“The Northern Ontario Long Term Care Conference,” to be held at the Sudbury Holiday Inn on September 20th, will look closely at a number of issues related to elder care and long term care, including upper respiratory infections, pain management, diabetes, and fall prevention.

The event is particularly important, says Sue Burns, conference organizer and Long Term Care Consultant with host Medical Pharmacy Group, because of its location.

“We don’t have many educational events focused on specific topics in the North,” says Burns, “and by educating [caregivers in the region] we can improve the outcome for our clients and hopefully increase their quality of life.”

The event, which is also sponsored by the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical company, is a day-and-a-half affair with nine speakers currently slated.

Invitations were sent to health professionals in a wide swath of the North, says Burns, including Kapuskasing, Sault Ste. Marie, Haileybury, Timmins and Sudbury. 140 of 1,500 invitees have confirmed, she says, with Extendicare sending more than 70 of its frontline staff and management.

The overall response has exceeded her expectations thus far, says Burns.

“It’s gratifying” to have a turn out of this size, she says, noting that this is the first time she has organized such a large workshop.

“The onus is on us now,” she says.

“If we get a good response chances are good that [this event] will happen again.”

For more information call: Sherry Carlucci at 705-662-7257.