Pre-conference - Services To Older Adults

Today I attended a pre-conference all day session entitled A Dialogue with the Aging Network and the Library Community: The New Guidelines on Library and Information Services to Older Adults. It was a very impressive and innovating session.

The first presentation was entitled The Aging Population and the Agencies That Serve Them lead by Lynn Kellogg, the President of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Ms. Kellogg covered the background of the "Aging Network" including:

1. "The "Aging" of America was a 20th C. phenomenon with the advent of retirement brought on by industrialization and Social Security. The advances in health care decreased childbirth related deaths and there were improvements in chronic disease management.

2. Diversity of Older Adults: ethnic background - age is approached differently in various cultures; educational levels - boomers may have a higher education than non-boomers who left school earlier to work; income levels; living arrangements e.g.: assisted living.

A second presentation was lead by Barbara Mates of the Ohio Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled entitled Engaging Seniors in the Library Experience Throughout Their Life. Ms. Bates spoke about making libraries more senior friendly including:

1. Wheels should be available including walkers which have baskets and seats.
2. Assistive listening advices at Information Desks.
3. Computers with screen enlargers, trackballs, joysticks, oversized keyboards.
4. Portable book readers, Playaway.

A third presentation was from a group called Lifetime Arts focused on creative aging, more specifically the "positive and powerful role of the arts in enhancing the quality of life for older adults". This group partnered with the Westchester Libraries in New York state to find funding and teaching artists for arts programs for older adults.

A final speaker was Fatima Perkins from Cuyahoga County Public Library on the not yet completed ALA Toolkit on Engaging Older Adults. (Will be sent to me via email upon completion). Ms. Perkins also spoke about the programs for older adults and caregivers at Cuyahoga County Public which included: Successful Aging: Attitude Matters, Career Transitions, Managing Multiple Medications, Memory Fitness, Getting Your Affairs in Order.

Overall, this was an excellent pre-conference session. It presented many possibilities and innovations in services to older adults which I will share in more detail to the Services to Older Adults team of which I am a member.

P.S.: Lunch and coffee break snacks were included: I had the best cupcake I have ever had in my life during the afternoon break ...