Cobb County aging summit puts senior issues out in open

Speaker: Dr. Gary Figiel, geriatric psychiatrist

Pre-registration required: 770-509-4900

Speaker: Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds

Pre-registration required: 770-528-5355

Speaker: Carol Howell, dementia specialist and life coach

Pre-registration required: 770-528-5355

SUMMIT AND EXPO

8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. May 2; Cobb Galleria Centre, 2 Galleria Parkway, Atlanta

Keynote speaker: Dr. William Cooper, cardiothoracic surgeon and director of cardiovascular surgery at Wellstar Health System.

What's there: Exhibitor booths on retirement, fitness, housing, transportation and more. Free screenings for blood glucose, cholesterol, BMI and more.

Admission: $5; pre-registration required with deadline of April 24. Register at any Cobb senior center or online at cobbseniors.org.

For more information: 770-528-5356 or email agingbydesign@cobbcounty.org

As director of Cobb County Senior Services, Jessica Gill knows that people have lots of questions and concerns about aging, but the topic seems to get shoved aside and even avoided in public discourse.

That’s not good when the age bracket of 85 to 100 is the fastest-growing population segment in the country, she says. With that in mind, Cobb is putting aging issues front and center with its second Aging by Design Summit and Expo planned for May 2. It won’t be just a one-day event either. Free seminars are planned — ranging from dementia to elder abuse to helping boomers stay well and healthy into retirement — beginning in March and continuing into the summer.

“We realize how many people are touched by aging, and we want to bring these issues out in the open,” Gill said. “A lot of people are already struggling. If we don’t start talking about these things now in time to prepare for an aging population, we’re going to have a major crisis on our hands.”

While Cobb County is hosting the event, which is sponsored by Wellstar Health System and the Atlanta Regional Commission, among others, it’s open to anyone interested in attending.

Gill said in the future she wants to coax other metro counties to participate in a joint event, because they all face similar problems in ensuring that adequate transportation, housing and other services are available to help seniors age in place.

“As the (elder) population explodes in size, so do the issues,” Gill said. “We felt like we needed to hold a big event to address them.”

Dr. William Cooper, cardiothoracic surgeon and director of cardiovascular surgery at WellStar Health System, will be keynote speaker at the Aging Summit. Cooper authored a book on heart disease and surviving a heart attack, and will speak on this topic, and other wellness issues such as preventive measures to help maintain health as you age.

Attendees will be able to get free health screenings and information on retirement planning, fitness, housing options, transportation and more from vendors.

While the main event is a couple of months away, a series of mini seminars will precede the summit, beginning March 3 with one covering dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

The March 3 session, “Dementia and Alzheimer’s — the Discussion Continues,” will led by geriatric psychiatrist Dr. Gary Figiel of the Southeastern Geriatric Healthcare Group. The session begins at 6:30 p.m. at the East Cobb Senior Center.

Figiel, a national expert on dementia, will answer questions and explain the difference between the various forms of dementia and the specific diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, which is an incurable neurological condition.

Dementia will also be the topic for a June 9 session on “Caregiving.” Carol Howell, a dementia specialist and life coach, will teach caregiving techniques for those caring for loved ones with dementia. The session will be held at the Cobb County Senior Wellness Center at 6:30 p.m.

In an April seminar, Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds will address elder abuse. Reynolds, who chairs the Cobb County Elder Abuse Task Force, will give an overview of elder abuse and discuss the different types of financial, emotional and physical exploitation. The session is at 6:30 p.m. April 21 in the Cobb County Board of Commissioners meeting room.

“There’s a lot of interest in this topic. Elder abuse is so underreported. People don’t realize what it is and that they can report it,” Gill said.

For more information about Aging by Design 2015, email questions to agingbydesign@cobbcounty.org, or call 770-528-5356.