elective. Or, contact Brenda Rodriguez at (212) 998-5618 or brenda.rodriguez@nyu.edu

For event flyer, click here.

January 29, 2009 - Veterans and Suicide Prevention A presentation and discussion of the issues surrounding the care of veterans in the NYC area. This event will be from 10:00am to 12:00pm at Holliswood Hospital (87-37 Palermo St., Holliswood, NY)

March 18-22, 2009 - Allied Tea Training for Parkinson (ATTP) The National Parkinson Foundation, Inc is pleased to announce its signature educational program for health care professionals and students. Allied Team Training for Parkinson is a unique, comprehensive interdisciplinary training program where over 4.5 consecutive days, participants will learn:

Key symptoms and treatment approaches for early, middle, and late stage Parkinson disease

Specialized assessment and care techniques specific to their profession

How to participate in interdisciplinary health care teams by practicing in teams

Key concepts in health literacy and culturally responsive services

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LifeSPAN

The NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) Wellness Initiative "LifeSPAN" was developed in response to the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors' (NASMHPD) multi-state study that revealed persons with serious mental illness (SMI) die 25 years earlier than the general population. As alarming as that is, what is even more astounding is that their increased morbidity and mortality are largely due to treatable medical conditions that are caused by modifiable risk factors such as smoking, obesity, substance abuse, and inadequate access to medical care.

The goal of LifeSPAN is to engage service recipients, families and providers in collaborative programs which offer understandable and achievable means of living healthier and longer lives. The focus of LifeSPAN is on reducing cardiometabolic risk factors, those behaviors and physiologic processes that substantially increase the risk of medical morbidity and death among people with SMI.

To read the full summary, click here.

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Supported/Shared Living Survey

NYSACRA is researching Shared Living options for New York State and are seeking input on a survey about supported/shared living as an alternative to the traditional models of community residential supports in New York State.

There are two versions, one for provider agencies and one for people with disabilities and/or their families. Please complete the version relevant to your situation.

Click on this link to complete the Supported/Shared Living Survey

Click on this link to complete the Supported/Shared Living For People with Disabilities and their Families

If you are aware of others who would like to complete the survey, please pass it along.

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Health and Aging Policy Fellows: 2009-2010 Call for Applications

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Article...Imaging Compound May Help Predict Alzheimer's Disease

A new brain imaging study has found that elderly people can develop a key hallmark of Alzheimer's disease in the brain without any evidence of cognitive impairment. The researchers hope that their detection method will one day help predict who will develop Alzheimer's disease in 5 to 10 years.

Click here to read more.

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Article...AHRQ Research Activities

Changes in Cost to Patients Reduce New Use of Antidepressants Among The Elderly, But Have Less Impact on Continued Use

Greater cost-sharing requirements reduce the likelihood that elderly adults with depression will begin using needed antidepressant medications, but has little effect on those who are already taking such medications, according to a new study. The researchers funded in part by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) used two closely timed changes in costs to elderly patients in the Canadian Province of British Columbia to shed light on the likely impact of changes in prescription drug coverage in the United States as persons go from private insurance copayments (fixed payment per prescription) for medications to Medicare coinsurance (fixed percentage of the cost per prescription) with deductibles.

Click here to read more.

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Article...NIA Study to Examine Early, Inherited Form of Alzhiemer's

NIA Study to Examine Early, Inherited Form of Alzheimer's-NIH Funds International Network in Search of Biological Clues

The adult children of people diagnosed with inherited Alzheimer's disease are the focus of a new study to better understand the biology of the disease. Researchers are seeking 300 volunteers with a biological parent with a known genetic mutation causing rare and typically early-onset forms of the disorder to join the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Disease Network (DIAN) study, a six-year, $16 million study funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The scientists hope to identify the sequence of brain changes in early-onset Alzheimer's, even before symptoms appear, and by understanding this process, to also gain insight into the more common late-onset form of the disease.

