Grand Valley conference focuses on matters of the heart

The desire to stay young and young-at-heart ranks among the top concerns for most Americans. As the population ages, attention to heart health, intimacy and personal relationships are key to meeting that goal.

This goal is central to the fourth annual Gerontology Conference at Grand Valley State University, to be held February 20, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at Loosemore Auditorium in the DeVos Center, 401 W. Fulton St., on Grand Valley’s Pew Grand Rapids Campus. The theme for the conference is “Matters of the Heart.”

Dr. John Morley, an internationally respected geriatrician, founder and director of Saint Louis University’s Division of Geriatric Medicine and author of The Science of Staying Young, is the keynote speaker. Other speakers will be featured including Richard F. McNamara, chief of the Division of Cardiology and medical director of Cardiology Services at Spectrum, who will address the future of heart health care in Grand Rapids.

Sessions following Morley’s address will focus on the physical, emotional, mental and social aspects of heart health for the older adult. Topics include losses and loves, women’s sexuality, caregiving, end of  life communication, social support and even a ballroom dancing demonstration. Grand Valley students will also present poster sessions displaying their research on the topics related to matters of the heart.

“This conference builds on the successes and lessons of prior years, and continues to offer a rich array of presentations drawing on the aging-related research and best practice of our presenters,” said Priscilla Kimboko, dean of Graduate Studies and Grants Administration at Grand Valley.

The conference, in partnership with the Geriatric Education Center of Michigan, housed at the MSU College of Human Medicine, is open to the public and costs $20 ($15 for students and senior citizens), which will cover a box lunch. For more details and to register online, visit www.gvsu.edu/gsga. Printed registration forms can also be obtained by calling (616) 331-7105.

More on  Morley:
Morley completed his medical degree at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1972. After completing his internal medicine residency in South Africa he did a fellowship in endocrinology at UCLA. He was a staff endocrinologist at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and the University of Minnesota. In 1985, he became director of the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center at Sepulveda VA Medical Center and a professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Morley is board certified in internal medicine, endocrinology and geriatric medicine. He has edited more than 20 books and his most recent book, The Science of Staying Young, was published in 2008. He has served on the editorial boards of nine journals and has received numerous awards for his research in gerontology.