ITHACA, NY—The spring portion of the Ithaca College Gerontology Institute Workshop Series will conclude with programs on foot health on April 18 and pain management on May 2.

 

Sponsored by the Gerontology Institute and the Division of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions, the workshops offer an affordable, local opportunity for continuing professional education. The sessions run from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Longview auditorium, 1 Bella Vista Drive, Ithaca. Advance registration is requested and is on a first-come, first-served basis. The fee is $20 per workshop; for people over 60 years of age and retired, the cost is $12 per workshop. To register, visit www.ithaca.edu/agingworkshop.

 

Additional information on registration and continuing education credits is available by calling (607) 274-3143. For information on the content of the workshops, contact the Gerontology Institute at (607) 274-1967.

 

The workshops are:

Smita Rao, scholar-in-residence at the Department of Physical Therapy’s Rochester Center, will give a presentation designed to increase awareness about foot health across the lifespan. Participants will learn to appreciate the demands placed on the foot during everyday activities, recognize risk factors that may predispose older adults to potentially disabling foot and ankle conditions, plan and implement appropriate assessments and interventions, provide patient education and facilitate collaborative clinical decision making.

 

Up to 80 percent of nursing home residents have pain that contributes to functional impairment and decreased quality of life. Lynda Dimitroff, lecturer at the Department of Physical Therapy’s Rochester Center, will review recent research and statistics on pain management in long term care. Attendees will learn the importance of developing an effective, comprehensive pain assessment and management plan. Mikki Megivern, director of patient services at Hospicare of Tompkins County, will also outline a comfort care collaboration with Lakeside Nursing & Rehabilitation Center to train staff on how to recognize, report and manage pain.