Press Release: http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2008/nia-19.htm

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Article...NIH: Gingko Study Fails To Show Benefit in Preventing Dementia

NIH: Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) Study Fails To Show Benefit in Preventing Dementia in the Elderly

The dietary supplement Ginkgo biloba was found to be ineffective in reducing the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in older people, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers conducted the trial known as the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study at four clinical sites over the course of 8 years. GEM is the largest clinical trial ever to evaluate ginkgo's effect on the occurrence of dementia. This research was co-funded by five components of the NIH: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; NIA; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the Office of Dietary Supplements.

Press Release: http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2008/nccam-18.htm

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Article...Depression Research: Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy

Depression Research: Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy
Medical News Today
December 4, 2008

Research revealed today outlines the success of group-taught meditation therapies, such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) when treating depression.

The Dove Clinic for Integrated Medicine offers a course of MBCT sessions that aim to teach patients the skills needed to help recognise and cope with the signs of depression.

Dr Richard Fuller of The Dove Clinic says, "Mindfulness approaches help us to focus on the present moment, rather than re-living the past or pre-living the future. This can help to halt the escalation of negative thought spirals and help with regaining control and confidence, and increase self-esteem."

The new research, published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology comapred patients undergoing group therapies with those taking conventional anti- depressant drugs.

For more information about the MBCT programme on offer at The Dove Clinic, and how the approach can benefit you, please visit http://www.doveclinic.com.

To read more, click here.

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Article...AARP Report Finds Value of Family Caregiving Hits $375 Billion

AARP Report Finds Value of Family Caregiving Hits $375 Billion
From Long-Term Living eNews

Estimated value of family caregiving during 2007 exceeded national Medicaid spending
(11/21/2008)

The economic value of family caregiving in the United States reached $375 billion in 2007, according to a new report by AARP's Public Policy Institute. The report, which updates a study by AARP last year, finds that the value of family caregiving was 7% higher than the estimated value of $350 billion in 2006.

The estimated value exceeds the $311 billion spent nationally in 2007 for Medicaid. The value of family caregiving also exceeds Medicaid's long-term care spending in every state. The new estimate reflects an increase in the U.S. population, the aging of the population, and a higher estimate of the average value for one hour of care, AARP says.

The report, "Valuing the Invaluable, The Economic Value of Family Caregiving, 2008 Update," estimates that 34 million Americans provide more than 20 hours of care per week to another adult, making informal caregiving a cornerstone of U.S. health and long-term care, AARP says.

The organization notes that informal caregivers of people 50-plus spent an average of $5,531 out-of-pocket in 2007 to care for their loved ones. That spending was often coupled with lost workdays, wages, health insurance, and retirement savings. More than one-third of informal caregivers are forced to quit their jobs or reduce their working hours, with women more likely to leave the labor force entirely, according to the report.

The full report is available here.

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Article...New Treatment Hope For People With Recurring Depression

New Treatment Hope For People With Recurring Depression
Medical News Today
December 4, 2008

Research shows for the first time that a group-based psychological treatment, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), could be a viable alternative to prescription drugs for people suffering from long-term depression.

In a study, published yesterday (1 December 2008) in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, MBCT proved as effective as maintenance anti-depressants in preventing a relapse and more effective in enhancing peoples' quality of life. The study also showed MBCT to be as cost-effective as prescription drugs in helping people with a history of depression stay well in the longer-term.

Funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), the study was led by Professor Willem Kuyken at the Mood Disorders Centre, University of Exeter, in collaboration with colleagues at the Centre for Economics of Mental Health (CEMH) at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, Peninsula Medical School, Devon Primary Care Trust and the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit.

The randomised control trial involved 123 people from urban and rural locations who had suffered repeat depressions and were referred to the trial by their GPs. The participants were split randomly into two groups. Half continued their on-going anti-depressant drug treatment and the rest participated in an MBCT course and were given the option of coming off anti-depressants.

Over the 15 months after the trial, 47% of the group following the MBCT course experienced a relapse compared with 60% of those continuing their normal treatment, including anti-depressant drugs. In addition, the group on the MBCT programme reported a higher quality of life, in terms of their overall enjoyment of daily living and physical well-being.

To read more, click here.

