Psychological Assessment And Therapy With Older Adults

"Due to improvements in health and healthcare, the elderly population is expanding rapidly within the developed world. However, more and more elderly people require some form of psychological support at some point in their later years. The types of problems faced by this population are quite distinct and often more complex than those faced by younger adults, and throw up many new challenges - in both assessment and treatment. Within this book Knight and Pachana argue that psychological assessment needs to be more tightly integrated with therapy, especially with older adult clients. Using the Contextual Adult Lifespan Theory for Adapting Psychotherapy (CALTAP) as a framework for applying our knowledge about developmental, social contextual, and cohort/generational factors that influence age differences in response to psychological assessment and therapy, they present an integrated framework for psychological assessment and therapy with older adults."--Publisher's website.

Learn about the key issues when assessing and treating older adults with mental health problems: Expert guidance through the key topics Highlights the best assessment and treatment practices Addresses diversity, ethical, and health system issues Full of real-life case examples Resources in the appendix to test your knowledge More about the book Mental health practitioners are encountering an ever-growing number of older adults and so an up-to-date and comprehensive text addressing the special considerations that arise in the psychological assessment and treatment of this population is vital. This accessible handbook does just that by introducing the key topics that psychologists and other health professionals face when working with older adults. Each area is introduced and then the special considerations for older adults are explored, including specific ethical and healthcare system issues. The use of case examples brings the topics further to life. An important feature of the book is the interweaving of diversity issues (culture, race, sexuality, etc.) within the text to lend an inclusive, contemporary insight into these important practice components. The Pikes Peak Geropsychology Knowledge and Skill Assessment Tool is included in an appendix so readers can test their knowledge, which will be helpful for those aiming for board certification in geropsychology (ABGERO). This an ideal text for mental health professionals transitioning to work with older clients, for those wanting to improve their knowledge for their regular practice, and for trainees or young clinicians just starting out.

This Third Edition of the bestselling Psychotherapy with Older Adults continues to offer students and professionals a thorough overview of psychotherapy with older adults. Using the contextual, cohort-based, maturity, specific challenge (CCMSC) model, it draws upon findings from scientific gerontology and life-span developmental psychology to describe how psychotherapy needs to be adapted for work with older adults, as well as when it is similar to therapeutic work with younger adults. Sensitively linking both research and experience, author Bob G. Knight provides a practical account of the knowledge, technique, and skills necessary to work with older adults in a therapeutic relationship. This volume considers the essentials of gerontology as well as the nature of therapy in depth, focusing on special content areas and common themes. Psychotherapy with Older Adults includes a comprehensive discussion of assessment and options for intervention. Numerous case examples illustrate the dynamics of the therapeutic task and issues covered in therapy and stress the human element in working with older adults. A concluding chapter considers ethical questions and the future of psychotherapy with older adults. The author has updated the Third Edition to reflect new research findings and has written two entirely new chapters covering psychotherapy with persons with dementia and psychotherapy with caregivers of frail older adults. Since its initial publication in 1986, the book has been used as a course text and a professional reference around the world, including translations into French, Dutch, Chinese, and Japanese. It is a vital resource for practicing therapists and counselors who work with older adults and is also ideally suited as a text for advanced students in psychology, social work, gerontology, and nursing. Praise for Previous Editions: "Bob G. Knight′s largest contribution is his excellent discussion of therapy. The book is clearly written, with a good use of summaries and case examples to clarify the major points. By linking research findings to practice experience, Knight has provided a pragmatic introduction which should be helpful to psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatric nurses working with older adults." —JOURNAL OF APPLIED GERONTOLOGY "I recommend this book to anyone interested in working with the elderly, partly because of the content and partly because the author presents the case for doing psychotherapy with the elderly with realism and enthusiasm." —BEHAVIOR RESEARCH & THERAPY

This book shows mental health providers how to expand their practice in order to treat older adults.

