AARP Honored by UAB for Aging Conferences

AARP Alabama is the recipient of The University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Aging 2011 New Horizons Award. AARP was selected for this award in recognition of the organization’s co-sponsorship of the Center’s Public Policy and Aging Conferences over the last four years. The honor is given annually to a not-for-profit organization that provides programs to enhance the health or well-being of retired persons in Alabama.

Richard M. Allman, M.D., who heads the UAB Center for Aging, said, “AARP is a critical partner for the Center’s work. We are glad to be able to recognize their commitment with this award and look forward to continuing to work together to improving the lives of those we serve.”
 
The four conferences have brought together leading experts from across the United States with key Alabama stakeholders to discuss and develop action plans to address ways to improve the health and well-being of older Alabamians. More than 400 academics, elected officials, health care professionals, interested individuals and others who serve the needs of the 50+ population have benefited from these meetings. The topics addressed in these sessions have included the need for a geriatric healthcare workforce, the nationwide nursing shortage and its impact on patients and patient care, the effects of the economic crisis on the well-being of older adults and hunger among older adults.
    
The UAB Center for Aging is an interdisciplinary community of more than 200 faculty members that promotes the health and well-being of older adults and their families through research, education, community programs, and specialized care. The Center’s vision is to be a world leader in creating and using knowledge that will optimize function, enhance management of illness and reduce health disparities among older adults.