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AGS
is dedicated to improving the health, independence and quality of
life of all older people. We have a successful history of creating
educational programming that enables physicians to update their
knowledge and improve patient care. AGS offers continuing education
programs for health care professionals including our groundbreaking
Geriatrics Review Syllabus which defined the field of clinical
geriatrics, online interactive programs, state chapter programming,
and our Annual Scientific Meeting--the premier educational meeting in
geriatrics.
AGS
promotes high quality, comprehensive and accessible care. The
Society is a leading voice for older adults who often have multiple
chronic illnesses requiring comprehensive care and other special
services to maximize quality of life.
AGS
members are often called upon by members of the media who want to
know about the special needs of older persons. Increasing public
awareness is essential to ensure that our health care system provides
appropriate care for all Americans.
Nearly
25 percent of the American population will be over 65 within 30
years. For the first time in our history, people aged 85 and older
represent the fastest growing segment of our population. It is
because of the formidable challenges posed by this unprecedented
"demographic imperative" that the AGS reached beyond its
traditional role as a professional society to launch the first
national public organization devoted solely to the special health
care needs of older adults - The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging.
Launched
in 1999, the AGS Foundation aims to build a bridge between the
research and practice of geriatrics health care professionals and the
public, and to advocate on behalf of older adults and their special
needs: wellness and preventive care, self-responsibility and
independence, and connections to the family and community.
The
Foundation’s programs include Eldercare at Home—a
resource for family caregivers that is available online (free) and in
workbook and presentation formats, public education materials on a
variety of health issues of importance to older adults, and Aging
in the Know, a comprehensive online resource covering the most
common diseases and disorders of older adults.
The
Foundation is committed to bringing easy to read information to the
public and also to enhancing our collective ability to care for our
elders. We see the latter as one of the most pressing issues that
corporations face today. According to a landmark study sponsored by
Metropolitan Life in 1999, the cost estimate to employers for time
spent caring for aging loved ones is up to $29 billion a year in lost
productivity. In addition, recent research indicates that informal
caregiving costs related to cancer ($1 billion/year), dementia ($18
billion/year), diabetes ($3-6 billion/year) and stroke ($6.1
billion/year) are substantial.
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