2012: European year of active ageing

After the 940/2011 resolution of the EC Parliament, it's official that 2012 is the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. A chance for all of us to reflect on how Europeans are living longer and staying healthier than ever before — and to realise the opportunities that represents.

The European Year seeks to raise awareness of the issues and the best ways of dealing with them. But most of all it seeks to encourage all policymakers and stakeholders to set themselves goals and take action to meet them. 2012 should go beyond debating; it should start bringing tangible results

For further information you can check ec.europa.eu/social/ey2012.jsp

Relaciones sociales y envejecimiento saludable

The social relationships of the elderly are a basic resource in order to age in an active and healthty way. This book puts the centrality of this topic in context with the social participation processes of the elderly, and recommends some guidelines and habits that help develop social relationships in daily life. More information in the publications section of this site.

IAGG Intensive Course on Ageing

The Intensive course on ageing was held in the Institut de l'Envelliment on the 30th of June and 1st of July, and was organised through the auspices of the IAGG. 160 participants and 20 speakers from 41 countries attended the two-day event and were able to benefit from international speakers' knowledge on issues such as Alzheimer's disease, nutrition and ageing, frailty and metabolic and cardiovascular diseases

The course was coordinated byr Bruno Vellas, president of the IAGG and director of the Gerontopôle in Toulouse and Antoni Salvà, director of the Institut de l'Envelliment. The course directors were Jaime Fitten (UCLA), Norah Keating (University of Alberta and Chair of the IAGG North American region y Alain Sinclair (University of Berdfordshire).

The next Intensive Course on Ageing will take place on June 21-22, 2012 at the same place in Barcelona. More news will be disseminated within the next few months.

May is Older Americans Month

When Older Americans Month was established in 1963, only 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthdays. About a third of older Americans lived in poverty and there were few programs to meet their needs. Interest in older Americans and their concerns was growing, however. In April of 1963, President John F. Kennedy's meeting with the National Council of Senior Citizens served as a prelude to designating May as "Senior Citizens Month."

Thanks to President Jimmy Carter's 1980 designation, what was once called Senior Citizens Month, is now called "Older Americans Month," and has become a tradition.

This year the theme is Older americans: connecting the community

More information in the website: www.olderamericansmonth.org

The Ministry of Science and Innovation has acredited the Institute of Biomedical Research Sant Pau, to which the Institut de l'Envelliment belongs, as a Health Research Institute, according to de minister's order of march the 7th.

More information about IIB-Sant pau en the website www.iib-santpau.cat

IAGG 1st Intensive course on ageing

An international "Intensive Course on Ageing" will be organized under the auspices of the IAGG. It will be held from 30th June to 1st July, 2011 in Barcelona, Spain.The main features will be: Alzheimer’s disease: from basic science to quality of life, Frailty, Nutrition and Ageing, Metabolic and Cardiovascular diseases.

The course is aimed at professionals, researchers and students related to ageing. Oral presentations will have a 30 minute duration and workshops will be 60 minutes long.

For more information you can check the course website.

Participation of the Institut de l'Envelliment in the II FESNAD Congress

From the 2nd to the 5th of March it was held in the Palau de Congresos de Catalunya the II Congreso de la Federación Española de Sociedades de Nutrición, Alimentación y Dietética. Antoni Salvà, director of the Institut de l'Envelliment, Antoni Salvà, took part in the round table Nutrición en geriatría with the paper Fisiología del envejecimiento desde una perspectiva nutricional: Influencia de la dieta y el estilo de vida.

Course within the John Hopkins Fall Institute in Health Policy and Medical Care

The John Hopkins Medical Institution and the Hospital del Mar, in collaboration with the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra organize the first John Hopkins Fall Institute in Health Policy and Medical Care. Within this frame the course Care of the fragile patient was held, with the presence of drs. dres. Thomas Finucane, Anton M. Cervera y Antoni Salvà as teachers.

Agreement with the College of Physiotherapists of Catalonia

On the 30th of September, Antoni Salva, irector of the Institute of Aging, and the Dean of the College of Physiotherapists of Catalonia, Francesc Escarmís, signed an agreement whereby both parties agree to work together to "promote actions to improve population health" and "develop research projects in the field of medical care." In this sense,a second collaboration agreement was signed, in which both parties agree to jointly conduct the research project "Alterations of progress in different subtypes of dementia", a study whose primary objective is to evaluate the prevalence of deterioration of physical function and progress in different subtypes of dementia of mild to moderate severity. "

III XarxAlzheimer workshop

On September 23rd, it took place in Casa Convalescència the third XarxAlzheimer workshop, being part of the acts commemorating Alzheimer's world day. The numerous audience, coming all around from Catalonia, was able to hear the different presentations that showed the latest advances in the field of dementias.

September 23rd: III XarxAlzheimer workshop

The 23rd of September will take place in Casa Convalescencia the third XarxAlzheimer workshop. During the event presentations will be held on topics related to research on Alzheimer's disease. The workshop is free, early applications will be given preference.

