The Joint Conference of the National Council on the Aging (NCOA) and the American Society on Aging (ASA), set for the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Chicago, March 13-16, will include an array of sessions addressing the concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people ages 50-plus and of the agencies and professionals serving them.
'Presentations on LGBT aging at the NCOA-ASA Joint Conference provide the most up-to-date research on the topic,' said John Yoakam, assistant professor of social work at College of St. Benedict/St. John's University in Minnesota and cochair of ASA's Lesbian and Gay Aging Issues Network (LGAIN). 'We'll also be hearing about best practices in programs and services for LGBT older adults.'
Sessions looking at LGBT aging will focus on a range of topics, including public policy, housing options, spirituality, needs of minority elders, caregiving, sensitivity training for service providers, and HIV/AIDS. The conference also will include a session dealing with aging among intersex individuals. In addition, ASA is joining the national Alzheimer's Association in sponsoring an all-day special program, 'Diversity and Dementia: Individualized Approaches to Care,' set for March 15. Presenters will look at diversity issues in Alzheimer's care, including LGBT concerns.
ASA has been a leader in the field of continuing education for professionals in aging since 1954; the association's Lesbian and Gay Aging Issues Network is the only professional group of its kind.
The NCOA-ASA Joint Conference is expected to draw nearly 4,000 participants from throughout North America to attend some 900 sessions on all aspects of aging. A complete schedule, as well as online registration, is available on the conference Web site at www.agingconference.org .
Details also are available by phone at (800) 537-9728.
For extensive resources on LGBT aging, as well as a full list of Joint Conference sessions dealing with LGBT and HIV/AIDS issues, visit the LGAIN home page at www.asaging.org/lgain.