The health care needs of older adults can be complex and multifaceted. Safe, effective, equitable, and person-centered service provision relies on skilled interprofessional, team-based practice. Too often, students seeking a career specializing in gerontology are not exposed to such interprofessional, team-based learning and practice during their…

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…

In the coming decades, the elderly population in United States (U.S.) is expected to grow significantly (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1996). Consequently, the number of older individuals seeking mental health services will be greater than at any other time in the history of the U.S. The field of clinical psychology, however, is unable to meet the…

Geographical, economic, social and cultural barriers to accessing services in rural areas are widely reported. Less widely discussed are dilemmas posed by individual and community reluctance to address sensitive health issues. This article, focusing on the highly sensitive area of mental health, and employing a participatory action approach,…

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe an innovative online system to support long-term-care decision making. Design and Methods: The Long-Term Care Choices tool is a web-based system that uses expert opinion and structures decision making. Results: The system has been well accepted, and most users find it easy to use. Implications:…

Purpose: We examine the relationship between the perceived needs and assessed needs of community-dwelling seniors. Design and Methods: Trained research assistants administered the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Baseline Survey to 268 community-dwelling older adults in suburban Maryland. Perceived and assessed needs were measured in the…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine racial/ethnic differences in the relationship between functional disability and the use of health care services in a nationally representative sample of older adults by using the Andersen behavioral model of health services utilization. Design and Methods: The study used 12 years of longitudinal…

Older persons are more likely to get physical checkups and overutilize the health care system for minor complaints, but are little different from the younger in underutilization for conditions which should receive a doctor's attention. There is a need to help the elderly sort out symptoms requiring attention. (Author)

Practitioners, researchers, and policy makers have attempted to improve the delivery of in-home service to the frail elderly through the expansion or merger of existing care providers or through the creation of coordinating units. To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of a third approach to in-home services, 68 older adults (mean age,78…

Hearings before the House Select Committee on Aging were held to examine programs, purposes, and needs related to education and training of personnel in all aspects of care and services to the elderly population. Statements and discussions included a review of National Institute on Aging programs into medical aspects of aging; a review of the…

Examines the importance of economic factors in physician and other health service utilization among older adults living in Bermuda. Using data from a national survey of 500 Bermudian elders, findings reveal economic factors to be unrelated to the use of physician services directly, but to be significant determinants of the use of other health…

This publication contains the reports of two major public advisory bodies which studied and conducted hearings on mental health needs of the elderly and developed recommendations for public policy to address these needs. The first report reviews current mental health needs and considers the projected needs for dealing with emotional stress during…

Consists of a three-part paper and related materials by the National Task Force on Gerontology and Geriatric Care Education on the topic of the aging of society and health care. Issues covered include public policy, provider support, ethics, practice patterns, research, education, and impact on selected health professions. (CH)

Specific recommendations are offered for curriculum modifications of undergraduate allied health programs that would provide the opportunity for students to achieve skills related to serving the needs of the aging individual. (HD)

Sexism in women's health care has received increasing attention through the women's movement. Many alternative efforts at reform have been targeted to women in their reproductive years, but the older woman has not had similar efforts designed to alter her situation. A Senior Health Center was established by one community hospital to provide…