IPA Bulletin
Editor's Note 

By David G. Folks

International Psychogeriatric Association’s twenty-fifth anniversary has finally arrived with much fanfare and lots of pride. IPA staff is busily working with Professor Takeda to bring together the Osaka Congress this October that will serve to highlight the achievements and noteworthy milestones of our organization for the past two and one half decades. Additionally, we can be proud of the fact that IPA continues to favorably influence the growth of mental health services for older individuals as well as providing educational resources and other supports for professionals committed to Psychogeriatric research and practice. The Osaka Congress will certainly advance our knowledge of the field, and provide a wonderful forum for active and productive communication with geriatric specialists and experts from around the globe. The IPA regional meeting in Istanbul is also rapidly approaching, and will be a superb meeting in its own right for those that are fortunate enough to attend the meeting in a wonderful venue. More information concerning both events, Osaka Congress and Istanbul Regional Meeting, and satellite in Haifa, Israel, are contained within this issue of the IPA Bulletin and on the IPA website.

This issue of IPA Bulletin has a very diverse group of articles that I think you will find fascinating and of vital importance.

Rural Psychogeriatric services in Spain are described in detail describing the organization and delivery of these services, and the use of new technologies are employed in coordinating treatment for rural geriatric patients in need. The team concept that is so critical to our geriatric patients is also described with respect to rural outreach services - outlined by Manuel Franco.

Another article describing the New York Academy’s “Portraits and Promises in Alzheimer’s disease” meeting brings together art and lecture as a means of furthering our understanding of the personal journey and triumph of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The article is both uplifting and instructive for those of us who are actively engaged in the diagnosis and management of cases of primary progressive dementia–which includes virtually everyone reading this newsletter I would presume.

Practice guidelines as they exist in various European countries are also the subject of yet another outstanding article contained in this issue, and, three essential additions to your “favorites tab” found in The Bulletin’s “On the Web”, complements the practice guideline article as to the state of the science in diagnosis and treatment of dementia of the Alzheimer type and related disorders. Additionally, “Recent Advances” from our editors Robert Baldwin and Robert Barber reference practice guidelines for Alzheimer dementia and related disorders together with several other important references concerning advances in our understanding of the etiology and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Interestingly, the European practice guideline article concludes that no clear consensus can be conferred from one geographic location to another with regard to the current practice or the “gold standard” for diagnosis and treatment (of dementia) in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, or the United Kingdom. Thus, the outcome and forthcoming communications regarding the recent IPA sponsored consensus conference on the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, held last October at Canterbury in the United Kingdom, will be quite interesting, as referenced by President Sadavoy in this issue of the IPA Bulletin.

Finally, I am quite excited to have a short communication from Bahrain submitted by Adel Al-Offi who provides a very concise and clear picture of newly-developed services for patients with dementia including a mobile treatment unit, psychoeducation, and a mechanism for family support. Having served for several years as an educational consultant in the Middle East, I am keenly aware of what a substantial accomplishment this outstanding program of services represents for dementia patients and their families in Bahrain. I look forward to receiving an update as this service progresses over the next year.

In closing, let me say that I am sincerely happy to be serving as the IPA Bulletin Editor for four more years, and I continue to encourage your submission of news items, updates about the status of Psychogeriatric developments or descriptions of ongoing Psychogeriatric research from around the globe. Any suggestions for improving the IPA Bulletin are welcomed.

My aim is to have the IPA Bulletin serve the needs of IPA members, the IPA Board of Directors and officers, and to facilitate communication about our organization and the field of Psychogeriatrics in a timely and convenient fashion. The IPA Bulletin also serves to complement the IPA Journal edited by Professor David Ames. The usual turnaround time for submissions to the Bulletin is only a few months, or in some cases, in just a few weeks. Send your submission to the IPA secretariat at bulletin@ipa-online.org.

Happy New Year and have a prosperous and healthy 2007.
 

Reprinted from IPA Bulletin, Volume 24, Number 1