Low health literacy is a critical issue among adults, with over one-third found to have difficulty understanding such basic information as that found on prescription bottles. This is the first graduate textbook to address key health literacy issues as they affect the health and wellbeing of the ageing population. Embracing a topic spanning numerous disciplines, it features a dynamic, multiple contextual systems approach and includes contributions from renowned scholars and practitioners in gerontology, public health, social work, nursing, and other related fields. The text emphasises increasing health literacy among older adults through the use of technological tools and features the most current research, evidence-based programs, and practices. It provides expansive coverage of the intersection of technology and health literacy, highlighting innovative approaches and discussing how to use technology with resource-limited groups, and gives special consideration to rural, impoverished, culturally diverse, and low literacy elders and presents gold standard intervention programs and models. Also covered are the policy implications of programs focusing on increasing health literacy and future directions for meeting the Healthy People 2020 initiative. Case studies, review questions, accompanying PowerPoint lectures, learning objectives, will reinforce learning. Key Features: Provides a one-of-a-kind, multidisciplinary survey of the key health literacy issues of older adults. Focuses on increasing health literacy across the disciplines. Addresses a priority area of Healthy People 2020. Incorporates research and practice from gerontology, psychology, public health, social work, sociology, medicine, and nursing. Includes case studies, review questions, learning objectives, and PowerPoint slides for assisting instructors.

Focusing on the need for developing new service delivery models for the aged, Health Care of the Aged examines fiscal, political, and social criteria influencing this challenge of the 1990s. The aged are caught in the sweeping changes currently occuring in the financing, organizing, and delivery of human and health care services. From various perspectives, this new book will help shape the direction for elderly health care program development and implementation. With an emphasis on greater long-term care in either home, community, or institutional settings, this important book will increase the understanding for a comprehensive, effective policy designed to carry the growing number of elderly through this decade and into the next. As roles and issues change, this valuable book will become increasingly important to those involved in providing services and care to the elderly. Health care administrators, policymakers, social workers, physical and occupational therapists, and caregivers will benefit from the expertise presented in Health Care of the Aged.

Two cogent arguments about end-of-life careand carefully reasoned responses from experts End-of-Life Care: Bridging Disability and Aging with Person Centered Care features two primary papers on the controversial issue of end-of-life care within the disabled and aging populations. Each paper explainsclearly and honestlythe multitude of issues involved in using person centered care. The first is from a father and nationally known advocate for the disabledRud Turnbullspeaking from a disability perspective about his disabled son. The second is from respected theologian M. J. Iozzio speaking from the aging perspective about her father's Alzheimer's disease. Responses from experts in the field follow, thoughtfully raising further points to consider about policies, ethics, quality of life, and consent. The two central papers from End-of-Life Care focus on person centered, interdependent care using the personal reflections of two close family members and their views about end-of-life care. The responses that follow each are direct, thoughtful, and concentrate on the issues in end-of-life planning using person centered care. This difficult and important issue is discussed in detail by lawyers, theologians, clinical practitioners, and professional service providers, and includes several revealing personal stories about end-of-life experiences. Helpful resources for both policy and practice are also presented to assist the reader to learn more. End-of-Life Care discusses: who, how, and on what grounds end-of-life decisions should be made for the developmentally/intellectually disabled best practices information from Volunteers of America's Last Passages project the unique challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and their families when confronting issues of death and dying the protection of the rights of the disabled from discrimination person centered care for the aging with complicating health conditions like Alzheimer's Disease helping all people to clearly communicate their end-of-life wishes End-of-Life Care explores explores policy, theological, and personal dimensions of end of life care, and the ways that person centered care can bridge the fields of aging and disabilty.

Here is an informative overview of the causes and consequences of elder abuse in countries around the world. This book delves into the global problem of elder abuse and identifies similarities and differences that occur from country to country. Elder Abuse: International and Cross-Cultural Perspectives increases understanding of the problem of elder abuse, helping you recognize more easily the causes of elder abuse in your own country and find tactics to counter these causes. Strategies from around the world can help in the development of local community resources and social policies to minimize the occurrence of elder abuse and its impact on the elderly, their families, and all members of society.Elder Abuse: International and Cross-Cultural Perspectives discusses elder abuse in countries ranging from Australia to Finland, from South Africa to Hong Kong, from Ireland to Israel. It addresses the consequences of aging, dynamics of elder abuse, family care of the elderly, formal and informal mechanisms for preventing elder abuse, and methods by which to publicize possibilities of abuse. In each chapter, authors explore: the definition of elder abuse in their country the extent of the problem causes of the problem (as related to values and practices) societal attitudes regarding the existence of the problem private and public efforts to detect and prevent the problem and to intervene where it has occurredElder Abuse: International and Cross-Cultural Perspectives provides the impetus for community resources, social planning, and public resources. It is of interest to individuals who work in social work, nursing, and psychology settings and to those in social science fields of sociology, anthropology, and gerontology. The book can also serve as an enlightening reader for undergraduate and graduate/professional education.

