At #AGS20, Long-Term Care Experts Set Sights on 20/20 Vision for Better Care

Medical advances have played a significant role in increased longevity of life and improved long-term care (LTC) delivery. The number and consistency of these advances will continue indefinitely, if geriatrics health professionals have anything to say about it. At the 2020 American Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS20) in Long Beach, CA, (May 7-9; preconference program on May 6), some 3000 of the world’s leading geriatrics experts will converge to advance research, education, clinical practice, and public policy supporting the world’s older adult population. 

Below are highlights from #AGS20’s more than 100 events. Be sure to visit Meeting.AmericanGeriatrics.org for registration, the full schedule, and all-things #AGS20. 

Decision Making for Older Adults With Multiple Chronic Conditions: The AGS Guiding Principles on the Care of Older Adults With Multimorbidity (May 7; 8:15-9:15am) 

In 2019, experts at the AGS unveiled a revolutionary new framework for helping older adults and health professionals work together on care decisions related to managing multiple chronic conditions. This session will explore new opportunities for identifying person-centered priorities and embedding them in innovative strategies to stop, start, or continue treatments. 

Preventing Serious Fall Injuries: Primary Findings From the STRIDE Study (May 7; 10:15-11:15am) 

Falls affect nearly one in three older adults annually, and addressing falls prevention and falls severity has been a major focal point for geriatrics clinicians and researchers. The Strategies to Reduce Injuries and Develop Confidence in Elders (STRIDE) Study is one of modern medicine’s largest and most well-known research efforts to learn more—and to translate results into action. In this session, STRIDE experts will present data on evidence-based strategies to reduce fall injuries by implementing individualized interventions. 

Global Deprescribing Updates: Lessons Learned and Needs for the Future (May 7; 1:30-2:30pm) 

People aged 65 years and older take prescribed medications more frequently than those in any other age group in the United States. While medications often play an essential role in overall well-being, reducing the reliance on medication—and the risk for harmful side effects—can also be a powerful tool for health professionals and patients. In this session, interprofessional experts will not only describe international experiences with deprescribing but also offer tools to sustain appropriate medication use. 

That Was the Year That Will Be (May 8; 10:30-11:30am) 

A fan favorite among meeting attendees, this session will explore advances in care for cardiovascular concerns, neurovascular disorders, and cellular senescence. Attendees will see science in action, learning how basic biology will impact care by 2025. 

Expanding the Age-Friendly Movement: Tools, Techniques, and Resources (May 8; 10:30-11:30am) 

Launched by The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States, the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement seeks to improve care for us all as we age by focusing on core components of older adults’ needs. These include the “4Ms” of geriatrics: Care for Mentation, Medication, Mobility, and What Matters to patients as people. In this session, experts will discuss expanding the initiative to more hospitals and clinics, and what it takes to put age-friendly planning into practice. 

Public Policy Plenary (May 8; 11:30am-12:30pm) 

Public policy in the United States plays a critical role shaping everything from LTC to the ways health systems and communities support us as we age. In this plenary symposium, policy experts will review the legislative and regulatory landscape in 2020, including what our society needs from candidates for the presidential election. 

Geriatrics Literature Update (May 9; 8:45-10:15am) 

A must-see for meeting attendees, the Geriatrics Literature Update will focus on 2019’s most important and impactful journal articles shaping health and care for older adults. 

Disruptive Behaviors in Dementia and Delirium in
Dementia (May 9; 10:30-11:30am) Dementia and delirium often lead to changes in an older person’s behavior. Many of these changes pose unique challenges for older adults, their caregivers, and health professionals. In this symposium,
geriatrics experts will discuss the range of interventions—some involving pharmaceuticals and others involving alternatives—for treating disruptive behavior.