Resiliency: Aging and Supporting Older Adults

eISBN: 9783319520636
Print ISBN: 9783319520629

This book presents an analysis of active ageing and physical activity from a multidisciplinary perspective. With descriptions of exercises, adequately illustrated with pictures, this book shows that regular physical activity reduces the prevalence of chronic diseases associated with ageing, as well as the risk of morbidity and mortality of the elderly. It confirms that exercise programs minimize the psychomotor decline, prevent the loss of functionality, inability and dementia, and foster significant gains in health and well-being, leading to increased quality of life of the elderly.

eISBN: 9783319576091
Print ISBN: 9783319576084

This unique account of English language acquisition by Latino elders shines an intimate light on the increasingly complex concerns of aging immigrant minority populations. Rich qualitative findings detail sociocultural barriers to and social and emotive factors that promote second language acquisition in older age. The book's case study highlights diverse cognitive and social processes as elders establish a sense of self as learners and as part of a learning community, and a sense of place as newcomers navigating a challenging environment. And first-person comments from the group members deftly illustrate the intricacies of being an immigrant in a rapidly changing America as well as the myriad intersections of race/ethnicity, gender, culture, and country that shape immigrant life. Included in the coverage: Minority aging in an immigrant context. Late-life second language acquisition: cognitive and psycholinguistic changes, challenges, and opportunities. Building emotions for self-identity and learning. Practicing safe language socialization in private and public spaces. Language resocialization and gender allies. Aging, second language acquisition, and health. Aging in a Second Language gives clinical social workers, gerontologists, health and cross-cultural psychologists, sociologists, educators and other professionals deep insights into the lives of an emerging active elder population. It also pinpoints challenges and opportunities in research, literacy program design, pedagogy, clinical outreach, education policy, and service delivery to immigrant elders.

eISBN: 9780826198112
Print ISBN: 9780826198099

Research documents that rural elders are poorer, live in less adequate housing, and have far fewer health and service options available to them than their urban counterparts, yet there is a critical lack of current and detailed information on the problems facing rural elders and on the professional practices that serve this population. This text fills this gap by introducing readers to rural areas and their residents and discussing the issues, programs, and policies designed to meet their needs. Through a multidisciplinary lens, it examines and defines specific competencies required for successful work with older adults and their families in these communities. The text presents a research-driven, competency-based approach for the health and human service professionals who work with older rural residents. It discusses both the problems facing older adults and their families and evidence-based solutions regarding policy and best practices. Key issues examined include health and wellness, transportation, housing, long-term care, income, employment, and retirement, along with the needs of special populations (ethnic minorities, immigrants, and the LGBT population). Case examples reinforce an interdisciplinary model that addresses practice with rural elders that encompasses professional competencies, values and ethics, and the roles of a spectrum of health and human service professionals. The text also examines current policies affecting health and social services to rural elders and recommendations for policy change to build an effective health and human service workforce in rural communities. In addition, the text provides discussion questions, PowerPoint slides, a test question bank, and suggested activities and exercises. Key Features: Fills a vacuum regarding information on health and social services for rural elders Provides current and comprehensive knowledge about issues besetting this population and programs and policies designed to meet their needs Examines and defines specific competencies required for effective health and social services Based on a research-driven, competency-based, interdisciplinary approach to policy and best practice

Aging Sourcebook, Second Edition provides information about physiology of aging, impact of stress on aging, and how the brain’s health can make a difference. It also discusses healthy aging through physical activities, healthy food habits, and immunizations. The book provides information on aging-associated diseases and medical conditions such as cancers, cardiovascular disorders, eye disorders, instability, mental disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, respiratory disorders, and more. It also offers tips on using medicines safely and improving the quality of life. It also explains about the abuses faced by elders in their daily lives and the impact it has on them. Suggestions for Medicare assistance for treatments, getting help with caregiving, financial counseling, and end-of-life care are also provided. The book concludes with a glossary of terms related to aging and a directory of organizations that provides information about aging.

