Basic strategies and tips for doing effective therapy with elderly clients. What is it like to be 106 years old? What are the mental health needs of someone this old, and for that matter, all elderly? Can we, as clinicians and caregivers, ever really understand old age and provide for their needs adequately? How can we prevent the physical problems they face from overwhelming the patience and care that we give? What are the most effective therapeutic tools that underlie all successful therapy work with older clients? Caring for the elderly is complex, challenging work. Often they are wrestling with a unique set of medical, psychiatric, and social challenges, all set against the backdrop of their approaching mortality. The therapist’s job is to successfully navigate these challenges without dwelling on the inevitability of physical decline, and to provide the most compassionate, valuable treatment possible. It is with this guiding principle in mind that Marc Agronin, a dedicated geriatric clinician with years of on-the-ground experience, offers a sensitively-written and eminently practical guide that addresses the therapeutic challenges, and uncovers the top strategies for compassionate and effective work with the elderly. Therapy with older clients, Agronin argues, requires a sensitivity to the tension between the body’s physical decline and its simultaneous capacity for mental growth and maturation. Therapists must learn to handle these seemingly opposing forces with varying client types and in different settings, and reconcile their own fears of aging, disability, and death. At times this therapeutic relationship can be difficult: medications are often not as effective as they are in younger clients, and the elderly often view change at such a late stage of life as pointless. However, Agronin encourages therapists to work with creativity and passion, persisting in their efforts by retooling their approaches, shoring up patience, and remembering that the very presence of a caring listener can bring a spectacular transformation to even the most debilitated individuals. An understanding of aging alone does not make an effective therapist, and Agronin offers key strategies—illustrated through real-life case examples—for dealing with countertransference, performing age-guided evaluation, working with caregivers, and handling end-of-life issues. He explains the impact of aging on the major psychiatric disorders, providing direction on how to cultivate empathy and understanding for a range of age-specific challenges. Agronin offers a compassionate, insightful narrative that explores the nuances of successful rapport-building and problem-solving that can enrich the lives of the elderly. In doing so, he gives readers a better understanding of what it means to grow old, and how cultivating a respectful, productive relationship—one that is inspired with curiosity and energized with creativity—can bring joy and affirmation to older clients.

Newly revised and updated! In this second edition, Brody and Semel contend that meaningful and successful therapy can be accomplished with an aging population, debunking the belief that the elderly can not pick up or put into practice newly acquired information. Rather, the way in which therapy with aging adults is approached may affect the way in which the therapist initially experiences and reacts to the client because of stereotypes about aging. This book encompasses three major areas of work with elderly clients aged 60 years and older: Living in nursing homes Living in assisted living housing, while participating in community-oriented activities for the aged Living independently and being seen in private practice It comprises a variety of approaches, ranging from eclectic small group formats for nursing home residents, group and individual counseling in assisted living settings, and home care for the elderly, to psychoanalytic therapy techniques in private practice. Illustrative case examples used throughout the book bring to life successful strategies and interventions. New areas of focus include: Treatment of stress and mental disorders Alzheimer's disease Caregiving issues at home Expanded information on Medicare coverage issues

It is with this guiding principle in mind that Marc Agronin, a dedicated geriatric clinician with years of on-the-ground experience, offers a sensitively-written and eminently practical guide that addresses the therapeutic challenges, and uncovers the top strategies for compassionate and effective work with the elderly. --

Enhance the intervention strategies you use in therapy with older adults and their families. This significant new book provides practitioners with information, insight, reference sources, and other valuable tools that will contribute to more effective intervention with the elderly and their families. Outstanding scholars have contributed original material that addresses the major issues in treating the elderly from the practitioner’s point of view; the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual concerns of the aged are examined in order to formulate a systemic and comprehensive treatment plan. Destined to become a classic in a challenging new area of psychotherapy, the unique Aging and Family Therapy promises to guide and inform practitioners who will be called upon to provide assistance to the increasing number of older adults who will be in need of mental health services.