Due to improvements in health and healthcare, the elderly population is expanding rapidly within the developed world. However, more and more elderly people require some form of psychological support at some point in their later years. This book lays out an integrated framework for psychological assessment and therapy with older adults.

This open access book provides a comprehensive perspective on the concept of ageism, its origins, the manifestation and consequences of ageism, as well as ways to respond to and research ageism. The book represents a collaborative effort of researchers from over 20 countries and a variety of disciplines, including, psychology, sociology, gerontology, geriatrics, pharmacology, law, geography, design, engineering, policy and media studies. The contributors have collaborated to produce a truly stimulating and educating book on ageism which brings a clear overview of the state of the art in the field. The book serves as a catalyst to generate research, policy and public interest in the field of ageism and to reconstruct the image of old age and will be of interest to researchers and students in gerontology and geriatrics.

Two of the most common psychological disorders of later life are dementia and depression. The diagnosis of these conditions presents a challenge to clinicians because the symptoms of depression and dementia often overlap; in addition, the symptoms of either of these disorders in their early stages may be attributed to the normal effects of aging. [This book] reviews the most up-to-date research on the diagnosis of dementia and depression [in older adults] and offers concrete recommendations for evaluating this unique population. The contributors to this volume, all experts in the psychological assessment of older adults, give clinicians and practitioners clear and practical guidance on differentiating psychological disorders from normal events in the aging process, identifying symptoms of depression and symptoms of dementia, performing differential assessment of dementia and depression, determining legal competency of older adults, providing clinical interpretations to clients and their families, and applying assessment to therapy and interventions.

In Case Studies in Counseling Older Adults Larry Golden addresses a growing trend--older adults presenting for counseling--and the techniques that may be used to help treat them. Golden has selected cases studies that highlight many common issues faced by older adults today, such as loss of a spouse, health, financial means, depression, and spirituality. The organization of the cases provides the reader with a sense of the contributors' environment, the clients' contextual issues (i.e family, economics, health), the clients' presenting problems, and the therapeutic strategies implemented. This book is a valuable resource to counselors who are seeking to enhance their expertise with innovative approaches to counseling older adults.

Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion of adults in the United States report feeling lonely. People who are 50 years of age or older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairments. Over a life course, social isolation and loneliness may be episodic or chronic, depending upon an individual's circumstances and perceptions. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that social isolation presents a major risk for premature mortality, comparable to other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, or obesity. As older adults are particularly high-volume and high-frequency users of the health care system, there is an opportunity for health care professionals to identify, prevent, and mitigate the adverse health impacts of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults summarizes the evidence base and explores how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, particularly among low income, underserved, and vulnerable populations. This report makes recommendations specifically for clinical settings of health care to identify those who suffer the resultant negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness and target interventions to improve their social conditions. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults considers clinical tools and methodologies, better education and training for the health care workforce, and dissemination and implementation that will be important for translating research into practice, especially as the evidence base for effective interventions continues to flourish.

Due to improvements in health and healthcare, the elderly population is expanding rapidly within the developed world. However, more and more elderly people require some form of psychological support at some point in their later years. The types of problems faced by this population are quite distinct and often more complex than those faced by younger adults, and throw up many new challenges - in both assessment and treatment. Though there are books available that focus individually on assessment or treatment, few have combined the two into a single framework. Within this book Knight and Pachana argue that psychological assessment needs to be more tightly integrated with therapy, especially with older adult clients. Using the Contextual Adult Lifespan Theory for Adapting Psychotherapy (CALTAP) as a framework for applying our knowledge about developmental, social contextual, and cohort/generational factors that influence age differences in response to psychological assessment and therapy, they present an integrated framework for psychological assessment and therapy with older adults. This text is valuable for practitioners looking for a solid theoretical basis for the practice of assessment and therapy with older clients, students in graduate courses looking at later lifespan issues, and educators looking for material to enhance generalist psychotherapy courses with a lifespan perspective.