This book provides a comprehensive and systematic state-of-the science review of major primary care delivery models, how they address specific needs of older adults, and available evidence for their efficacy. Written by experts in the field, this book explores the patient-centered medical home model (PCMH) in depth and dives into the complexities of the “medical neighborhood”. It describes and analyzes primary care specifically directed toward special, complex populations, such as the Health Home for safety net patients with mental health needs, and intensive primary care for older adults. It reviews an array of primary care models related to dual eligible patients including the GRACE primary care consultation model and PACE models. It describes primary care with Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants and explores in-depth the massive effort within the VA to develop the Patient Activated Care Team (PACT), a VA form of the PCMH that also has several offshoots that address complex older veterans and veterans with severe mental illness. Finally, it illuminates rarely discussed primary care that occurs within the home and within long-term care. Throughout the entire book, experts navigate the workforce, care quality, and financing challenges of primary care for older adults. Primary Care for Older Adults is a valuable resource for clinicians, researchers, patients, caregivers and their advocates, and policy makers who have an interest in designing, promoting, and implementing high quality primary care for older adults.

This book is a practical resource that will support the delivery of holistic mental health interventions in the primary and community care setting for older people. Primary care delivery is discussed in relation to both functional mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, and psychotic and personality disorders, and acquired organic mental disorders of old age, such as dementia, cognitive impairments, and delirium. Careful consideration is paid to the complex relationship between mental and somatic health problems, as well as the impacts of multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Further topics include, for example, epidemiology, wider determinants of health, different care models, history taking, neurocognitive and capacity assessment, and pharmacological, psychological, and physical interventions. The wider goals of the book are to support the development of community resilience and self-care in older people; to promote universal access and equity for older people in order to enable them to achieve or recover the highest attainable standard of health, regardless of age, gender, or social position; and to promote pathways to care for older people with mental health problems respecting their autonomy, independence, human rights, and the importance of the life-course approach. This book will be an invaluable resource for all professionals who work with older adults with mental health problems and those training in these fields including physicians, psychiatrists, family doctors, geriatricians, general practitioners, nurses, psychologists, neurologists, occupational therapists, social workers, support workers and community health and social care workers.

Multidisciplinary in its presentation, Primary Care for the Older Adult is written for professionals and examines the common conditions and problems faced by older people. The book covers clinical, social, ethical and legal aspects of such care.

Accompanying CD-ROM contains video learning modules on gait and balance and dizziness, a dermatology quiz, and downloadable cognitive assessment tools, to hone clinical skills. File formats include QuickTime movies, PDFs, and HTML documents.

As the first of the nation's 78 million baby boomers begin reaching age 65 in 2011, they will face a health care workforce that is too small and woefully unprepared to meet their specific health needs. Retooling for an Aging America calls for bold initiatives starting immediately to train all health care providers in the basics of geriatric care and to prepare family members and other informal caregivers, who currently receive little or no training in how to tend to their aging loved ones. The book also recommends that Medicare, Medicaid, and other health plans pay higher rates to boost recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists and care aides. Educators and health professional groups can use Retooling for an Aging America to institute or increase formal education and training in geriatrics. Consumer groups can use the book to advocate for improving the care for older adults. Health care professional and occupational groups can use it to improve the quality of health care jobs.

This important work offers the first detailed analysis of recent changes in health care for the elderly. The contributors examine primary care in urban, suburban, and rural settings and show what makes each of these successful care-providers.