Course organiser:Peter Moody
Presenter:Various
As we grow older life becomes more fragile and our health can decline rapidly. This course is designed to help us avoid some of the pitfalls so that we might age gracefully.
6 Apr:
Ben Harris, Registered Medical Laboratory Scientist at Southern Community Laboratories, on 'Are Bacteria Our Enemies?'Plagues justifiably induce in us a natural fear of all bacteria, but public health measures, vaccinations and clean water have largely neutralised plagues. Now we should fear too few bacteria, too many antibiotics and being too clean – ‘an epidemic of depletion’. This can lead to debilitation of our health.
13 Apr:
Leigh O'Brien, president of the Christchurch branch of Dietitians New Zealand and chair of the Dietitians Network – Canterbury, on 'Eating Well - Ageing Well'.As we age our body changes and so does what we need to maintain good health. In NZ many older adults are missing out on key nutrients to support healthy ageing. Are you one of them? This talk is about making small changes that can make a big difference in maintaining independence and enjoyment for life.
20 Apr:
Dr. Scott Pearson, Clinical Director, Emergency Department, Christchurch Hospital on 'The Emergency Dept. (ED) - What Is It and What Do We Do?'The ED is the front door of the hospital. 94,000 people come to the ED each year and it's growing by around 3% per annum. Therefore, an individual in Canterbury can expect to pay it a visit there once every 5 years. Scott will describe emergency medicine, what happens when you arrive... and why.
He will also explain why he is still passionate about delivering high quality emergency care to people.
27 Apr:
Dr. Brian Deavoll, Consultant Psychiatrist, Clinical Director of Older Persons' Mental Health CDHB, on 'What Do We Really Know About Prevention of Mental Health Disorders in Old Age?'Advancing years can be afflicted with loneliness, substance dependency, depression and dementia. How can we maintain a healthy mental state? Brian will provide us with positive advice gleaned from his experience treating mental health problems in the elderly.
4 May:
Richard Sainsbury, Emeritus Professor, Health Care of the Elderly, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, on 'Adding Life To Your Years'.A Google search of "Anti-ageing" produces 227,000 hits. Huge amounts of time and money are expended on trying to find the elixir of life or defying ageing. Much of this is driven by consumerism and a youth culture. Maintenance of function and quality of life should be the aims of health care in old age, not life extension or futile attempts to prevent ageing. This talk will discuss some of the ways we can try to add "life to our years".