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News - Week of December 01, 2008

2008-12-01T15:05:00.000-05:00

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News

A bi-weekly email to brief you on issues important to geriatric mental health

December 01, 2008 - Vol. 2, Issue 12

GMHA Joins in Effort to Fight NYS Budget Cuts

On Tuesday, November 19th GMHA joined aging, mental health, and other human service organizations in Albany to fight the Governor's proposed budget cuts. Over 1,000 individuals were at the rally and press conference at the Capitol, which was sponsored by the Better Choice Budget Campaign and the One New York: Fighting for Fairness Coalitions.

While the mid-year budget cuts did not move ahead, we will have to be prepared for the Governor's Budget Proposal on December 16th. We have a tough budget ahead of us, and we must work together to preserve services for older adults with mental disorders.

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GMHA Responds to NYC Mayor's Financial Plan

The Alliance submitted testimony in response to the Mayor's proposed financial plan, urging the Council to reject cuts in mental health and aging.

To read the testimony, click here.

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Michael Receives SSA's President's Award

At the State Society of Aging of New York's Annual Conference, Michael received the 2008 President's Award. Michael has done tremendous work over the course of 40 years to improve policies and services for people with mental illness in New York State and most recently to call attention to the needs of elders with mental health problems. We congratulate Michael on this important recognition.

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GMHA Upcoming Events

December 02, 2008 - Legal Issues Confronting Older Adults with Mental Health Needs: A Best Practices Presentation in Geriatric Mental Health co-sponsored by the Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York and the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging and Longevity of Hunter College.

This panel will give an overview on the legal issues facing seniors with mental health needs: how seniors are at risk of losing their housing, what can be done to prevent this risk, what can be done after a legal proceeding is brought, protection for persons with diminished capacity and how social workers are integral to the process; latest developments in Medicaid/Medicare; and advance directives.

The event will be held from 3:00 - 5:00PM at the Hunter College School of Social Work - Auditorium, 129 East 79th Street, NYC, (Between Lexington and Park Avenues). Please register by clicking here. If you have any questions, please email or call Yusyin Hsin at yhsin@mhaofnyc.org or (212) 614-6356. The event is free but pre-registration is required.

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January 20, 2009 - Save the Date - Older Adults and Substance Abuse

More information soon.

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Geriatric Mental Health/Chemical Dependency Planning Council

The NYS Geriatric Mental Health/Chemical Dependency Council held its quarterly meeting on October 2, 2008. The Council welcomed two additional co-chairs, OASAS Commissioner, Karen Carpenter Palumbo and Director of Veterans Affairs, James McDonough. Representatives from South Oaks Hospital, one of the geriatric mental health demonstration grantees, gave a terrific presentation on their grant project. OMH gave a presentation about the evaluation of the grants programs. There was also a brief discussion about the development of a long-term plan for geriatric behavioral health, which will stem from the successful work of the grantees.

To view the archived webcast, click here.

The next Council meeting is January 29, 2009. To view the webcast, click here.

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HHS Announces $1.9 M Effort to Help Seniors/Adults w/ Disabilities

HHS Announces $1.9M Effort to Help Seniors/Adults w/Disabilities; Creates National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment

HHS Assistant Secretary for Aging Josefina G. Carbonell has announced that older Americans and adults with disabilities will have improved access to available community services and supports, including benefits to which they are entitled, under a $1.9 million grant awarded by the Administration on Aging (AoA).

AoA is issuing a grant to the National Council on Aging (NCOA) to establish the National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment. AoA is creating the Center to support local outreach and enrollment projects targeted at seniors and people with disabilities. The establishment of the Center is another part of AoA's approach to integrating services and benefits and to implementing the new outreach provisions that were recently incorporated into the Older Americans Act.

Through web-based technology, the Center will simplify access to services, resources and benefits at the federal, state and local level that seniors and people with disabilities need. The Center will reach people nationwide through the use of web-based tools and by establishing Benefits Enrollment Centers (BECs) in ten areas of the country designed especially to help seniors in need and people with disabilities find and enroll in all the benefits programs for which they are eligible. The AoA grant funds will be used by the Center to:

Increase the use of web-based screening and enrollment tools with aging and disability organizations, older people and younger adults with disabilities, their families and caregivers;

Maintain, update and enhance current web-based benefits screening and enrollment systems;

Foster the use of cost-effective benefits outreach and enrollment strategies by BECs and aging and disability service providers;

Provide training and technical assistance to BECs and the larger aging and disability communities;

Develop an online information clearinghouse of cost-effective, promising practices related to benefits outreach and enrollment.

