About 100 people registered for the three-day event at Salmond College, which will focus on bioethical issues relating to increasing pressures on healthcare needs and resources for the nation's growing elderly population.
Healthcare consultant and educator MaryLou Harrigan, of Vancouver, Canada, gave a lecture yesterday about the challenges of an ageing population and the issues surrounding ageism.
Dr Harrigan said there had been a dramatic rise in elderly people with dementia which closely followed the rise in the elderly population.
Her lecture discussed ways long-term care facilities were changing to meet these challenges.
"We've looked at how we understand the individuals, so that we can give better personalised care and support.
"In the past, people with dementia have been understood as empty shells, and the care provided was less than adequate.
"Now, we see them as having personhood, even though they may no longer be able to express themselves.
"We are making progress now by looking at dementia in a different way.
"Staff learn about the person, their life, their history, which helps them give better quality of care."
Other keynote speakers giving lectures at the conference are Ministry of Social Development principal adviser Dr David Bromell, University of Tasmania Prof Susan Dodds, Dunedin School of Medicine health policy, preventive and social medicine Prof Robin Gauld, University of Otago emerging technologies director Associate Prof Colin Gavaghan, University of Otago Bioethics Centre professors Grant Gillett and Gareth Jones, and Lakes District Health Board population health analyst Dr Barry Smith.
Topics include diseases of lifestyle and obligations of companies to the plight of consumers of cigarettes and fast foods; ageing population; changing demographics; equity and distributive justice; and new technologies.
On Sunday at 10.45am, a panel chaired by Prof Jones will take part in a debate about proposed changes to research ethics processes. They will discuss whether the changes need fine tuning or a major rethink.
