GSA Annual Scientific Meeting to focus on up-to-date news on aging

America's premier authorities on aging will share the most up-to-date news on Social Security, health care reform, the impact of disasters on older people, evolution instruction in classrooms, and other current topics at The Gerontological Society of America's upcoming 63rd Annual Scientific Meeting. This event - the largest interdisciplinary conference in the field of aging - will take place from November 19 to 23 in New Orleans, LA. GSA extends complimentary registration to working representatives of the media.

All sessions will be held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. An estimated 3,500 professionals are expected to attend the five-day gathering, which includes more than 500 scientific sessions featuring research presented for the first time. The complete conference program, including a searchable abstract listing, is available at www.geron.org/press. Below are selected highlights:

Opening Plenary Session with U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee, JD
Time: Saturday, November 20, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Location: Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Grand Ballrooms A, B, C, and D
GSA will welcome America's top federal aging advocate as the meeting's keynote speaker. Greenlee was appointed by President Barack Obama last year as the fourth assistant secretary for aging. In this role, she oversees the Administration on Aging, the government agency responsible for advancing the concerns and interests of older people and their caregivers.

The Fiscal Crisis of the State and the Politics of Aging
Time: Saturday, November 20, 2:30 to 4 p.m.
Location: Hilton New Orleans Riverside Grand Ballroom D
Renewed efforts to contain federal spending have raised questions about whether or not the politics of policies on aging and the federal budget deficit will lead to a dismantling of the U.S. old age welfare state that was constructed in the 20th century. A panel will address these perceived threats through an analysis of voting and public opinion polling results and a critique of the neoliberal economic model that continues to limit political choices and economic policy options.

Speak-Out! Social Security and Women
Time: Sunday, November 21, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Location: Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Grand Ballroom A
Social Security will be front and center once the president's Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform issues its report to Congress in December. Join GSA for this interactive speak-out to express opinions about Social Security, its importance to women, and reform.

Congressional Aging Issues Update
Time: Monday, November 22, at 7:30 to 9 a.m.
Location: Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Bridge Room (Riverside Building)
Capitol Hill staff, including representatives from the Senate Special Committee on Aging, will discuss this year's legislative developments and plans for aging and health policy in 2011. Topics on the agenda include the Older Americans Act reauthorization, income security, and health care reform implementation.

Business Forum: Aging Means Business
Monday, November 22, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Hilton New Orleans Riverside, River Room (Riverside Building) GSA will host a day-long forum to explore the changing consumer demands of the 50 plus age group - and ways to target, serve, and engage this growing market. Top-ranked academic experts on economics, gerontology, and consumer behavior will engage in dialog with local and national business leaders. This year's forum will focus on aging-in-place technology, home modification, and housing. Laurie Orlov, the founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch, will provide the keynote address.

Evolution, Education, and Health
Time: Monday, November 22, 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Location: Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Belle Chasse Room
In 2008, the Louisiana State Legislature passed the Louisiana Science Education Act, which allows local school boards to approve supplemental classroom materials specifically for the critique of scientific theories (e.g., evolution). In response, this symposium will outline the educational consequences of this new law and explain why a foundation in evolutionary science is important for making more informed decisions about one's own health and about societal issues with scientific content.

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes: Transitions of Care in Times of Disaster and Poverty
Time: Monday, November 22, 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Location: Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Versailles Ballroom
Seniors are particularly vulnerable to adverse consequences in times of disaster and poverty. Forced relocation, loss of livelihood, and limited access to health care are all key problems for older adults in these settings. Attendees will gain insights from the presenters' combined first-hand field experiences in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, post-earthquake Haiti, and impoverished areas of Honduras.

The online conference program lists many other sessions with content relevant to older adults. Among these subjects are grandparents raising grandchildren, driving and transportation concerns, minority issues, aging around the globe, and clinical preventive services.

The complimentary media registration allows access to all sessions (with the exception of ticketed events and pre-conference workshops) and the Exhibit Hall. Badges and printed program materials can be picked up from the Press Room, which will be located in Marlborough B in the Hilton.

Registration information and the online itinerary planner are available at www.geron.org/press. The Society has locked in special conference rates at two area hotels, which will be available until November 3.