V Older Adult’s Mental Health Symposium (24th Feb, 3rd March)

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V Older Adults’ Mental Health Symposium: Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Capacity, Elderly Care and Abuse Prevention

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Date: February 24th and March 3rd, 2025

Informations: Free online registration

Target Audience: Health professionals and those providing assistance to older adults.

Location: Zoom Webinar

All the presentations will be delivered in English and there will be no registration fee.

Zoom’s automatic closed caption translation from English to Portuguese, Hindi, Chinese and other languages will be provided.

Participation Certificate: Federal University of Minas Gerais

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The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), a landmark international agreement, underscores the importance of recognizing and safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities. This framework promotes autonomy, dignity, and inclusion, ensuring protection from violence and discrimination while fostering equal opportunities.

The CRPD reflects a global shift toward prioritizing personal agency and empowering individuals with disabilities to exercise their rights. Important to this paradigm shift are alternative decision-making mechanisms such as supported decision-making and advance directives, which uphold individuals’ autonomy while offering the necessary support to make informed choices. These approaches are particularly significant in contexts where guardianship and conservatorship have traditionally dominated, especially for those whose capacity has been affected by dementia and other mental disorders. This thoughtful reevaluation of guardianship practices highlights the importance of balancing protection with respect for the individual’s will and preferences.

As the global population continues to age, challenges related to capacity and decision-making have taken on increased need. The number of older adults worldwide is growing, leading to an increase in dementia and mental disorders that may impair capacity and decision-making. These demographic shifts intensify the need for robust systems to address the vulnerabilities of aging populations, particularly regarding elderly care and abuse prevention. This demands comprehensive actions to improve protective frameworks that safeguard the rights, dignity, and well-being of older adults.

This symposium recognizes that fostering discussion on global and regional actions for elderly care and the prevention of abuse is essential in an aging world. Nevertheless, there is no universal solution; community-driven initiatives must be tailored to address the unique needs and nuances of different cultural and regional contexts. By addressing diverse international perspectives, this event aims to promote collaboration across regions to improve culturally sensitive solutions that empower older adults, prevent abuse, and advance their mental health and well-being.

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PROGRAM:

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Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Capacity and Alternatives for Decision Making

Monday, February 24th at:

7 am	9 am	12 pm	2pm	5:30 pm	8 pm	11 pm
EST	BRT	GTM	SAST	IST	BJT	ACT
Toronto Columbia	Belo Horizonte	London	Pretoria	Bengaluru	Shanghai	Sydney

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• Human Rights, CRPD, Capacity, and its Assessment (25 minutes) – Prof. Carmelle Peisah – UNSW, Australia
• Administration, Powers of Attorney, and Supported Decision Making (15 minutes) – Prof. Bernardo Viana – UFMG, Brazil
• Guardianship and Conservatorship (15 minutes) – Dr. Mohan Bhat – Chair of the Old Age Faculty RCPSYCH, United Kingdom
• Advance Directives (15 minutes) – Prof. Bernadette Mdwar – CAMH, Canada
• Guardianship in Dementia and Other Cognitive Disorders (15 minutes) – Prof. Sivakumar PT – NIMHANS, India
• The Burden for Caregivers of Dementia Patients in Shanghai (15 minutes) – Dr. Dandan Xue – SMHC, China
• Discussion (30 minutes)

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Elderly Care and Abuse Prevention Around the World: Laws, Public Programs, and NGOs

Monday, March 3rd at:

7 am	9 am	12 pm	2pm	5:30 pm	8 pm	11 pm
EST	BRT	GTM	SAST	IST	BJT	ACT
Toronto Columbia	Belo Horizonte	London	Pretoria	Bengaluru	Shanghai	Sydney

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• A Chinese Perspective (15 minutes) – Prof. Xiaoye Ma – SMHC, China

• A Brazilian Perspective (15 minutes) – Prof. Bernardo Viana – UFMG, Brazil

• An US’s Perspective (15 minutes) – Prof. Shilpa Srinivasan – University of South Carolina, USA

• An Indian Perspective (15 minutes) – Prof. Sivakumar PT – NIMHANS, India

• A South African Perspective (15 minutes) – Prof. Carla Kotze – University of Pretoria, South Africa

• An Australian Perspective (20 minutes) – Prof. Carmelle Peisah UNSW & Mr Mick Gooda

• Discussion (30 minutes)

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LINKS:

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SPEAKERS AND MODERATORS

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Organizing Committee
Co-Chairs:

Bernardo Viana
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais
Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Ling Yue
Deputy Director of the Psychiatric Department and a Senior Attending Physician at the Mental Health Center Affiliated to School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Ph.D. Supervisor, Shanghai, China

Carmelle Peisah

Australian Old Age, Consultation-Liaison and Human Rights psychiatrist, and Family and Systems therapist. I am President-Founder of human rights charity Capacity Australia, Conjoint Professor University New South Wales, Clinical Professor Sydney University and Special Instructor Chiang Mai University.

Prof. Sivakumar P Thangaraju
Professor of Psychiatry & Head, Geriatric Psychiatry Unit,
Department of Psychiatry
National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India

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Support:

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_{* Photo from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Gooda}