Download programme (in catalan)

Participation of the Institute in the 19th World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics

The 19th World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics was held the last 5th to 9th of July in Paris, organised by the IAGG (International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics). The Institute was present with a number of posters and proceedings, which can be consulted in the documents section of this website.

Presentation of the book Informació i consells per promoure l'activitat física en les persones grans

On the 2nd of july it was held in the Ateneu Barcelonès the presentation of the book Informació i consells per promoure l'activitat física en les persones grans, edited by the Fundació Agrupació Mútua, in collaboration with the Institut de l'Envelliment de l' UAB. Laura Coll, one of the authors, gave a speech about the importance of physical exercise in the elderly.

More information in the informative publications section

Participation of the Institut de l'Envelliment in the 51st Congress of the Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología

The past 4th,5th and 6th of June, it was held in Bilbao the 51st congress of the Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología. 4 members of the Institute participated with several papers and posters. The EMERCOIR project won the "VII Premio de Investigación" of the Society. The poster Personas Mayores: imagenes y voces en acción (VIVA), by Pérez-Salanova, M., Arenas, S., Gonzàlez, T., Martínez, R. won the best poster award.

Registrations are open for the UAB Master in aging and long-term-care

The new master in Aging and long-term-care wants to offer the knowledge and skills needed to design and organise services and policies for the dependent people, as well as an adequate assessment of the needs of the elderly derived from their situation of dependency, always bearing in mind a biopsychosocial focus that gives an integral view of the person. The recent approval of the spanish Law of dependence is an opportunity as well as a challenge for the development of long term care services, for public bodies as well as for public and private service providers.

More information at the training section.

Anemia is associated with the brain damage in older adults with high blood pressure

Anemia is common in older people, and is an independent risk factor for cognitive and physical dysfunctions, disability and mortality. The mechanisms through which anemia causes these consequences are not yet fully understood. On the other hand, chronic brain damage caused by reduced blood flow thorugh the small cerebral arteries, is also common in the elderly, especially with high blood pressure, and has a negative impact on cognitive and physical functions and on the activities of daily living. Dr Marco Inzitari, currently researcher at the Institute on Aging of the UAB (Autonomous University of Barcelona), in collaboration with colleagues of the University of Pittsburgh, USA, has demonstrated for the first time that older adults with high blood pressure and anemia have a higher risk of worsening chronic ischemic brain damage, which was detected using Magnetic Ressonance, compared to people without anemia. The results of this study, which took place in four USA communities participating in the Cardiovascular Health Stuy, have been published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society last september. If these results were confirmed by further studies, they could have a relevant clinical impact, as anemia is a possibily treatable condition.

Link to the article

Memory loss: main fear of the elderly

As can be inferred from the study conducted by Mutuam with support from the Aging Institute of the UAB, the main fears of the elderly are related to loss of autonomy and cognitive functions. The study has been conducted in a group of people aged 65 and older, living in the community and who are users of Mutuam centers.

More information at Diario Médico

Interrai conference

The 31st October it was held in Casa Convalescència the conference State of the art in geriatric assessment technology, organised jointly by the Institut de l'Envelliment, the Hospital General de Granollers an InterRai Spain. The audience was able to gather and share experiences and knowledge about integral assessment systems, with the participation of scientific members of InterRai.

Subtle neurological abnormalities predict adverse health outcomes in healthy older adults

Subtle neurological abnormalities as reduced reflexes or disequilibrium in apparently healthy older adults are independent risk factors for cognitive and functional decline, hospitalizations for cerebrovascular events and death. The study was published in the June 23 2008 issue of the American journal Archives of Internal Medicine by Marco Inzitari, currently working here at the Institute on Aging of the UAB, and colleagues from the University of Florence, Italy, and is accompanied by an editorial by Dr Malaz Boustani of the Regenstrief Institute Inc., Indianapolis.

Link to the article

Link to the editorial

Article in the New York Times

The article in the news

Publication of the book Informació i consells per a la prevenció de la dependència

Fundació Agrupació Mútia, in collaboration with the Institut de l'Envelliment de l'UAB, have produced this divulgative book, directed to the elderly. It includes general information about dependence, tips to improve personal autonomy and explains the Ley de promoción de la autonomía personal y atención a las personas en situación de dependencia.

InterRAI conference in Barcelona

On October 31st it will be held the conference State of the art in geriatric assessment technology, in Casa Convalescència, organised jointly by the Institut de l'Envelliment, the Hospital General de Granollers an InterRai Spain. It is aimed at professionals who work in the field of the attention to the elderly and/or the disabled, who will be able to gather and share experiences and knowledge about integral assessment systems. With the participation of scientific members of InterRai.
Simlultaneous interpretation will be available.

Download brochure and inscription sheet

More information at www.interrai-es.org

Constitution of the Comité InterRAI España

By virtue of the agreement signed between the Institut de l'Envelliment de la UAB, the Fundació Hospital Asil de Granollers and InterRAI, on 3rd April the Comité InterRAIi España was constituted. The commitee will follow up and propose the work lines in order to improve the knowledge of the Rai family of instruments in Spain.

