Dementia in its many forms is a leading cause of functional limitation among older adults worldwide and will continue to ascend in global health importance as populations continue to age and effective cures remain elusive. The following guidelines were developed for psychologists who perform evaluations of dementia and age-related cognitive…

Until relatively recently, most psychologists have had limited professional involvement with older adults. With the baby boomers starting to turn 65 years old in 2011, sheer numbers of older adults will continue to increase. About 1 in 5 older adults has a mental disorder, such as dementia. Their needs for mental and behavioral health services are…

Written by a team of creative and highly qualified music therapists, this publication provides content training for the use of group percussion strategies with mature adults. In fact, the book promotes senior peers as group facilitators and/or coleaders. The grace of this approach is that no previous musical training is necessary in order to…

Some exercises are misused and abused by people of all ages, and increased age magnifies the bad effects of these exercises. Senior citizens in particular should be aware of the possible damage that some exercises, particularly when done unsupervised, pose to their physical health. This paper describes 56 common exercises and alternatives to those…

Federal support for adult day care centers began in the United States approximately 10 years ago. To examine the counseling practices in the adult day care centers across the country and to explore how the services are affected by the staffing patterns at these centers, 135 centers completed a questionnaire. The questionnaire addressed…

Lay persons and professionals need to be educated on the effects of aging on human sexuality. Effective communication techniques and accurate sexuality information can lead to prevention of psychosocial problems and sexual dysfunction. (Author/DF)

Case management has become a core component in the delivery of long term care services. It is widely viewed as a mechanism for linking and coordinating segments of a service delivery system (within a single agency or involving several providers) to ensure the most comprehensive program for meeting an individual client's needs for care. Although…

A widespread bias exists among legal, medical, and social service professionals that the appropriate placement for elderly individuals with cognitive impairment (dementia) is a nursing home. Two major reasons for institutionalization are to remove the patient from a potentially harmful situation and to relieve the family of the burden of care.…

This paper describes the Gerontology Alcohol Project (GAP), which was established by the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse as a pilot treatment/research project for late life drinkers, those who begin abusing alcohol after age 50. Two strategies developed by GAP for identifying elderly alcohol abusers are described including…

The population of older black Americans is a growing, underutilized resource. Research on the status of older black Americans suggests that race is among the major factors influencing economic status and social mobility. Recent census data and projections confirm that to be old and black is a liability rather than an asset. As this population…

Single, elderly, childless women are a specialized population needing social support. To examine the association between life satisfaction and social support among this population, 65 women (30 widowed, 35 never-married) were interviewed and completed the Life Satisfaction Scale. An analysis of the results showed that the never-married sample had…

Traditionally, the treatment of geriatric patients suffering from Organic Brain Syndrome (OBS) has been characterized by non-therapeutic custodial care. To determine whether elderly clients with dementia can benefit from self-care skill training, and to compare their progress with clients without OBS, 30 clients of the Residential Aging Program in…

Presented are four award-winning projects from the 1983 American College Testing Program (ACT)/National University Continuing Education Association (NUCEA) competition for innovations in continuing education. The projects are categorized according to educational audience. In the category of instruction "Seminars, Courses, and Workshops for…

Following a brief introduction, this paper focuses on how the Texas Project for Elders, one of ten sites in the country participatng in the National Long-Term Care Channeling Demonstration Project (Channeling), has taken into account the mental health needs of clients and caregivers both in the development and delivery of services. The clients…

Examines issues and problems confronting 20 caregivers of victims of Alzheimer's disease in rural southwest Missouri and the formal and informal services they received. Suggests that coordination of formal/informal supports must be improved. Describes characteristics and incidence of Alzheimer's disease and implications for rural areas with high…