eISBN: 9781612495293
Print ISBN: 9781557538185

Effective communication enhances quality of life. InChanging Seasons: A Language Arts Curriculum for Healthy Aging, Denise Calhoun provides a language-based, interdisciplinary program to help older adults improve their communication skills. Each activity reveals new, creative, and fun ways to get individuals to speak, think, write, engage with others, and use their imagination. As the activities promote meaningful interactions and the creation of a stimulating environment, Changing seasons underscore the importance of sustaining quality of life as we and those we love age.

eISBN: 9780268108045
Print ISBN: 9780268108014

Although philosophy, religion, and civic cultures used to help people prepare for aging and dying well, this is no longer the case. Today, aging is frequently seen as a problem to be solved and death as a harsh reality to be masked. In part, our cultural confusion is rooted in an inadequate conception of the human person, which is based on a notion of absolute individual autonomy that cannot but fail in the face of the dependency that comes with aging and decline at the end of life. To help correct the ethical impoverishment at the root of our contemporary social confusion, The Evening of Life provides an interdisciplinary examination of the challenges of aging and dying well. It calls for a re-envisioning of cultural concepts, practices, and virtues that embrace decline, dependency, and finitude rather than stigmatize them. Bringing together the work of sociologists, anthropologists, philosophers, theologians, and medical practitioners, this collection of essays develops an interrelated set of conceptual tools to discuss the current challenges posed to aging and dying well, such as flourishing, temporality, narrative, and friendship. Above all, it proposes a positive understanding of thriving in old age that is rooted in our shared vulnerability as human beings. It also suggests how some of these tools and concepts can be deployed to create a medical system that better responds to our contemporary needs. The Evening of Life will interest bioethicists, medical practitioners, clinicians, and others involved in the care of aging and dying. Contributors: Joseph E. Davis, Sharon R. Kaufman, Paul Scherz, Wilfred M. McClay, Kevin Aho, Charles Guignon, Bryan S. Turner, Janelle S. Taylor, Sarah L. Szanton, Janiece Taylor, and Justin Mutter

eISBN: 9783319601649
Print ISBN: 9783319601632

This book is focused on the Internet of Things (IoT) services and smart environments that can be of assistance to the elderly and individuals living with dementia or some sensory impairment. The book outlines the requirements of the systems that aim to furnish some digital sensory or cognitive assistance to the individuals and their caregivers. Internet of Things and Smart Environments: Assistive Technologies for Disability, Dementia, and Aging covers the important evolutions of the IoT, the sensors, actuators, wireless communication and pervasive computing systems, and other enabling technologies that power up this megatrend infrastructure. The use of the IoT-based systems in improving the conventional assistive technologies and provisions of ambient assisted living are also covered. The book takes an impartial, and yet holistic, view to providing research insights and inspirations for more development works in the areas related to assistive IoT. It will show the potentials of using normally available interactive devices, like smartphones or smart TVs, which can be supplemented with low-cost gadgets or apps to provide assistive capabilities. It aims to accentuate the need for taking a comprehensive and combinatory view of the comprising topics and approaches that are based on the visions and ideas from all stakeholders. The book will examine these points and considerations to conclude with recommendations for future development works and research directions. This book can be of value to a diverse array of audience. The researchers and developers in healthcare and medicine, aged care and disability services, as well as those working in the IoT-related fields, may find many parts of this book useful and stimulating. It can be of great value to postgraduate and research students working in these areas. It can also be adapted for use in upper-level classroom courses relevant to communication and smart technologies, IoT applications, and assistive technologies. Many parts of the book can be of interest to the elderly and individuals living with a disability, as well as their families and caregivers. From an industry perspective, it can be of interest to software, hardware, and particularly app developers working on the IoT applications, smart homes and environments, and assistive technologies for the elderly and people living with disability or dementia.

