Editor's Note

VOLUME 35, NO. 3 • SEPTEMBER 2018

Tzung-Jeng Hwang, IPA Bulletin Editor-in-Chief

Under the leadership of President Mary Sano, IPA is actively marching forward. Our most recent highlights include:

• Many IPA opinion leaders attended the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) and Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) meeting in Chicago in July and presented their research work (see article in “Around the World”).
• The “Sleep & Healthy Aging” meeting in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA, will be held on 14-15 September 2018.
• The second round of the online Spanish Language Geriatric Psychiatry Program will begin 1 October 2018, and the Universidad Favaloro is able to provide certification for the online course.
• IPA is co-hosting a workshop with members of the International Association of Physical Therapists working with Older People (IPTOP) in Montreal, Canada in November this year.

You are welcome to join the upcoming activities for learning and networking.

In this issue, there are seven articles, three in “Research and Practice”, three in “Around the World” and one in “Technology Corner”.

In “Research and Practice”:

• Dr. Damien Gallagher (Canada) provides updates on post-stroke depression (PSD) and concludes that screening for PSD may improve outcomes, but should be combined with processes of care that facilitate effective treatment and follow-up after detection.
• Dr. Gillian Stockwell-Smith (Australia) discusses further improvements that are needed in hospital care of older people. Older people often experience significant deconditioning while in hospital, but the focus of rapid throughput in acute care tends to deny them a treatment goal of restoration to pre-admission status.
• Dr. Karen Reimers (USA) summarizes the risk factors and red flags of undue influence in older adult. This is especially relevant in terms of estate planning. It is important to respect the autonomy of older testators while protecting vulnerable elders from undue influence and financial exploitation.
• Finally, Dr. Laura Valzolgher (Italy) describes a case of limbic encephalitis, a lesser-known and sometimes under-recognized cause of rapidly progressive dementia.

In “Around the World”: 

• Kate Filipiak (U.S.), the Executive Director of IPA, highlights the IPA social events at the Alzheimer’s Association International Congress (AAIC) and the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) meetings in Chicago.
• In a second report on AAIC, I further describe IPA’s activities and achievements, especially those related to neuropsychiatric symptoms in the elderly.

In “Technology Corner”:

• Dr. Yung-Jen Yang (Taiwan) delineates interesting bone-conducting hearing aids, including wearable and implanted types. These hearing aids may better improve communication for the elderly people.

I want to thank the editors who continue to provide thought-provoking articles and share precious insights with our members. We hope more members can join the editing team and contribute diverse viewpoints to this IPA platform. By doing so, we can further improve the content of the Bulletin and make it a useful platform for international communications among IPA members. You are always welcome to submit articles to express your thoughts and feelings in this great IPA community. Please reach us at IPABulletin@ipa-online.org.