For more information, visit http://www.aoa.gov or http://www.ncoa.org

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Other Upcoming Events

RRTI 2008-9 Geriatrics and Developmental Disabilities Nurse Training Program The Rehabilitation Research and Training Institute is pleased to announce the schedule for the 2008-2009 Geriatrics and Developmental Disabilities Nurse Training Program. For a full list of courses and their descriptions and registration, please visit www.rrti.org. Nurses with all levels of training are invited to register for these free courses. Please note that a certificate is available for those Nurses who complete C1-C4 and Nursing Contact Hours can be obtained. For more information and questions, please contact Matt Yaeger at matt@nyrehab.org or 518-449-2976 ext 101. Courses start September 17, 2008 at various videoconference sites. This continuing education activity has been submitted to the New York State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation Educational Seminar Series at Service Program for Older People (SPOP) This training opportunity features SPOP clinicians who have extensive experience with older adults and mental health. It is offered to the professional geriatrics community and all who work with seniors. Each seminar is held at: 302 West 91st Street at West End Avenue, New York, NY. Seminar fee: $15. Discount for 3 or more attendees from the same organization. Space is limited. Please register in advance by mail or online at www.spop.org or call: 212-787-7120. For topics, dates, and registration information, click here. Consortium of New York Geriatric Education Centers GNYGEC 2008/2009 is beginning another semester of Core and Elective trainings throughout the five boroughs. Click here for the 2008/2009 program announcement, registration form, credit card forms, and training locations. You may also register online here.

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Article...Suicide Rates Rise Among Baby Boomers

Suicide Rates Rise Among Baby Boomers

TUESDAY, Oct. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The suicide rate in the United States is increasing for the first time in a decade, particularly among middle-aged white women, a new study finds.

"This is a group we haven't had as much focus on in terms of suicide, because the death rates were higher in elderly white males, and there has been a lot of attention to teenagers and young adults," said lead researcher Susan P. Baker, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "This 40-to-64 age group has been neglected."

The suicide rate declined over the same period for blacks and remained stable for Asians and Native Americans, the study found.

Baker said it's not clear what might be causing the rising suicide rates among middle-aged whites. "We need to study the individual people who have committed suicide and see what were their living circumstances. Were they depressed, was this impulsive? A lot more specific information is needed," she said.

One possible explanation is that doctors may not be paying enough attention to the mental health of their middle-aged white patients to spot the risk of suicide, Baker said.

The report was published online Oct. 21 in theAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine.

To read more, click here.

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Article...Mental Health Funding

"Future Funding for Mental Health And Substance Abuse: Increasing Burdens For The Public Sector;" Health Affairs: The report, by Katharine Levit, senior research leader at the health care business of Thomson Reuters, and colleagues finds that spending on mental health and substance use treatment is expected to double between 2003 and 2014, but it is projected to grow at a slower pace than overall health care spending. According to the report, mental health and substance use treatment spending is expected to increase from $121 billion in 2003 to $239 billion in 2014, while overall health spending is expected to grow 0.8 percentage points faster. In addition, the report projects that behavioral health spending will decline as a share of total health spending, from 7.5% in 2003 to 6.9% in 2014 (Levit et al., Health Affairs, 10/8).

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Article...Ginkgo Biloba Ineffective Against Dementia, Researchers Find

Ginkgo Biloba Ineffective Against Dementia, Researchers Find

By RONI CARYN RABIN
Published: November 18, 2008

The largest and longest independent clinical trial to assess ginkgo biloba's ability to prevent memory loss has found that the supplement does not prevent or delay dementia or Alzheimer's disease, researchers are reporting.

