IPA Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY - Professional courses in psychogeriatrics begin IPA's Ninth Congress

VANCOUVER, B.C. (Aug. 14, 1999) - As doctors and assorted health professionals take special courses Sunday delivered by some of the world’s foremost authorities on psychogeriatrics - mental health and aging - editors should be advised that there will be interview opportunities throughout the day.

Among the highlights of these accredited professional sessions will be:

• Dr. Edmond Chiu of Melbourne, Australia, will chair sessions providing an introduction to basic psychogeriatrics. Dr. Chiu, who was born in Hong Kong and raised in Guangzhou and Queensland (Australia) is the incoming president of IPA and Chair of the Geriatric Psychiatry Section of the World Psychiatric Association.
• There is a course dealing with the multidisciplinary approach to patients suffering from severe dementia, and particularly the demands on caregivers and the stresses upon families. This course is chaired by Dr. Bengt Winblad of Sweden.
• Ethical issues touch the life of every professional and every family involved with late stage dementia. Force-feeding, pharmacological issues, euthanasia and abuse-prevention are among many concerns affecting ethical patient care.
• Among the programs for more advanced practitioners will be early detection and prevention of Alzheimer’s (Dr. Gary Small of UCLA), and a comprehensive analysis of pharmacological and psychotherapy approaches to mental health in the elderly (Dr. Lissy Jarvik of UCLA).
• Dr. Philipe Robert of France will conduct programs dealing with research in psychogeriatrics.

FREE PUBLIC LECTURE - A public lecture conducted by Dr. Marie-France Rivard of Canada will deal with improved mental care for all seniors, and a discussion of all mental health issues from depression to the dementias. Public service announcements would be appreciated: anyone who wishes to attend is welcome at 8 p.m. Sunday, Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre.