Registration is now underway for an upcoming gerontology workshop.

The workshop, scheduled for 9 a.m. April 17 in Klehm Hall Room 110, will be offered in part by Joe Morgan, a physician’s assistant at Carle Clinic in Mattoon, and the gerontology program at Eastern.

Morgan has organized the workshop as a part of his internship he needs to complete his master’s degree in gerontology. Students can register for the workshop by calling the Mattoon Health Care Office at 217-325-7138.

The workshop will consist of four model presentations. The first of those is a presentation looking at Tele-Home Care at Carle Clinic, Morgan said. The representatives from Carle Clinic will speak about giving care instruction and education to patients in their place of residence using telecommunication technologies, Morgan said. The Tele-Home Care program allows for a two-way live audio-visual visit between patients and nurses.

The second presentation will be given by a group from Southern Illinois University. They will speak on health care work force issues, Morgan said.

The third presentation is a model of mental health care given by a group from Vandalia, Morgan said. This group of people will speak on mental health issues among the elderly.

For the fourth presentation, Mike O’Donnell, the executive director of the East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging, will give an update on national and state issues that are currently being discussed that concern the elderly, Morgan said.

This is just one workshop of several that Morgan has helped to organize since he became interested in the area of gerontology. He said he hopes to enhance his skills, along with the skills of others, in the area of gerontology.

With this workshop, he wants to look at programs involved with the elderly along with ways to take care of people who are unable to get to a doctor’s office for care. He also wants to update attendees on current legislative issues they may not be aware of.

“There are models out there that have already been developed and used, and we don’t have them available to us,” Morgan said.