The study is the first trial large enough to accurately assess the plant extract's effect on the incidence of dementia, experts said, and the results dashed hopes that it is an effective preventative. In fact, there were more cases of dementia among participants who were taking ginkgo biloba than among those who were taking a placebo, though the difference was not statistically significant.

To read more, click here.

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Article...More Alzheimer's Risk for Hispanics, Studies Find

More Alzheimer's Risk for Hispanics, Studies Find

By PAM BELLUCK
Published: October 20, 2008

PHILADELPHIA - Antonio Vasquez was just 60 when Alzheimer's disease derailed him.

He lost his job at a Queens bakery because he kept burning chocolate chip cookies, forgetting he had put them in the oven. Then he got lost going to job interviews, walking his neighborhood in circles.

Teresa Mojica of Philadelphia was 59 when she got Alzheimer's, making her so argumentative and delusional that she sometimes hits her husband. And Ida J. Lawrence was 57 when she started misplacing things and making mistakes in her Boston dental school job.

Besides being young Alzheimer's patients - most Americans who develop it are at least 65, and it becomes more common among people in their 70s or 80s - the three are Hispanic, a group that Alzheimer's doctors are increasingly concerned about, and not just because it is the country's largest, fastest-growing minority.

Studies suggest that many Hispanics may have more risk factors for developing dementia than other groups, and a significant number appear to be getting Alzheimer's earlier. And surveys indicate that Latinos, less likely to see doctors because of financial and language barriers, more often mistake dementia symptoms for normal aging, delaying diagnosis.

To read more, click here.

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Article...Caring for Family, Caring for Yourself

Caring for Family, Caring for Yourself

By JANE E. BRODY
Published: November 17, 2008

Whether you choose to be a family caregiver or the job is thrust upon you by circumstances, your most important responsibility beyond caring for your ill or disabled relative is caring for yourself.

Too often, family caregivers are reluctant to "abandon" their patients, even temporarily, or entrust others with their care. But a caregiver should not feel guilty about looking out for No. 1.

Self-care is not a selfish act. It's an essential act, because a caregiver who burns out, who becomes overly stressed, exhausted or ill, is no help to anyone. There are many ways for caregivers to protect their physical and emotional health, and a growing number of organizations that can help. Sometimes all you need to do is ask.

To read more, click here.

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Three-Country Study on Alzheimer's Caregivers and Depression

First Three-Country Randomized Controlled Trial Finds Counseling And Support Is Key To Alleviating Depression Among Alzheimer Caregivers

NEW YORK CITY- Counseling and social support are key to alleviating depression for family caregivers, even when their relatives with Alzheimer's disease receive pharmacologic treatment. These findings are reported in "A Three-Country Randomized Controlled Trial of a Psychosocial Intervention for Caregivers Combined with Pharmacological Treatment for Patients with Alzheimer's Disease: Effects on Caregiver Depression," published in the November issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

According to lead author Mary Sherman Mittelman, Dr. P.H., of The William and Sylvia Silberstein Institute for Aging and Dementia, a Center of Excellence at NYU Langone Medical Center, this is the first study to evaluate the effect of a pharmacologic intervention for patients combined with a psychosocial intervention for caregivers in three countries simultaneously. The study looked at change in symptoms of depression in a total of 158 pairs of spouse-caregivers and patients with Alzheimer's disease at NYU Medical Center in New York City; the University of Manchester in Manchester, UK; and the Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

To read the report, click here.

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News - Week of September 22, 2008

2008-09-23T17:26:00.004-04:00

Geriatric Mental Health Alliance News

A bi-weekly email to brief you on issues important to geriatric mental health

September 22, 2008 - Vol 2, Issue 11

Depression and Behavioral Challenges in Elderly Residents

Revenue shortfalls related to the poor economy in NYS will result in a deficit for 2009-10. To avert this deficit, Governor Paterson has announced that he will seek $2.1 Billion in spending cuts when the Legislature comes back into session in September. These cuts are likely to affect health, mental health, substance abuse, aging, and children's services as well as education. We will let you know details as we learn them. Please be prepared to write, call, and visit your Assemblyperson and Senator to urge them to protect critical services for older adults with mental and/or substance use problems.

