Athens, Ga. – End-of-life care is mediocre in Georgia and across the country, according to a nationwide report card published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In an effort to address this issue, the University of Georgia’s Georgia Geriatric Education Center announces “Improving Palliative and End-of-Life Care for Frail Older Adults,” a conference to be held at the University of Georgia in Athens on May 16-17.

The foci of the conference are why and how to start palliative care consultation services in hospitals, why and how to improve end-of-life care in nursing facilities and innovations in hospice care, said Anne Glass, assistant director for the University of Georgia’s Institute of Gerontology.

Based on her research in end-of-life care, Glass saw the need for training health care professionals about innovative ways to provide care for the dying. Organized in collaboration with her colleagues, the conference will showcase exemplary programs and increase understanding of palliative and hospice care.

The Georgia Geriatric Education Center is a partnership of the Institute of Gerontology in the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia, Mercer University School of Medicine and Armstrong Atlantic State University’s College of Health Professions.

The GGEC is the result of a $1.26 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, intended to educate healthcare professionals about best practices in geriatrics and gerontology.

The conference is co-sponsored by the GGEC. Other joint sponsors of the conference are the Medical College of Georgia and the Georgia Statewide AHEC Network. In addition to health care professionals, students and members of the community are welcome to register.

The schedule, registration form, and information about continuing education credit can be found at http://www.publichealth.uga.edu/geron/events/Conference_on_End-of-Life_Care.htmlor contact the Institute of Gerontology office at 706/425-3222.

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