2008 News
March 26, 2008
Bucks County AAA Director Presenting At Two National Conferences
Brian Duke, director of the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging (AAA), will address two national conferences this week in Washington D.C.
The first is the National Conference for Caregiving Coalitions on March 26, 2008.
His address, “The Advocacy Cycle in Action,” will help coalitions to advocate for legislative changes and obtain support in their local states and communities.
The conference is sponsored by the National Alliance for Caregiving and brings together coalitions from around the country to discuss best practices and lessons learned in caregiver support and outreach programs. The event will also focus on the needs of family caregivers across the country and identify ways to effectively advocate for the services and support they need.
Following the conference, Duke will attend and speak at the 2008 American Society on Aging/National Council on Aging Joint Conference. He will join with Rick Greene of the US Administration on Aging National Family Caregiver Support Program and Gail Hunt, president of the National Alliance for Caregiving, in convening a meeting of individuals and organizations interested in the issue of family caregiving.
Also invited to this conference was Brooke Moran, health promotion coordinator with the Bucks County AAA, to present during a poster session on Project MEDS (Medication Education Designed for Seniors). Since 1987, Project MEDS annually reaches approximately 3,000 elders through presentations and community outreach. Project MEDS educates about the proper use of medications and possible complications related to consumption of alcohol while taking medications. For information on Project MEDS please call 215-348-0510, extension 1248.
“Bucks County is fortunate to have Brian Duke working on behalf of our seniors,” noted Commissioner Chairman Jim Cawley. “We’re very proud that he’s been selected to speak on a national stage about such a vital issue.”
Prior to joining the Bucks County AAA, Duke worked as a consultant with the
US Administration on Aging and the AARP Foundation to establish state level caregiving coalitions in twelve states. He worked with the National Alliance for Caregiving’s Building Sustainable Caregiving Coalitions project and is author of Caregiver Coalitions Advocacy Guide: Uniting Voices, Building Community. He has also served as consultant to state and local coalitions on projects including Family Caregiver: Outreach and Assistance in Our Communities with the Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension. Duke also co-chaired the Caring Community, a coalition of over 100 organizations convened by WHYY, the public broadcasting station serving the greater Philadelphia region.