ORONO – This year’s spring 2006 Professional Excellence in Geriatrics Series, sponsored by the University of Maine Center on Aging, runs April 25-May 22 in Bangor, Orono, Augusta, Belfast, Presque Isle and Portland.

The series, in combination with the Geriatric Organizational Leadership Development Seminar, is geared to anyone with an interest in geriatric care who wants to learn about new theories and clinical approaches to improve quality of life and care for the aging. The program will appeal to the public and to professionals who work with aging populations.

Diverse issues that face agencies, organizations and individuals who work with aging populations will be addressed, according to Len Kaye, director of the UM Center on Aging.

“This year’s series addresses some of the most perplexing and challenging issues confronting older adults,” Kaye said, “from alcohol and substance abuse to fraud and identity theft to navigating through the complexities of Medicare prescription drug coverage. We believe that all of these issues can best be dealt with when older adults have well trained health care professionals to turn to for guidance and support.”

Other session topics include marketing to baby boomers, an introduction to hand-held personal digital assistants and avoiding staff burnout.

Co-sponsors include the University of Maine at Augusta; the Maine Geriatric Education Center and College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of New England; University of Maine at Presque Isle; Dirigo Pines in Orono; and Arden Training & Consulting in Bernard, Maine.

Participants receive a certificate of attendance for each session and may register by e-mail, fax or regular mail. More information, including directions, is available at www.mainecenteronaging.org.

The $40 registration fee for the workshop covers materials, certificate of attendance, and refreshments. Registration is $35 for Maine Gerontological Society members and $20 for students. Discounts are available for all-day registrations. Walk-in registrations are welcome. For information or registration, call UM’s Center on Aging at 581-3617.

The Center on Aging is an interdisciplinary research center affiliated with the University of Maine’s School of Social Work and College of Business, Public Policy and Health. Its mission is to promote and facilitate activities on aging in the areas of education, research and evaluation, and community service, in order to maximize the quality of life of older citizens and their families in Maine and beyond.

The schedule of area program sessions is:

. “Fraud and Identify Theft,” 2-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 2, Room 132, College Center, University College, Bangor, with Michael Desrosiers, a U.S. Postal inspector, and James McCarthy, assistant U.S. attorney.

. “Music Therapy and the Elderly,” 9-11:30 a.m. Monday, May 15, Penobscot Room, The Inn, Dirigo Pines, Orono, with Alan Wittenberg, a certified music therapist.

. “Thematic Programming for Dementia,” 1-3:30 p.m. Monday, May 15, Penobscot Room, The Inn, Dirigo Pines, with Barbara Fisher, registered nurse and director of My Friend’s Place, an adult day program in Bangor.

. “Substance Abuse in Elders,” 1-3:30 p.m. Friday, May 19, College Center Ballroom, University College, Bangor, with Brent Scobie, a licensed clinical social worker and clinical supervisor, Acadia Hospital Substance Abuse Services.