SW/PSYCH
Mari Pitcher, MBA, LMSW
Michigan Medicine , University of Michigan
Christopher Drescher, PhD
Psychiatry and Health Behavior
August University
In response to advancements in research and care, we have seen a sustained increase in the life expectancy of people with cystic fibrosis. According to the 2018 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) Patient Registry, people with CF born between 2014 and 2018 have a predicted life expectancy of 44 years. With the addition of Trikafta to treatment plans, we are likely to see an even more pronounced uptick in life expectancy for people with CF.
Increasing life expectancies bring new hopes, challenges, and opportunities for individuals with CF, their families and their health care teams. Our speakers in today’s Aging with CF Symposium will focus on four different facets of Aging with CF, and how we, as members of their health care team, can help our clients plan, survive, and thrive:
- CF, Common Co-morbidities, and Aging
- Emotional Well-Being: Finding Meaning & Purpose
- Adjustment, Grief and Loss as We Age:
- Planning for a secure future: retirement, health insurance and financial stability
Speaker: Richard H. Simon, MD – University of Michigan
Speaker: Karen Carey – Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Speaker: Leslie Miller, LICSW – UAB
Speaker: Yelizaveta Sher, MD, FACLP – Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
Speaker: C. Virginia O'Hayer, PhD (she/her/hers) – thomas jefferson university hospital