InterRAI is a collaborative network of researchers in over 20 countries committed to improving health care for persons who are elderly, frail, or disabled. Its goal is to promote evidence-based clinical practice and policy decisions through the collection and interpretation of high quality data about the characteristics and outcomes of persons served across a variety of health and social services settings.

More information at www.interrai-es.org

IV International Course on Geriatrics

This fourth edition of the International Course in Geriatric Medicine once again brings together professors from the USA and Europe to provide updates based on a review of each of the selected themes, to which they bring their own professional experience. This course again involves the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Toulouse, the Autonomous University of Barcelona and Britain's Luton University. The course is aimed at geriatric doctors, family doctors, internists and doctors from other specialities where older people are frequently treated

More information in the Training and learning section

Publication of the book: Evolución del proceso de envejecimiento de la población española y análisis de sus determinantes
This book, published by Fundación Pfizer is an analysis of the health status of the spanish population, through health habits and its evolution. Life styles and the most prominent aspects of the health system are assessed, comparing the evolution of the most frequent pathologies and the transformation of the life habits by age groups, analysing national health surveys.

Link: More publications by the Institut

Agreement to create the InterRai Spain committee

The Institut de l'Envelliment de l'UAB has signed an agreement with InterRai and the Fundació Hospital Asil de Granollers to create the InterRai Spain Comittee and to work together in all the aspects related to InterRai, including action coordination, research activity and all the InterRai instruments and products.

Agreement between the Institut de l'Envelliment and the Fundació Hospital Asil de Granollers

The Fundació Hospital Asil de Granollers and the Institut de l'Envelliment de l'UAB have signed an agreement to carry out research and training projects in the long term care field.

Signature of an agreement with the Fundació Hospital de Sant Jaume de Manlleu

The Institut de l'Envelliment de l'UAB has signed an agreement with Fundació Hospital de Sant Jaume de Manlleu in order to create a collaboration platform to carry out research and training projects in the long-term-care field.

Gerontonet is an european network clinical and research centers related to aging and the elderly. The 13th and 14th December the second meeting of this network was held in Casa Convalescència, with participants from all around Europe and the presence of Renato Guimaraes, president of the IAGG (International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics). During the scientific sessions several research proposals were discusses, specially about frailty and sarcopenia in the elderly)

Article published in Revista econòmica de Catalunya

As you can see in the publication section of this website, in the issue 56 of Revista econòmica de Catalunya has appeared an article by Mercè Pérez Salanova, Toni Rivero and Antoni Salvà entitled "La Llei 39/2006 i l'envelliment : un repte social i econòmic".

The Institut, present at the Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Española de Neurología

The Institut de l'Envelliment was present in the yearly reunion of the Spanish Neurology Society, which was held in Barcelona. Three posters related to quality of life, disability and cognitive training for Alzheimer disease. You can read the abstracts in the Posters, communications and proceedings section.

International Ministerial Conference on Ageing

Within the framework of the UNECE Ministerial Conference on Ageing, a civil society forum was held, with participation of Institut members Antoni Salvà and Mercè Pérez Salanova. The Conference is organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and took place the 6th to 8th November 2007 in León (Spain).

More information in the Imserso web site and in the final declaration of the conference

Series of talks about aging in the Casal de Jubilats de Cardedeu

This series of talks is about what happens during the aging process, what does dependency mean, and how can it be prevented and improve autonomy. There will be special attencion towards 4 topics which are of interest for many elderly people: memory loss, urinary incontinence, falls and healthy nutrition. The talks are open to everyone without inscription.

For more information or if you are interested in offering the complete series or a specific talk contact Laura Coll (93 446 45 06, email: laura.coll@uab.cat)

Presence of the Institute in the IAG European Congress

The Aging Institute was present in the IV European Congress of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, where 4 communications were presented, related to disability assessment, nutrition, dementia and social participation, the abstracts can be read in the Posters, communications and proceedings section.

Third edition of the International course on geriatric medicine

The 28th, 29th and 30th June 2007 it took place the third edition of the International Course on Geriatric Medicine, organized in collaboration with the University of California-The Angels (UCLA), the Université de Toulouse, the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona and the University of Luton.

Revised version of the BVD published

The latest revision of the Baremo de Valoración de la Dependencia has been published, in the Imserso website you can download the instrument and the corresponding user's manual.

Presentation of the study Qualitat de vida de les persones grans a Catalunya

The 7th of February it was held the workshop "QUALITAT DE VIDA, una Perspectiva Internacional" organised by the Fundació Viure i Conviure of the Obra Social de Caixa Catalunya. Drs Antoni Salvà and Ramona Lucas presented the study Quality of life of the elderly in Catalonia. Nearly 300 people attended the act.

New corporate image

The Institute has adopted a new institutional image, with a new logo inspired in the oak, a tree which can age while still being tough and strong, from which a slice has ben taken which shows all its growth rings.