The School of Applied Social Sciences at West Virginia University will host the 25th anniversary Summer Institute on Aging, July 16-18, at the WVU Mountainlair. U.S. Sen. John D.”Jay”Rockefeller IV, D-W.Va., has been invited to give the keynote address.

Sponsored by the Division of Social Works Continuing Education Program, the institute is the states longest running aging conference.

This years conference features workshops on Alzheimers disease and its impact on families, depression, gambling, Medicare and Medicaid issues, telemarketing/funeral scams and spirituality, among other topics.

The opening session will feature a discussion with professionals who have played important roles in aging services in the state, including Anita Harbert, former WVU dean of social work and coordinator of the first Summer Institute on Aging in 1978; Ron Nestor, director of administration and service to adults for the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources; Ann Stottlemyer, commissioner of the Bureau of Senior Services; and Zerbie Swain, Gov. Bob Wises special assistant for senior citizens.

Conference participants will also be entertained by the Lilly Brothers, a West Virginia bluegrass band led by 78-year-old Everett Lilly Sr.

“This years Summer Institute on Aging will provide a broad mix of workshops and other activities that represent the diverse needs and issues of our states elderly,”said Suzanne J. Leizear, director of continuing education in the Division of Social Work.”Were offering events that benefit anyone who has an interest in the needs and issues of the elderly.”

The institute has been approved for continuing education for a variety of professionals, including licensed social workers in West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania; nursing home administrators from all states; and licensed professional counselors in West Virginia.

For more information or to order an event brochure, call 304-293-3501, ext. 3118, or send an email request to ce@mail.wvu.edu , or visit the institutes Web pages at http://www.wvu.edu/~socialwk/ce/sioa.htm .