AGen 2015 - IAFOR Asian Conference on Aging & Gerontology 2015

The conference theme for AGen2015 is "Aging Transitions & Power", and the organizers encourage submissions that approach this theme from a variety of perspectives. However, the submission of other topics for consideration is welcome and we also encourage sessions within and across a variety of interdisciplinary and theoretical perspectives.
Submissions are organized in to the following thematic streams:
Information as Power
Education as Power
Technology as Power
Information as Power
Crisis, misperceptions and poor policy development emerge from a lack of reliable information. Access to information is key to understanding the implications of the growing population of elderly; both in terms of what challenges they present to a society and in terms of what opportunities they may offer. Information is Data, without reliable survey data, administrative data, economic data and other forms of data streams we cannot make informed decisions and we cannot accurately describe the landscape of an aged population. A workshop that addresses data issues would be of huge value to a cross section of researchers, business professionals, advocates and policy professionals.
a. What data resources exist and how can these data be obtained and used for answering questions.
b. How do we share these data? In a world of Big Data how do we best ensure that people have access to data resources that will answer essential questions.
c. What data resources need to be obtained in the future; who will decide what needs to be collected and how will these efforts be funded?
Education as Power
Most misconceptions and stereotypes regarding aged populations are the result of a lack of education regarding the aging lifecourse and natural changes that occur as one grows older. Using data to answer questions about the changing population structure of nations and the world is pointless unless we can also use this information to effectively educate people about the aging lifecourse.
a. Teaching and Research: How do we educate our students, faculty and health providers about the aged? What courses do we need, what training do we encourage and how do we integrate gerontology into the educational system across nations. Increasingly, we see gerontological centers emerging in nations such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. This argues there is an interest in expanding these efforts.
b. Advocating: Creating stakeholders who advocate for the aged at the community and governmental level is essential for generating a successful and supportive environment for the aged. What educational materials, training tools and certification courses could be created to ensure the aged have sufficient levels of advocacy to maximize their potential within their own communities?
c. Business and Service Provision: The private sector can and will play a vital role in creating vibrant business opportunities that will support the needs of the aged and the people who help them achieve their needs and goals. Education is key here, people need to be informed how the private sector can provide essential services and the private sector need to be educated as to the needs of this population. Both sides need to understand each other to avoid the risks of exploitation or the creation of unnecessary products.
Technology as Power
Using data to understand the patterns and needs of the aged and to anticipate future trends allows us to generate educational tools to best employ this knowledge in a systematic manner. Finally, we need to explore the ability of technology to help the aged maintain independence and a sense of autonomy as they transition through the force of morbidity that defines the lifecourse.
a. What tools and adaptive devices can help the aged maintain autonomy and independence? What are the practical trends in technological development, such as pill dispensers, tools to help jog the memory and track activities, and devices to make homes safer and more elder friendly?
b. What are the medical technologies that will change the lives of the aged? This includes diagnostics, medications, palliative care and tools to process and summarize medical care data.
c. What is the future? What technologies may evolve in the future to completely change the way we look at aging, and the aging lifecourse? Robotics, self-driving cars, communication, telemedicine; all of these issues can be discussed and a session on pure speculation of what “could” emerge would be quite popular.