Management of Diabetes and Hypertension in the Elderly Seminar
Contact: Kevin M. Sanders, writer/editor, at (740) 593-0896
ATHENS, Ohio (September 27, 2000) -- For seniors with diabetes or hypertension, choosing foods to eat can be difficult; medical nutrition therapy may help these seniors become more functional and improve the quality of their lives.
Francie Astrom, a nutrition counselor for Ohio University's Wellworks program, will present "Controversies and Considerations of Medical Nutrition Therapy in Management of Diabetes and Hypertension in the Elderly" from noon to 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2, at O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, Room B-9.
"When I first got into dietetics 25 years ago, people older than 70 weren't expected to change their diets," Astrom said. Doctors thought seniors were too old to start making diet changes that could improve their quality of life, she said.
Today, people are living longer than ever, and she said diet changes may help some diabetic and hypertensive seniors live longer and be more functional.
In her seminar, Astrom will discuss cases in which changes in diet, or medical nutrition therapy, may benefit the patient. She will also discuss the problems some medical professionals may have with the therapy if they apply a cookie-cutter strategy to prescribing changes.
Each patient is different, and health-care providers must look at functional abilities, age and the willingness of the person to change his or her lifestyle before prescribing a change in diet, Astrom said.
"If a man is 75 years old, is diabetic and has weighed 210 pounds for 30 years, he probably wouldn't go on a diet to lose weight," she said. "But we can help him choose foods that will regulate his blood sugar levels."
Health-care professionals and members of the public are invited to attend the seminar. Brown bags are welcome. For more information, call the Geriatric Education Center at (740) 593-2258.
This seminar is part of Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine's (OU-COM) fall 2000 continuing education series on geriatric medicine and gerontology. Seminars are held from noon to 1 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of each month at O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, Room B-9.
"The seminars are designed for an interdisciplinary audience," said Ellen Peterson, OU-COM's geriatric education coordinator. "Health professionals from the community regularly attend, in addition to interns, residents and medical students. Members of the public are welcome as well, and the diversity of disciplines represented by the participants makes for an interesting exchange of ideas."
Enrico Tan, D.P.M., will present "Common Foot and Nail Disorders in Older Individuals" Oct. 16. Nov. 6, Tracy Marx, D.O., will present "An Overview of Hospice Programs," and Nov. 20, Lea Blackburn will present "Multicultural Aging." Stephen Dinsmore, D.O., presented "Alzheimer's Pathophysiology and New Treatment Developments" Sept. 18.
Sponsors include the Department of Geriatric Medicine/Gerontology, the Geriatric Medicine Club and OU-COM.
Peterson said the seminar series was started by a federal grant that established OU-COM as a contributing site to the Western Reserve Geriatric Education Center in September 1994 and has supported many continuing education programs. Provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, the grant supports educational programs in geriatric and gerontology for physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors and health-care providers to 22 Southeastern Ohio counties.
