AAGP 2019 Annual Meeting Review

Engaging for Change in Geriatric Psychiatry: Report from the 2019 AAGP Annual Meeting
Karen Reimers, MD, FRCPC
Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota, USA

Key highlights:

• The 2019 AAGP Annual Meeting, with the theme of “Engage for Change: Preparing and Partnering for the Future of Geriatric Mental Health” was held from Friday, 1 March 2019 - Monday, 4 March 2019 at the Hilton Atlanta, Georgia.
• The meeting was a resounding success covering a range of topics, many related to policy and advocacy in geriatric psychiatry.
• IPA members are invited to attend the AAGP 2020 Annual Meeting: Translating Research Evidence into Clinical Geriatric Mental Healthcare, to be held at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas, US.

The 2019 AAGP Annual Meeting, with the theme of “Engage for Change: Preparing and Partnering for the Future of Geriatric Mental Health” was held from Friday, 1 March 2019 - Monday, 4 March 2019 at the Hilton Atlanta, Georgia. A special Full Day Event was also held on Thursday, 28 February 2019, which included a full-day practice workshop, “Understanding a Career in Geriatric Psychiatry, from the Basics to the Complex”. Further workshops and special sessions included a full day Geriatric Psychiatry Board Review Course, a Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Program Training Directors’ Workshop, and a Neuroscience Teaching Day.

Plenary sessions at the main meeting included a variety of topics, mostly with an advocacy and policy focus, including Physician Leadership in the Opioid Epidemic and Changes in Health Policy at the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Throughout the AAGP Annual Meeting, research of the AAGP membership was highlighted through many CME sessions, including New Research and a Late Breaking Poster Session. Presenters included several IPA members and other leaders in the field of dementia research. Presentations covered major mental disorders of late life, clinical pharmacotherapy and psychosocial treatments for late-life mental illness, age-related changes in pharmacologic response, behavioral interventions for managing agitation and other dementia-related behavioral issues, complementary treatment approaches, ethical issue such as advance directives and end-of-life care, culturally appropriate care to specific diverse populations, concepts of successful aging and quality of life, key issues in aging and mental health policy, applying the latest research methodologies and findings to clinical cases, and the role of caloric restriction in brain and neurodegenerative and vascular disorders, among many others.

The AAGP is proud of its robust member participation in supporting the AAGP Scholars Program, an opportunity for Psychiatry residents and medical students interested in a career working with older adults. Returning AAGP Honors Scholars and other early career members presented their work in oral presentations as well as a special Early Investigator Poster Session with Poster Rounds.

AAGP’s various committees, caucuses, and interest groups are the lifeblood of the organization and member participation is important step towards advocating for the future of the field and the health and care of geriatric patients. AAGP committees convening at the 2019 meeting included the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Caucus, the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Members Interest Group, Public Policy Caucus, Retirement Age Caucus, Teaching and Training Committee, and Women’s Interest Group, among others.

Overall the 2019 AAGP meeting in Atlanta was a resounding success. IPA members are encouraged to save the date for the 2020 Annual Meeting: Translating Research Evidence into Clinical Geriatric Mental Healthcare, to be held at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas from 13-16 March 2020.

For further reading:

• American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry website is https://www.aagponline.org
• Full 2019 AAGP Annual Meeting Program can be found here

Karen Reimers, MD, FRCPC is an adult psychiatrist with special interests in geriatric psychiatry, addictions, and capacity assessment. She enjoys teaching Psychiatry residents about clinical topics.