eISBN: 9781351977357
Print ISBN: 9781138285583

Originally published in 1995, within the previous decade there had been significant developments in our understanding of the learning and motivation, together with the conceptual and cognitive development, of older adults. This understanding had been enhanced by findings from longitudinal studies which were now becoming available. These findings demonstrated the gains that had been made in research. In the past, inappropriately conceived studies have led to the perpetuation of myths and stereotypes about the intellectual development of older people. Special attention is paid in this book to changing perceptions of ageing and intelligence, learning aptitude, memory and intelligence testing. The important topic of ageing and wisdom is also discussed.

eISBN: 9783319303468
Print ISBN: 9783319303444

This text covers basic principles and practice of on-call psychiatric care in the geriatric patient in various medical settings. It compiles the most likely complaints and provides assessment and management tools for each situation. Written and edited by expert geriatric psychiatrists, emergency psychiatrists, consultation/liaison psychiatrists, geriatricians, and other multidisciplinary specialists, this is the first handbook devoted to on-call geriatric psychiatry. Chapters contain an important summary of key points for managing clinical situations, case studies, and reflective questions.  This text brings together relevant principles of on-call geriatric psychiatry provided in clinical settings such as emergency, acute and subacute inpatient, outpatient, residential, correctional, and consultation/liaison. It includes clinical topics such as psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, substance abuse, and includes coverage of medical ethics and the law, utilization of contemporary technology, and administrative and public health policy.   On-Call Geriatric Psychiatry is the first practical guide to knit together evidence-based medicine and geriatric psychiatric principles and practice guidelines and is a valuable resource for trainees, psychiatrists, geriatricians, emergency departments, nursing home physicians, and other health professionals working with older adult patients.

eISBN: 9780199336968
Print ISBN: 9780199336951

This Second Edition of the Handbook addresses the evolving interdisciplinary health care context and the broader social work practice environment, as well as advances in the knowledge base which guides social work service delivery in health and aging. This includes recent enhancements in the theories of gerontology, innovations in clinical interventions, and major developments in the social policies that structure and finance health care and senior services. In addition, the policy reforms of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act set in motion a host of changes in the United States healthcare system with potentially profound implications for the programs and services which provide care to older adults and their families. In this volume, the most experienced and prominent gerontological health care scholars address a variety of populations that social workers serve, and the arenas in which they practice, followed by detailed recommendations of best practices for an array of physical and mental health conditions. The volume's unprecedented attention to diversity, health care trends, and implications for practice, research, policy make the publication a major event in the field of gerontological social work. This is a Must-Read for all social work social work educators, practitioners, and students interested in older adults and their families.

eISBN: 9781784504496
Print ISBN: 9781785921810

The effects of social interaction and engagement with older people have been proven to considerably improve quality of life and emotional wellbeing. This book comes packed with ready-to-use activities for groups of older people, aimed at connecting individuals, developing their self-esteem, and encouraging personal expression and independence. The activities are intended to be led by facilitators working with groups of older people in residential homes, drop-in or day centres, hospices, clubs for older people, hospitals, or support groups. The activities range from creative arts to storytelling to sports, and are all designed to keep both bodies and minds sharp, while encouraging positive relationships with others.

eISBN: 9781421414997
Print ISBN: 9781421414980

Resilience is a key component in maintaining health and happiness in old age. When aging adults struggle with social isolation, financial instability, or the difficult work of caring for a spouse with a chronic illness, their levels of stress can be enormous. But many older adults are living longer and are trying to make the best of their later years despite being more vulnerable to stress. In Resilience and Aging, renowned geriatric psychiatrist Dr. Helen Lavretsky explains how enhanced resilience--which involves positively adapting to adversity in a way that maintains a person's biological and psychological equilibrium--can counter that vulnerability. She describes how care, practice, and research all can be redirected toward emphasizing the positive aspects of aging and prevention. Lavretsky summarizes the most up-to-date research on resilience, neurobiology, and preventive care. She also describes novel interventions--including yoga, tai chi, meditation, and allopathic techniques--that can help older adults improve their cognition and quality of life. Finally, she explores relevant clinical cases from her practice. Designed for geriatric practitioners, researchers, and family caregivers, this practical book offers critical information on measuring resilience, the role of spirituality in reducing stress, and incorporating resilience-building procedures into clinical practice or everyday life. Throughout, the book's revolutionary integrative approach aims to amplify personal happiness by allowing aging adults to remain healthy and active while simultaneously reducing the cost of chronic disease to families and society.

