This conference follows on from last year’s successful ‘Issues in caring for the elderly’ conference, which was jointly organised by the RSM and the HSE Geriatrician’s group. The conference was exceptionally popular and the feedback from delegates was very positive, with many requests for annual meetings, so we are pleased to be running another ‘elderly care’ conference in Cork. This year’s conference will update doctors (in primary and secondary care) and other health professionals on the management of a range of common but challenging medical problems in older people. As the number of older people in the population continues to grow, doctors and health professionals will increasingly be involved in the management of this vulnerable group. We will be bringing together a range of speakers who have considerable expertise in their specialist areas and who will be covering a wide range of issues such as: challenging aspects of cognitive decline and addressing the ethical dilemmas involved in the provision of long term care. In addition many of the topics raised, such as ‘falls in the elderly’, will be addressed with illustrative cases giving a great overview of many common problems faced in elderly care. There will also be plenty of time for discussion after each presentation. At the end of the meeting, participants will have further improved and consolidated their knowledge on a range of common medical problems in older people and be able to incorporate current approaches to the management and treatment of these problems in their everyday clinical practice.