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GMHA Announces Workgroups

We have decided to form a few workgroups to focus on various issues related to geriatric mental health.

Long-Term Care Workgroup - to develop an advocacy agenda and strategies around better meeting the mental health needs of elders in long-term care for 2009-10;

Financing Geriatric Mental Health Services Workgroup - to identify opportunities to expand geriatric mental health services, barriers to expansion, and ways to overcome barriers;

People with Long-Term Psychiatric Disabilities Who Are Aging Workgroup - to develop an agenda to improve quality of life.

If you would like to join one of the workgroups or have any input, please RSVP to Yusyin Hsin at (212) 614-6356 or yhsin@mhaofnyc.org

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GMHA Upcoming Events

October 16, 2008 - Evidence Based Psychosocial Interventions in End of Life Care: A Best Practices Presentation in Geriatric Mental Health co-sponsored by the Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York and the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging and Longevity of Hunter College.

The event will be held from 3:00 - 5:00PM at the Hunter College School of Social Work - Auditorium, 129 East 79th Street, NYC, (Between Lexington and Park Avenues). Please register by clicking here. If you have any questions, please email or call Yusyin Hsin at yhsin@mhaofnyc.org or (212) 614-6356. The event is free but pre-registration is required.

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November 10, 2008 - Save the Date - Housing for Older Adults with Late-Onset Mental Disorders: Effective Models and Policy Implications
Moderator: Sydelle Knepper, CEO, SKA Marin,
Presenters: Jessica Katz, Director of Housing Development, Division of Special Needs Housing NYC Dept of Housing Preservation and Development
Laura Jervis, Executive Director, West Side Federation for Senior Supportive Housing NYSDHCR

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December 02, 2008 - Save the Date - Legal Issues Confronting Seniors with Mental Health Needs
Presenters: Staff from MFY Legal Services

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GMHA Welcomes New Staff Member

The Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York welcomes our newest staff member, Lisa Furst. Many of you may have known Lisa as the Director of Public Education for MHA of NYC and her work collaborating with the NYC Department for the Aging and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on a project to provide mental health education, screening, and linkages to services for older adults in senior centers. Lisa will continue to direct that project and will also serve as the Director of GMHA's Training and Technical Assistance Center without walls. Lisa looks forward to working with all of you as we enhance and plan our educational and training events.

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LIFENET, Award-Winning Hotline, Goes Online at www.800lifenet.org

LIFENET (1-800-LIFENET), the 24/7, multilingual, multicultural information and referral hotline that is staffed by mental health professionals in New York City and operated by the Mental Health Association of NYC is now online at www.800lifenet.org. The website provides free, confidential, crisis, information, and referrals for those seeking help for behavioral health problems in NYC. The site also offers users the option to speak to a mental health professional 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To read more, here is the press release.

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Other Upcoming Events

October 2, 2008 - Meeting the Mental Health Challenges of the Elder Boom. A community conference for Health and Human Service Providers and Family Care Givers from Warren and Washington Counties. The keynote speaker will be Michael Friedman. The conference will be held at the Queensbury Hotel from 08:00am to 12:00pm.

October 4, 2008 - The Second Annual Latino Mental Health Conference: Meeting the Mental Health Needs of the Latino Families & Communities. A conference fully dedicated to address the serious mental health disparities affecting the New York State Latino Community which not only served as a forum for the exchange of information, data, and ideas, but also invigorated the Latino healthcare provider community to stimulate the creation of highly successful projects. The event will be held at the Farkas Auditorium, NYU Langone Medical Center (550 First Avenue at 31st St.)

Please click here to register online.

October 15, 2008 - Breakthroughs in Elder Abuse & Neglect: Multidisciplinary Approaches, Promising Results. An educational forum presented by Laura Mosqueda, MD., and Laura Giles, MSG. for the NYC elder services community and a Weill Cornell Medical College CME activity.

For more information, please click here.

October 16, 2008 - Hunter College School of Social Worth 50th Anniversary Honoring Hunter's Past & Preparing for the Future in Social Work in Aging. An event to honor the recent graduates of the Aging and Health Program. The event starts at 5:30pm at the Hunter College School of Social Work, 129 E. 79th St. Reception to follow. For more information, click here.

