Comorbidities as Risk Factors for Severe Disease in Hospitalized Elderly COVID-19 Patients by Different Age-Groups in Japan

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Old age is an independent risk factor (RF) for severe COVID-19; evidence for clinico-epidemiological characteristics among elderly COVID-19 patients is scarce. We aimed to analyze clinical and epidemiological characteristics and comorbidities associated with COVID-19 inpatients in age-stratified populations of an elderly COVID-19 cohort. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We conducted a retrospective cohort study, using nationwide registry data of COVID-19 patients hospitalized before October 31, 2020 (major information entered in the registry as of December 28, 2020). Participants were divided by age according to the Japan Geriatrics Society and the Japan Gerontological Society: pre-old (65–74 years), old (75–89 years), and super-old (≥90 years). Multivariable logistic regression (MLR) analyses were conducted to identify stratified risk and relationships with comorbidities associated with worse outcomes in different age-groups of elderly patients. Demographics and supportive care were evaluated by category. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Data of 4,701 patients from 444 hospitals were included. Most patients (79.3%) had at least one comorbidity; the proportion of patients with hypertension was high in all categories. The proportion of patients with dementia, cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease increased with age. The percentage of patients who underwent invasive mechanical ventilation/extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was lower in the super-old group. In total, 11.5% of patients died (5.3%, pre-old; 15.2%, old; and 22.4%, super-old). MLR showed that the risk of critical illness differed among age-groups. Male sex was a significant RF in all ages. Collagen disease, moderate to severe renal disorder, and dialysis were significant RFs in older patients, while hematological malignancies and metastatic tumors were more important RFs for severe disease in relatively younger patients. Most of the RFs for critical illnesses were associated with death. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Differences in the epidemiological and clinical characteristics among the different age-groups were found.

Presidential Symposium: From Global to Local: An Age-Inclusive and Rights-Based Approach to Gerontological Education

In June 2020, the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) joined in solidarity in the movement to condemn the entrenched racism undermining American society and build upon a gero-rich international historical base of supporting human rights. However, as gerontological educators, we need to expand on the conversation of racism to the broader global discussion of inclusivity and elimination of discrimination. A global focus on human rights of older persons, which began in 1982 at the World Assembly on Aging and has led to the current discussion of the proposed UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons. The Academy of Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) is GSA's education group of colleges and universities that offers education, training, curricular innovations, and research programs in the field of aging. The work of this group is grounded in an age-inclusive and rights-based perspective, and members are committed to an international view demonstrated through AGHE’s tagline Global Leaders in Advancing Education on Aging; This symposium explores the role of age-inclusivity and a rights-based perspective in gerontology and geriatrics education and offers both challenges and best practices for moving forward. The first presentation explores the meaning of age-inclusivity in aging education in a global context and asks how do we build upon our international roots? Our second presenter shares a proposed framework for a rights-based approach to gerontology education. The third presentation explores an example of a rights-based training program. We conclude with a lively discussion focusing on how to take action through education.

Kent and Kleemeier Award Lecture and Presentations

The Robert W. Kleemeier Award lecture will feature an address by the 2020 Kleemeier Award recipient, Matt Kaeberlein, PhD, FGSA, of the University of Washington. The Kleemeier Award is given annually to a member of The Gerontological Society of America in recognition for outstanding research in the field of gerontology. The Donald P. Kent Award lecture will feature an address by the 2020 Kent Award recipient, David Ekerdt, Phd, FGSA, of the University of Kansas. The Kent Award is given annually to a member of The Gerontological Society of America who best exemplifies the highest standards of professional leadership in gerontology through teaching, service, and interpretation of gerontology to the larger society.

Apt, Nana

Nana Araba Apt (1942–2017) was a renowned gerontologist, researcher, author, advocate, and a pioneer in social work education in Ghana. She was a professor of Sociology and Social Work and the founder and Director of the Center for Social Policy Studies at the University of Ghana. She was the founder of Help Age Ghana, the first aging advocacy organization of its kind in Ghana, and a founding member and president of the African Gerontological Society. Her lifelong passions began with her concerns for street children. She founded the College for Ama, a charitable foundation that runs yearly summer camps for rural girls to challenge them to understand the value of education and delay marriage. Her life and work impacted social work education and the welfare of the underprivileged in developing countries.

A Geroscience Perspective on COVID-19 – Joint Program from the American Aging Association (AGE) and The Gerontological Society of America

Faculty will focus on the biology of aging as a contributor to the vulnerability in COVID-19. Faculty will present the latest concepts and insights that will advance our ability to confront this global outbreak. Our goal for this session is to connect with the concept of Geroscience and how ideas from aging biology research can be incorporated to improve outcomes and informed practice. Although the emphasis is on biology, the goal is to provide insight in a manner that is readily accessible to researchers across the aging spectrum that they might translate these ideas in the face of a very real-world challenge.

From Ad Hoc to Association to Academy: Developmental Milestones Over 48 Years for AGHE

The Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education began as the Ad Hoc Committee on the Development of Gerontology Resources in 1972. The next year the name Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) was selected. In 1974 AGHE held a general meeting of its membership in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America in Portland Oregon. The first annual meeting was held in 1975 in Madison, Wisconsin. The relationship with GSA has evolved over the last four decades leading to the present Academy. The first presentation will focus on the issues of gerontology and higher education that emerged in the early years and continue to be a challenge today. The second presentation will look at the future of AGHE in its new relationship with GSA. The third presentation will focus on the Academy in the present discussing current challenges facing academic gerontology in today’s world including the development of AGHE’s basic-competency guidelines and the emergence of measuring student learning outcomes and their role in program review and evaluation. The fourth presentation will examine the evolving discussion of standards in evaluating gerontological and geriatric programming. Geriatric Education Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

How to Successfully Choose a Journal

Article submissions to The Gerontological Society of America’s high impact scientific journals continue to increase each year which has led to editors becoming more selective about which articles are accepted for publication. The purpose of this session is to describe how to efficiently and successfully navigate the process of determining which journal is the best fit for your manuscript. Objectives of the workshop include guidance in: (1) understanding the differences in scope and features of each journal; (2) determining which journal is most appropriate for the topic and methods of your manuscript; (3) appreciating how to use journals’ Instructions to Authors to your benefit, and (3) conveying the scientific contribution of your article to the journal.

Age-Friendly University Assessments: Approach by the UMass Dartmouth Campus

Representatives from The Ora M. DeJesus Gerontology Center at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth began participating on the Age-Friendly University (AFU) panel at The Gerontological Society of America conference in November 2018. The recommendations and knowledge provided a foundation to begin informally surveying faculty and gerontology affiliates on age-friendly practices. In the fall of 2019, formal discussions began with our partners at other campuses, and in Spring 2020, the AFU Climate Survey was disseminated by email announcements to all students and employees on our campus, soon followed by the Inventory reporting tool to campus office administrators. Results of these assessments will be presented on the utility of these approaches and suggestions for refinement and broader dissemination.