Elder Law Colloquium: The Aging Population, Alzheimer’s, and Other Dementias: Law and Public Policy

An Elder Law Colloquium,The Aging Population, Alzheimer’s, and Other Dementias: Law and Public Policy is being held at the University of Iowa College of Law during the 2012 spring semester. The Colloquium is addressing important legal and public policy issues posed by the rapidly aging population and the dramatic rise in the prevalence of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and it is featuring nationally recognized legal and public policy experts from around the country. The thirteen weekly Colloquium sessions are being live streamed via the internet and video and podcasts of Colloquium sessions are being made available online.

Among the legal and public policy issues that the Colloquium will address are issues related to substitute, or surrogate, decision making for older persons with diminished decision-making capacity due to dementia or other causes.  There will be sessions on clinical and legal approaches   to assessment of diminished capacity, adult guardianship, health care advance planning and advance directives and powers of attorney. There also will be sessions on the impact of dementia on ability to handle everyday financial affairs and financial exploitation of the elderly, particularly those with dementia. In addition there will be sessions on the financing, organization and provision of long term care.

The website of the National Health Law and Policy Resource Center at the College of Law http://www.uiowa.edu/~law-nhlp/ has more detailed information about the Colloquium. It contains instructions for live viewing of Colloquium sessions well as information about accessing videos and podcasts of sessions. You also may contact Professor Josephine Gittler (josephine-gittler@uiowa.edu) for further information about the Colloquium.