Eighty is NOT the new sixty. With aging, the benefits and risks of treatment change, as does what’s important and meaningful to us. If we and our health care providers are not thoughtful about the bigger picture, something that feels as simple as a screening blood test can result in unnecessary or even harmful treatment. When facing heart disease, infection, or cancer becomes the critical question, do we undertake every possible intervention or finally consider palliative care or hospice? Dr. Leipzig will discuss the medical evidence as applied to older adults and provide a framework for how to think about these dilemmas, make decisions, and discuss choices with providers and family. The goal is to find medical care that is more helpful, less burdensome, and better aligned with a personal definition of health.
Rosanne Leipzig is an internationally recognized leader in the field of geriatrics and has received numerous awards for her work, including the Dennis W. Jahnigen Memorial Award from the American Geriatrics Society, the Brookdale National Fellowship in Geriatric Medicine, and the Paula Ettelbrick Community Service Award from Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders. She has also received the Jacobi Medallion, one of the highest honors from the Mount Sinai Health System. She has appeared on The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning and Evening News and has been published in TIME, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. Dr. Leipzig is editor-in-chief of Focus on Healthy Aging, a monthly newsletter, and has published over 100 articles and two groundbreaking books on geriatrics. She is currently writing about what to expect as we age, using her expertise to provide valuable guidance on managing the aging process.
Moderator: Gregory Hinrichson, Ph.D.
During 45 years in the field of aging, Greg Hinrichsen has provided clinical services, conducted research, directed psychology internship and fellowship programs, contributed to public policy, and had leadership roles in professional organizations. He was an American Psychological Association Congressional Fellow where he was responsible for the aging legislature portfolio in the office of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden. He is the former national director for Community Mental Health in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