October 23-25, 2008 - Save-the-Date: State Society on Aging of New York 36th Annual Conference This year's theme is: Geriatric Mental Health: Practice, Research, Education, and Policy and the conference will be held at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs, NY. Michael Friedman will receive the President's Award in recognition of the work of the Geriatric Mental Health Alliance.

October 26-28, 2008 - Community Health: The Foundation of Patient Centered Care. CHCANYS's 2008 Statewide Conference, this dynamic conference features critical discussion on national and state health care issues and practical skills building for community health care providers and administrators. Examples: Financial/Operations Track, Health Information Technology Track, Health Center Board Development Track, Clinical Track, etc. The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, White Plains, NY.

For more information, please click here.

November 12-13, 2008 - Empowering Communities for Successful Aging: Housing, Neighborhood Supports, and Services. This conference will help provide communities with the tools to become elder friendly and more livable for persons of all ages. The conference will be held at the Saratoga Hilton and Conference Center, Saratoga Springs, NY.

Brookdale Center for Health Aging & Longevity Certificates in Aging Program
Registration is now underway for the Fall 2008 Certificate Program courses in Aging. Courses are designed for professionals working in or preparing to work in the rapidly growing field of aging services and those with an interest in the field. Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging & Longevity of Hunter College and Continuing Education at Hunter are offering 3 post-baccalaureate certificate programs, including the Certificate in Aging, Certificate in Aging and Mental Health, Certificate in Professional Geriatric Care Management. Courses are held in the evening at Brookdale's convenient midtown location. For more information, or to register, visit http://www.brookdale.org or http://ce.hunter.cuny.edu

RRTI 2008-9 Geriatrics and Developmental Disabilities Nurse Training Program The Rehabilitation Research and Training Institute is pleased to announce the schedule for the 2008-2009 Geriatrics and Developmental Disabilities Nurse Training Program. For a full list of courses and their descriptions and registration, please visit www.rrti.org. Nurses with all levels of training are invited to register for these free courses. Please note that a certificate is available for those Nurses who complete C1-C4 and Nursing Contact Hours can be obtained. For more information and questions, please contact Matt Yaeger at matt@nyrehab.org or 518-449-2976 ext 101. Courses start September 17, 2008 at various videoconference sites.

This continuing education activity has been submitted to the New York State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation

NY Connects Building Connections Workshop
NY Connects is pleased to announce the Building Connections workshop that will be offered in 6 locations across the State. This workshop is designed to support and strengthen local program operations and the Long Term Care Councils. NYSOFA Director Burgess or his designee, and a representative from DOH will provide opening remarks on the current status and future directions of long term care in NYS.

To register, please click here.

Educational Seminar Series at Service Program for Older People (SPOP) This training opportunity features SPOP clinicians who have extensive experience with older adults and mental health. It is offered to the professional geriatrics community and all who work with seniors. Each seminar is held at: 302 West 91st Street at West End Avenue, New York, NY. Seminar fee: $15. Discount for 3 or more attendees from the same organization. Space is limited. Please register in advance by mail or online at www.spop.org or call: 212-787-7120.

For topics, dates, and registration information, click here.

Consortium of New York Geriatric Education Centers
GNYGEC 2008/2009 is beginning another semester of Core and Elective trainings throughout the five boroughs. Click here for the 2008/2009 program announcement, registration form, credit card forms, and training locations. You may also register online here.

Institute for Senior Action
The Joint Public Affairs Committee for Older Adults is offering an exciting, innovative leadership and advocacy training course, the Institute for Senior Action (IFSA). IFSA is a unique 10-week course that sharpens the skills of long-time activist, and equips recent retirees and community members with the skills needed to maneuver our complicated political system and get results.

