Symposium addresses medical, legal issues facing the aging

The aging population faces a range of issues, from end-of-life care to estate planning.

At the 2nd Annual Symposium on Aging: Legal and Medical Perspectives on Oct. 28, 2017, Brandeis School of Law students and interested community members heard from a variety of professionals who work with aging issues.

The symposium was organized by the law school's Estate Planning and Elder Law Program.

"One of the best things was that we got different perspectives," said Professor Goldburn P. Maynard Jr., faculty liaison for the program.

Presenters and their topics were:

• Misty Vantrease, Kentucky ElderLaw PLLC: Elder law overview
• Angela Sheehan, Hosparus Inc.: Common challenges faced by medical professionals when working with the elderly
• Dr. Anna Faul and Dr. Joeseph D'Ambrosio, UofL's Institute for Sustainable Health and Optimal Aging: How to work with older adults

The topics covered were especially timely for Louisville, Maynard says. In 2016, Louisville was added to the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities. While many aging Louisvillians moved to warmer or drier climates in the past, more are now aging in place, meaning it's becoming more and more important for Louisville to be able to respond to the needs of older residents.