The 3rd Amity Senior Service International Conference Held in Nanjing

On October 28 and 29, the 3rd Amity Senior Service International Conference & the 2nd Jinling International Nursing Forum was held in Nanjing.

More than 30 experts and scholars from the United States, Germany, Canada, Japan and China conducted academic discussion around hospice care for seniors, coupled with the discussions regarding the current situation and future of chronic disease management among the elderly. The conference also attracted approximately 700 employees who engage in senior care or nursing.

Funded by Germany Bread for the World, the conference is co-hosted by the Amity Foundation, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council, School of Nursing of Nanjing Medical University and the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University.

It invited Nancy R. Hooyman, who specializes in senior service, to present ideas. As a tenure-track professor, she compiled a book on elderly social work 20 years ago, which is still in use. 

Russell E. Hilliard, an expert in art therapy research, shared how to choose songs perfect for music therapy. The founder of the Center for Music Therapy in End of Life Care also told a story when he once served an African American who was dying. The first time the expert saw the poor man lying on the couch with a towel on his head, Russell asked the person what music he loved. He answered, black music and gospel music. 

Then, Russell started to sing those types of music and it seemingly didn't work at first. He sang more slowly in deeper voice, and the man began to sing with him, knocking his little finger. Later, he sang gospel music with Russell for an hour and even stood up. This reveals the amazing charm of music, which can enhance the life quality of dying patients and help them find new meaning of life. The therapist adds that hospice care focuses on reducing the symptoms of their diseases and alleviating their pain within several weeks or even some months before death rather than treatment.

He introduced that music therapy can be applied to people with dementia and widely applicable. Moreover, he declares that the patients' family members also need care.

Dr. Wu Shushen from Taiwan held a worship named "Life Education" on the morning of the first day, which led to the attendants' deep thoughts. Having engaged in the effort of teaching life education and its promotion since 1999, Wu states that he found out that his students who had no interest in life education often played with mobile phones in class in the early time of his teaching career. He began to reflect on it. Wu tried to share topics including Alzheimer or hospice care with movies and made active and deep conversations about life with students. The method was really welcomed and effective. 

He said that he felt the limitation of life when he suffered from diabetes at 40. He also shares ways on how to face death, sadness and to find hope in disasters by showing some movie clips.

In addition, Gu Chuanyong, the assoicate director of Jiangsu Bureau of Religious Affairs and Qiu Zhonghui, Amity's secretary, delivered the plaques to six premium senior service organizations that have earned certificates from an Amity's accreditation committee.