This presentation was last reviewed on August 17, 2023, and broadcast live online on April 21, 2021, from 12:00 PM- 1:00 PM ET. 

In the United States, many people experience potentially traumatic events across the life course, and some people experience long-term negative impacts from those events that affect the ways they engage with others and the care system. Given the high rates of trauma in the population, it is reasonable to believe that the older adults for which we provide care will also have high rates of trauma about which providers may or may not be aware. Trauma informed care is a system wide approach to care that aims to reduce re-traumatization and make health and social services more accessible to people who have past traumatic experiences. This presentation will cover risk factors for trauma in older adults, possible presentations of the effects of trauma, ways that individual providers and systems can become more trauma informed, and the differences between trauma informed care and trauma treatment.

This presentation was originally reviewed on December 13, 2023, and broadcast live online on December 15, 2023, from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET.

This presentation was originally reviewed on April 19, 2022, and broadcast live online on April 20, 2022, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET.

Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) was among the most admired and influential performing artists of the 20th century, with an approach to rhythm and phrasing that left a deep and lasting impression on all popular singers to follow. At the same time, his public persona and private life were among the most controversial of public figures. This presentation will use images, audio, and video clips to illustrate Mr. Sinatra’s professional journey across six decades, including examination of his lifelong alcohol use and periods of despondency and suicidality. We will pay special attention to how he dealt with his own aging process, including how he continued to tour in concert well into the progressive dementia that would eventually end his career. His story holds rich implications for considering the creative resilience potential in aging, and for the limitations to such resilience posed by illness and functional impairment.

Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) refers to a group of non-cognitive symptoms and behaviors that occur commonly in patients with dementia. They result from a complex interplay between various biological, psychological and social factors involved in the disease process. BPSD is associated with increased caregiver burden, institutionalization, a more rapid decline in cognition and function and overall poorer quality of life. It also adds to the direct and indirect costs of caring for patients with dementia. Available data indicate efficacy for some non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatment modalities for BPSD. However, recently the use of psychotropic medications for the treatment of BPSD has generated controversy due to increased recognition of their serious adverse effects.

This presentation was originally reviewed on May 3, 2023, and broadcast live online on May 3, 2023, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET.

Depressive and anxiety disorders are the most prevalent treatable mental disorders in older adults. Recovery from these disorders can occur in almost all patients and makes a dramatic difference in their level of functioning and quality of life. The proportion of older Americans being treated with an antidepressant (19%) has more than sextupled over the past two decades. However, most older patients do not appear to benefit from their antidepressant treatment. This lecture will review the evidence supporting the efficacy and the risks of antidepressant and other psychotropic medications in older adults. It will address some of the major issues that impede pharmacotherapy in older adults. Based on the substantial knowledge accumulated during the last three decades, this lecture will present a practical approach to overcome these clinical problems and maximize the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy when treating older patient with depressive and anxiety disorders.

This presentation was originally reviewed on April 28, 2022, and broadcast live online on April 29, 2022, from 9:00 AM - 12:15 PM ET.