News/Press Releases

New York (Feb. 16, 2016)—A newly updated guide from the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is putting healthcare professionals on the road to success for assessing and counseling older drivers. With older adults accounting for 10 percent of all people injured in traffic crashes annually and 17 percent of annual traffic fatalities, the Clinician’s Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers (3rd Edition)translates research findings and public health initiatives into practical, person-centered advice for safely navigating the open road.

“For all of us, but for Baby Boomers especially, driving is more than just a national pastime and a means for transportation. It’s a reflection of independence, mobility, and freedom,” explains Alice Pomidor, MD, MPH, AGSF, chair of the editorial board that developed the AGS-NHTSA guide. “The main goal of this guide is to help healthcare professionals promote health, independence, and quality of life by preventing crashes and injuries.”

Added Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA, AGS CEO: “This guide reflects the fact that many individuals play a role in older adult well-being, and that expert-authored tools, tips, and recommendations can help all healthcare professionals support high-quality, person-centered care in a key focus area: driver safety.”

As the U.S. welcomes its largest and most diverse group of older residents, insights from ethnogeriatrics specialists at the AGS shed light on health disparities and the importance of embracing culture as a critical facet of care

New York (Feb. 4, 2016)—New guidance from the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) aims to transform approaches to healthcare for our increasingly diverse older population. Developed by a committee of experts in ethnogeriatrics (the study of how ethnicity and culture impact the health and well-being of older people), “Achieving High-Quality Multicultural Geriatric Care” outlines present health disparities and the need for sensitivity to culture and health literacy when working with older individuals. As we look toward a not-so-distant future in 2050 when more than 80 million Americans will be 65-years-old or older, the factors outlined by AGS experts represent aspirational hallmarks of health care for a nation where “minorities” will soon account for nearly 40 percent of all older adults.

Under a $3 million grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation, the American Geriatrics Society will administer a Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program Coordinating Center to provide strategic resources for 44 HRSA awardees working on local solutions to the national geriatrics workforce shortage

• W/ $3M @JHARTFOUND grant, @AmerGeriatrics to administer GWEP coordinating center to improve #geriatrics care

New York (Jan. 20, 2016)—The John A. Hartford Foundation has awarded the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) a $3 million grant to establish a Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) Coordinating Center. As a component of the GWEP platform administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the GWEP Coordinating Center will serve as a strategic resource for 44 organizations across 29 states working on projects to increase the number of doctors, nurses, social workers, and other healthcare professionals trained to care for America’s growing older adult population.

Joint best practice recommendations from American College of Surgeons and American Geriatrics Society address unique care required for older adults facing surgery.

Chicago (Jan. 4, 2016)—Responding to the needs of the country’s growing older adult population, a new collaborative best practices guideline was released today for optimal care of older adults immediately before, during, and after surgical operations (a timeframe known as the “perioperative” period).  The new consensus-based guideline was developed by the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP^®) and the American Geriatrics Society’s (AGS) Geriatrics-for- Specialists Initiative (GSI), with support from The John A. Hartford Foundation. With more than 40 million older adults living in the U.S. today—and with that number expected to nearly double to 89 million by 2050—providing expert guidance on surgical care is key since the need for surgical services increases with age and targeted guidance during the perioperative period can speed recovery.