ATHENS, Ohio -- The spring series of the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine's Geriatric Education Brown Bag seminars continues March 18 with Steven Clay, D.O., Allison Barnett, and Sandy Rayburn presenting "Osteoporosis, Falls, Fractures & Rehabilitation." The seminar will be held from noon to 1 p.m. at O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, Room B-9.
The presentation will focus on the effects of osteoporosis -- the process of gradual bone loss -- in elderly patients. Osteoporosis affects more women than men: Women have less bone mass than men and begin to lose bone mass earlier and faster. Clay will discuss the most common fractures and how osteoporosis increases the likelihood that a fall will result in a fracture. Rayburn and Barnett will round out the seminar by discussing types of rehabilitation.
Health-care professionals are invited to attend the seminar. Brown bags are welcome. For more information, call the Geriatric Education Center at (740) 593-2258. Each lecture in this series of geriatric medicine/gerontology seminars is 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, R.N., OU-COM geriatric education coordinator. "Health professionals from the community regularly attend, in addition to interns, residents and medical students. The diversity of disciplines represented by the participants makes for an interesting exchange of ideas."
The series will continue on April 1, when Sarah McGrew will present "OA Update: Screening and Self-Management." On April 15, Jerry Wilson, Pharm. D., will present "Deep Vein Thrombosis." The final two presentations of the spring series will be "Nutrition in the Elderly" by Barbara Nakanishi May 6 and "Elder Abuse" presented May 20 by Wayne Carlsen, D.O.; Gillian Ice, Ph.D.; and Barbara Pfeiffer, R.N.
The sponsors of the seminars include the Department of Geriatric Medicine/Gerontology, the Western Reserve Geriatric Education Center and Area Health Education Center 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 geriatrics and gerontology for physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors and health-care providers to 22 Southeastern Ohio counties.