eISBN: 9781784503871
Print ISBN: 9781785921230

The significance of attachment theory for working with older people has been overlooked, and yet its importance is clear - evident in the experiences of people who struggle to adapt to new ways of living, to life with limiting health conditions, or to new social networks. This book explains how an understanding of attachment theory can empower health and social care staff, and improve the care of older people. It also serves as an accessible introduction to strengths-based working, covering principles and practice as well as key practice issues such as positive risk-taking, supporting people with dementia, working in end of life settings and working with whole families. With in-depth case studies depicting a broad span of experiences and easy to use tools for practice, this practical guide serves as an essential guide for all staff supporting older adults. This hands-on guide will help frontline workers convert this policy vision into practice.

eISBN: 9781118772072
Print ISBN: 9781118771778

A thought-provoking treatise on understanding and treating the aging mind and brain This handbook recognizes the critical issues surrounding mind and brain health by tackling overarching and pragmatic needs so as to better understand these multifaceted issues. This includes summarizing and synthesizing critical evidence, approaches, and strategies from multidisciplinary research--all of which have advanced our understanding of the neural substrates of attention, perception, memory, language, decision-making, motor behavior, social cognition, emotion, and other mental functions. Written by a plethora of health experts from around the world, The Wiley Handbook on the Aging Mind and Brain offers in-depth contributions in 7 sections: Introduction; Methods of Assessment; Brain Functions and Behavior across the Lifespan; Cognition, Behavior and Disease; Optimizing Brain Function in Health and Disease; Forensics, Competence, Legal, Ethics and Policy Issues; and Conclusion and New Directions. Geared toward improving the recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of many brain-based disorders that occur in older adults and that cause disability and death Seeks to advance the care of patients who have perceptual, cognitive, language, memory, emotional, and many other behavioral symptoms associated with these disorders Addresses principles and practice relevant to challenges posed by the US National Academy of Sciences and National Institute of Aging (NIA) Presents materials at a scientific level that is appropriate for a wide variety of providers The Wiley Handbook on the Aging Mind and Brain is an important text for neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, physiatrists, geriatricians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and other primary caregivers who care for patients in routine and specialty practices as well as students, interns, residents, and fellows.

eISBN: 9781000975710
Print ISBN: 9781579229153

Chapter 9: Older Adult Learning in Community Colleges: A New Wave of Learners

Co-published with This timely volume addresses the urgent need for new strategies and better ways to serve community colleges' present and future students at a time of rapid diversification, not just racially and ethnically, but including such groups as the undocumented, international students, older adult learners and veterans, all of whom come with varied levels of academic and technical skillsThe contributing researchers, higher education faculty, college presidents, and community college administrators provide thorough understanding of student groups who have received scant attention in the higher education literature. They address the often unconscious barriers to access our institutions have erected and describe emerging strategies, frameworks, and pilot projects that can ease students' transition into college and through the maze of the college experience to completion. They offer advice on organizational culture, on defining institutional outcomes, on aligning shifting demographics with the multiple missions of the community college, on strengthening the collaboration of student and academic affairs to leverage their respective roles and resources, and on engaging with the opportunities afforded by technology.Divided into three parts - understanding today's community college campuses; supporting today's community college learners; and specialized populations and communities - this book offers a vision and solutions that should inform the work of faculty, administrators, presidents, and board members.