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For Immediate Release
March 22, 2007

For more information:
Erin Weller
(212) 308-1414 x 329

WHAT: 2007 American Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting

WHO: Journalists who cover the "aging beat;" cutting-edge research about health in aging; growing old well; care giving issues and solutions; race and aging; baby boomers; the politics of aging; efforts to retool clinical practice for a "graying" America; challenges facing Medicare; and the financial reverberations of the Age Boom will find scores of news, feature story, and column ideas at this, the premier conference on aging.

More than 1,000 of the nation's leading researchers and experts on all matters concerning aging will be available for interviews. Lectures, discussion series, and workshops will explore: sex in late life; gadgets and innovations designed to make care giving easier; drug testing and medication side effects in older adults; elder abuse and financial exploitation; using opoiods to treat pain in older patients; pay for performance and other controversial proposals for overhauling the financing of elder care; race-based therapeutics for elders; the growing shortage of healthcare staff with expertise in caring for older patients, and more.

WHEN: May 2-6, 2007

WHERE: Washington State Convention & Trade Center, Seattle, Washington

HOW: Free media registration for the annual meeting is available in advance or on site in the conference Press Room. Staff journalists should provide credentials, e.g., a media ID or business card, or a working email address at a media outlet. Freelancers should email or provide copies of assignment letters or recent, relevant clips. To apply for press registration, please email Erin Weller at eweller@americangeriatrics.org. Be sure to include your name, affiliation, and contact information in your email.

For more information about the American Geriatrics Society and AGS' Foundation for Health in Aging, visit their Web sites -- www.americangeriatrics.org and www.healthinaging.org .

ABOUT THE AGS

Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (www.americangeriatrics.org) is a nationwide, not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence, and quality of life of all older people. The Society supports this mission through activities in clinical practice, professional and public education, research, and public policy. With an active membership of over 6,500 health care professionals, the Society has become a pivotal force in shaping attitudes, policies, and practices in geriatric medicine.

ABOUT THE FHA

In 1999, the American Geriatrics Society reached beyond its traditional role as a professional medical society and launched the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA). The FHA aims to build a bridge between geriatrics health care professionals and the public, and advocate on behalf of older adults and their special needs: wellness and preventive care, self-responsibility and independence, and connections to family and community. The FHA champions initiatives in public education, clinical research, and public policy that advance the principles and practice of geriatrics medicine; educate policy makers and the public on the health care needs and concerns of older adults; support aging research that reduces disability and frailty, and improves quality of life and health outcomes; encourage older adults to be effective advocates for their own health care; and help family members and caregivers take better care of their older loved ones and themselves.