This year, the 2008 SSA conference entitled “The Road to the Future:  Healthy Aging & Mental Health” had over 65 workshops/symposia and delivered diverse and enriching material to attendees.  The meeting, held in Saratoga on Oct. 23-25, 2008, kicked off with a town hall meeting focusing on substance abuse, “Getting Renewed Life: The Interface of Treatment and Legislation to Help Older New Yorkers with Substance Abuse and Addiction.” The remainder of the day was devoted to thought-provoking workshops, paper presentations, symposia, poster and artist forums, and special sessions focusing on retirement, leisure, end-of-life planning, intergenerational care and housing.

The SSA’s past presidents sponsored a forum with the New York State Office on Aging (SOFA) to explore issues surrounding workf orce education and training. In addition, the NYS Geriatric Education Consortium sponsored the Kermit Schooner Symposium which provided insights from a panel of esteemed experts addressing the mental health needs of elders and the importance of policy and planning to the field.  The panel included Michael Friedman and Kimberly Steinhagen from the Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York, Chris Langston, program director at the John A. Hartford Foundation, and Gary Kennedy, MD, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center.  During the evening’s dinner Dr. Michael Friedman received the esteemed Presidential Award.

At the George Warner Memorial Symposium, coordinated by Dr. John Krout, the audience learned about the first ever comprehensive New York Statewide Summit on Rural Aging held last fall which identified a policy agenda addressing six key quality of life areas. The symposium included representatives from NYSOFA, and representatives from the NYS Legislature and the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources.  Throughout the day workshops on HIV/AIDS, elder abuse, caregiving, poverty and health indicators were also presented.  Michael Burgess, Director of NYSOFA, received the Walter Bettie Award, which recognizes leaders in the field of aging. In addition, Robert Blancato provided an informative discussion of policy issues in the field of aging on the national front.  The annual SSA conference was a stimulating and informative event, and the 2009 conference will be held in Rochester, N.Y. from Oct. 15- 17, 2009. 

Dr. Janna Heyman

Fordham University Ravazzin Center on Aging