Note: For more information, please contact Kevin Sanders, writer/editor, at (740) 593-0896.

ATHENS, Ohio (March 31, 2000) -- Eating is a normal part of everyday life, but for many older adults suffering from dysphagia, consuming foods is a problem. Diagnoses, case descriptions and ways to treat the disease through speech therapy will be presented by Robert Manning, Ohio University speech therapy graduate student, during "Dysphagia: How can speech therapy help me?" on Monday, April 3. The seminar will be held at O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, Room B-9, from noon to 1 p.m.

Dysphagia, an abnormal swallowing reflex, is robbing many older adults of the quality of life by increasing the risk of choking, lung aspiration and even pneumonia according to Manning.

"I have seen older people withdraw socially," Manning said. "Eating is such a social event, especially for the elderly. Beyond that, the older person can lose a sense of dignity. Some older persons are no longer able to go out and eat or cannot take their medicines by mouth in a safe manner. Speech therapy helps older people consume foods safely through the aid of physiological and environmental changes."

Older adults as well as health-care professionals are invited to the program. Lunch trays and brown bags are welcome. For more information, call the Geriatric Education Center at (740) 593-2258.

The seminar is part of OU-COM's spring 2000 continuing education series on geriatric medicine and gerontology, held on the first and third Mondays of each month at O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, Room B-9, from noon to 1 p.m.

On April 17, Anthony Chila, D.O., will present "You're Never Too Old (for OMT!). William Duerfeldt, D.O., will discuss "Spirituality in Medicine" on May 1. "Sterotactic Breast Biopsy and Sentinal Node Biopsy" will be presented by Neal Nesbitt, M.D., on May 15, and on June 5, Brooke Hallowell, Ph.D., discusses "Enhancing Communication for Caregivers of Seniors with Dementia and Other Neurological Conditions."

"The seminars are designed for an interdisciplinary audience," said Ellen Peterson, 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."

Sponsors include the Department of Geriatric Medicine/Gerontology, the Ohio University Counselor Education Program, the Western Reserve Geriatric Education Center and Area Health Education Center, the Ohio University Counselor Education Program and the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (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.