51Ʒ��

Maine’s population continues to grow older at one of the fastest rates in the country. With our state’s aging population continuing to grow, it is critical that Maine’s health care practitioners remain at the forefront of care for older adults.

The 51Ʒ��’s Department of Geriatric Medicine and the Maine Gerontological Society presented the 26^th Annual Maine Geriatrics Conference:  “Where Policy Meets Practice” in Bar Harbor, Maine June 2 – 3, 2016.

The Conference provided a venue for hundreds of health practitioners and care providers to come together to nurture idea sharing, educational inquiry and develop or support care strategies affecting older adults in all care settings. Senator Susan Collins delivered comments via video message in support of the work that the attendees are doing in the field of aging for Maine. “Working together we are creating a shared vision for aging that is centered on health, security and support,” she told attendees. “Thank you for your dedication to this important cause.”

This year, thanks to a $2,000 grant from the Maine Health Access Foundation, the conference included older adults who are working toward creating age-friendly communities. Eighteen people who are either retired health providers or care about aging in their towns contributed their thoughts and experiences during conference sessions.