The Fall 2008 Session is Thursdays, Sept. 18 to Dec. 4th from 10:00am-2:30pm at the Hudson Guild (441 W. 26th St. between 9th and 10th Avenues)

All adults 55+ are invited to apply. There is a nominal charge for the program of $50 with limited scholarships available. For more information, please look at the schedule and the application. Or please contact the IFSA program at (212) 273-5261 or oaribidesi@jasa.org

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2008 Presidential Election: The Mental Health, Candidates, Party Platforms

In early 2008, In early 2008, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) sent a questionnaire to all presidential candidates in each party. They also encouraged candidates to provide other relevant materials or explanations of their positions on issues involving mental health even if they did not have time to respond to the questionnaire.

NAMI, "NAMI offers these responses and excerpts from party platforms for educational purposes only. NAMI is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. Non-profit charitable organizations, including NAMI state and local affiliates, are prohibited by law from endorsing specific candidates and this information should not be used by any NAMI affiliate to endorse any candidate."

Democratic Presidential Nominee
Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois:- Questionnaire response

Republican Presidential Nominee
Sen. John McCain of Arizona: Mental Health Statement in lieu of a response to our questionnaire. The Campaign informed NAMI that it is his policy not to respond to questionnaires.

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NSDUH Report: Serious, Psychological Distress Among Adults Aged 50 or Older

NSDUH Report: Serious Psychological Distress Among Adults Aged 50 or Older - 2005/2006

SAMHSA has released The NSDUH Report: Serious Psychological Distress Among Adults Aged 50 or Older: 2005 & 2006 . Combined data from SAMHSA's 2005 and 2006 National Surveys on Drug Use & Health (NSDUH) indicate than an annual average of seven percent of adults aged 50 or older experienced serious psychological distress in the past year. Adults aged 50 to 64 were more likely to experience past year serious psychological distress than those aged 65 or older.

To view the report, visit: http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/SPDolder/SPDolderadults.cfm.

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Article...Retirees Filling the Frong Line in Market Fears

Retirees Filling the Front Line in Market Fears
By JOHN LELAND and LOUIS UCHITELLE
The New York Times
Published: September 22, 2008

Older Americans with investments are among the hardest hit by the turmoil in the financial markets and have the least opportunity to recover.

As companies have switched from fixed pensions to 401(k) accounts, retirees risk losing big chunks of their wealth and income in a single day's trading, as many have in the last month.

"There's a terrified older population out there," said Alicia H. Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. "If you're 45 and the market goes down, it bothers you, but it comes back. But if you're retired or about to retire, you might have to sell your assets before they have a chance to recover. And people don't have the luxury of being in bonds because they don't yield enough for how long we live."

Today's retirees have less money in savings, longer life expectancies and greater exposure to market risk than any retirees since World War II. Even before the last week of turmoil, 39 percent of retirees said they expected to outlive their savings, up from 29 percent in 2007, according to a survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, an industry-sponsored group in Washington.

"This really highlights the new world of retirement," said Richard Johnson, a principal research associate at the Urban Institute in Washington. "It's a much riskier world for retirees, because people don't have defined-benefit plans. They have pots of money and they have to worry about making it last."

To read more, click here.

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Article...Institutionalized Medicaid recipients sue Florida

Institutionalized Medicaid recipients sue Florida
By MATT SEDENSKY, Associated Press Writer
Yahoo! News

PLANT CITY, Fla. - Charles Todd Lee spent a lifetime going backstage at concerts, following politicians on the campaign trail and capturing iconic shots of everyone from Martin Luther King Jr. to Mick Jagger to Mickey Mantle. Today, he enjoys such freedom only in his dreams.

The 67-year-old photographer has been confined to a nursing home for five years, the victim of a stroke that paralyzed his left side. And he's angry.

"Most of the people come here to die, so you want to die," he said. "It is a prison. I can't escape it."

Lee is among the Medicaid recipients across Florida challenging the nightmare of the old and disabled: to be forced from comfort and familiarity into a nursing home.

They say the state is illegally forcing them to live in nursing homes when they should be able to live where they choose. Advocates charge that nursing homes, afraid of losing money, have successfully pressured politicians to make qualifying for community care more difficult. They have filed a federal lawsuit seeking class-action status on behalf of nearly 8,500 institutionalized Floridians.

To read more, click here.