November 1998

Related Links Center for Health Policy and Ethics

Symposium on Aging Communities Features State Senator Virginia state senator Jane Woods is the guest speaker at the third invitation only symposium hosted by Strengthening Systems of Care for Aging Communities, a public­private partnership focusing on health care issues of seniors in the Northern Virginia community. George Mason University is home to the project, which is a partnership between George Mason's Center for Health Policy and Ethics and Fairfax County's Care Network for Seniors. Funded by the Arlington Health Foundation, the $60,000 project was created to address the full range of long term care options for seniors, with an emphasis on services in the community. The third symposium, the last one this year, will be held Nov. 13 at George Mason's Fairfax Campus and will highlight the link between policy and practice. Woods is a member of the Senate's Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services and has a long history of interest in programs and services for the elderly. The symposia are designed to pair policy makers and practitioners in the area of elderly services to develop ongoing networks and systems of care, and to identify better community based operating practices. Dianne Kaseman, codirector of the project, says she hopes the prototype will spark networking among different service providers in search of ways to improve health care options for seniors. "At least we've laid the groundwork to show what is possible," she says. Previous meetings featured Robert Lauterberg, acting director of the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, in April, and Mary Wakefield, director of the Center for Health Policy and Ethics, in September. The project also will produce a study that compares quality of life for seniors living in nursing homes with that of seniors with similar disabilities living in the community. For more information, contact Robert Gehring, Gerontology, at x31879.