National Conference on Aging on October 27 & 28, 2009 with the theme of “Promoting Wellness, Improving Quality of Life of Older Persons” in which I have attended. I found this conference interesting even if we have taken up this topic (Geriatrics) as a major subject in nursing. Of course to learn and to gain more knowledge from the speakers. As my teacher says “We do not stop learning, that’s why we learn something new every day because learning is a continuous process, you teach and you learn something at the same time”.
1st Day
On my first day in the national conference they talk about Facts and Myths about aging, Immunization, healthy Nutrition, Exercise Guidelines, Risk Management/ Lifestyle Modification, Applying Principles of Comprehensive Assessment of the Elderly, Interpretation of laboratory/ diagnostic outcomes, Current Laws/ Policies on the Elderly, and Maintaining Quality of Life: Recognizing Emotional, Spiritual & Psychosocial needs.
With all of these things discussed I have realized that we are the primary caregivers among the elderly, the family members. Even if we are not doctor or nurse in profession as long as we love our elderly, we are significant others of the elderly, then we should take care of them more than the caregivers do in nursing homes. They say “What you say is what you are”, so if you tell yourself that “I can do it” then you can do it.
2nd Day
On my second day in the national conference they talk about Wet clinic and Skills Demonstration on Bed Positioning, Stoma Care, Use of Assistive Devices, Mobility Transfers, Preventing Falls, and Rational Drug use.
The second day’s topic was very useful, especially for those who have elderly in their homes. Because they will know the ideal care, ideal assistive device to be used, ideal stoma care, ideal bed positioning and ect.. With this conference the mortality of the elderly will decrease due to the knowledge shared by the speakers. The elderly will live long life because the risk for fall will decrease and proper care for the elderly will be implemented.
Over all I can say that the conference was successful because for me, myself, I learned something new that I did not encounter in our lessons. If this conference will continue all throughout the country maybe there will be more numbers of elderly when time comes. And if that time comes there will be more number of our population.
ChrisBonism 