The only comprehensive book on geriatric occupational therapy designed specifically for the COTA, Occupational Therapy with Elders: Strategies for the COTA, 3rd Edition provides in-depth coverage of each aspect of geriatric practice, from wellness and prevention to death and dying. A discussion of foundational concepts includes aging trends and strategies for elder care, and coverage of emerging areas includes low-vision rehabilitation, mobility issues including driving, and Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Expert authors René Padilla, Sue Byers-Connon, and Helene Lohman offer an unmatched discussion of diverse populations and the latest on geriatric policies and procedures in this fast-growing area of practice. Unique! A focus on the occupational therapy assistant highlights the importance of COTAs to the care of elder clients. Case studies illustrate principles and help you apply what you've learned to actual situations. Key terms, chapter objectives, and review questions highlight important content in each chapter. Use of the term "elder" reduces the stereotypical role of dependent patients and helps to dispel myths about aging. A multidisciplinary approach demonstrates how the OT and the COTA can collaborate effectively. Unique! Attention to diverse populations and cultures prepares you to respect and care for clients of different backgrounds. Unique! The companion Evolve website makes review easier with more learning activities, references linked to MEDLINE abstracts, and links to related OT sites. Unique! A discussion of elder abuse, battered women, and literacy includes information on how the COTA can address these often-overlooked issues. New information on alternative treatment settings for elders reflects new trends in OT care. Updated information on Medicare, Medicaid, and HIPAA regulations discusses the latest policies and how to incorporate the newest procedures into practice. Significant additions are made to the chapters on public policy, dementia, and oncology.

"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.

Get the focused foundation you need to successfully work with older adults. Occupational Therapy with Elders: Strategies for the COTA, 4th Edition is the only comprehensive book on geriatric occupational therapy designed specifically for the certified occupational therapy assistant. It provides in-depth coverage of each aspect of geriatric practice — from wellness and prevention to death and dying. Expert authors Helene Lohman, Sue Byers-Connon, and René Padilla offer an unmatched discussion of diverse populations and the latest on geriatric policies and procedures in this fast-growing area of practice. You will come away with a strong foundation in aging trends and strategies for elder care in addition to having a deep understanding of emerging areas such as low-vision rehabilitation, driving and mobility issues, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, new technological advancements, health literacy, public policy, dignity therapy, and more. Plus, you will benefit from 20 additional evidence briefs and numerous case studies to help apply all the information you learn to real-life practice. It’s the focused, evidence-based, and client-centered approach that every occupational therapy assistant needs to effectively care for today’s elder patients. UNIQUE! Focus on the occupational therapy assistant highlights the importance of COTAs to the care of elder clients. Unique! Attention to diverse populations and cultures demonstrates how to respect and care for clients of different backgrounds. UNIQUE! Discussion of elder abuse, battered women, and literacy includes information on how the OTA can address these issues that are often overlooked. User resources on Evolve feature learning activities to help you review what you have learned and assess your comprehension. Case studies at the end of certain chapters illustrate principles and help you understand content as it relates to real-life situations. Multidisciplinary approach demonstrates the importance of collaboration between the OT and OTA by highlighting the OTA’s role in caring for the elderly and how they work in conjunction with occupational therapists. Key terms, chapter objectives, and review questions are found in each chapter to help identify what information is most important. NEW! 20 Additional evidence briefs have been added to reinforce this book’s evidence-based client-centered approach. NEW! Incorporation of EMR prevalence and telehealth as a diagnostic and monitoring tool have been added throughout this new edition. NEW! Expanded content on mild cognitive impairment, health literacy, and chronic conditions have been incorporated throughout the book to reflect topical issues commonly faced by OTs and OTAs today. NEW! Coverage of technological advancements has been incorporated in the chapter on sensory impairments. NEW! Other updated content spans public policy, HIPAA, power of attorney, advanced directives, alternative treatment settings, dignity therapy, and validation of the end of life. NEW! Merged chapters on vision and hearing impairments create one sensory chapter that offers a thorough background in both areas.