This state-of-the-art handbook will keep researchers and practitioners in gerontology abreast of the newest theories and models of ageing. With virtually all new contributors and content, this edition contains 35 chapters by the most highly respected luminaries in the field. It addresses theories and concepts built on cumulative knowledge in four disciplinary areas - biology, psychology, social sciences, and policy and practice - as well as landmark advances in trans-disciplinary science. With its explicit focus on theory, the handbook is unique in providing essential knowledge about primary explanations for ageing, spanning from cells to societies. The chapters in the third edition place a strong emphasis on the future of theory development, assessing the current state of theories and providing a roadmap for how theory can shape research, and vice versa, in years to come. Many chapters also address connections between theories and policy or practice. Each set of authors has been asked to consider how theories in their area address matters of diversity and inequalities in aging, and how theories might be revised or tested with these matters in mind. The third edition also contains a new section, "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants", which includes personal essays by senior gerontologists who share their perspectives on the history of ideas in their fields, and on their experiences with the process and prospects of developing good theory. Hallmarks of the third edition: Highlights important gains in trans-disciplinary theories of ageing. Emphasises the future of theory development. Provides insights on theory development from living legends in gerontology. Examines what human diversity and inequality mean for ageing theories. Emphasises interconnections between theory, research, intervention, and policy. Underscores international issues with greater representation of international authors. Includes section introductions by the editors and associate editors that summarise theoretical developments. Key Features: Highlights variability and diversity in aging processes, from the cellular level of biological ageing to the societal level of public policy. Provides insights on theory development from living legends in gerontology. Offers intergenerational, interdisciplinary, and international perspectives. Disseminates a forward-thinking, future-oriented focus in theory development.

What are the long term effects of retirement on family relationships? Do personality characteristics or attitudes of one spouse impinge on the other spouse's retirement plans and adjustment? What differences exist in the ways males and females adapt to retirement? Leading researchers in the fields of family studies and gerontology present enlightening information on the impact of retirement on family relations. Original essays focus on gender and ethnic differences, the role of children, siblings, and significant others, and the multiple changes retirement creates in marriage. In addition, a variety of theoretical models, existing research, and methodological problems in studying retired families are explored. Families and Retirement is essential reading for graduate students, researchers, and professionals in gerontology, sociology, social work, family psychology, and policy studies. "This is a well-written book. The editors have done a great job in selecting chapter authors whose research is important and directly related to the focus of the book. . . . The book will be an excellent text for sociology classes focusing mainly on retirement. It will also serve well as a supplemental text in gerontology, family studies, economics, and other college and university courses wherein retirement is studied." --Journal of Marriage and the Family "Just when it seems too complex a task to produce a text that addresses retirement from the perspective of the family, a new work appears that does just that. . . . The editors have successfully expanded [the] traditional concern with the individual by choosing studies showing relationships and issues on aspects of retirement and family." --Family Relations

Throughout the world's hinterland regions, people are growing old in resource-dependent communities that were neither originally designed nor presently equipped to support an ageing population. This book provides cutting edge theoretical and empirical insights into the new phenomenon resource frontier ageing, to understand the diverse experiences of and responses to rural population ageing in the early 21st century. The book explores the resource hinterland as a new frontier of rural ageing and examines three central themes of rural population change, community development and voluntarism that characterize ageing resource communities. By investigating the links among these three themes, the book provides the conceptual and empirical foundations for the future agenda of rural ageing research. This timely contribution contains 15 original chapters by leading international experts from Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, UK, Ireland and Norway.

This comprehensive graduate textbook focuses on the full spectrum of long-term care settings ranging from family and community based care through supportive housing options to a variety of institutional long-term care alternatives. Integrating theory and practice, the book features the perspectives of diverse fields regarding current long-term care options and new directions for the future. Prominent scholars from history, environmental design, family caregiving, gerontology, social service delivery, clinical care, health service delivery, public policy, finance, law, and ethics explore such themes as relationships among independence, dependence, and interdependence; ethical considerations in the provision of long-term care; decision-making in long-term care; fluidity and transitions in long-term care; the lived experience of long-term care; and a micro-macro perspective ranging from the individual to societal institutions.

Elder abuse has been increasingly recognised over the past ten years in many countries and progress has been made in both understanding and addressing the issue. This volume provides a much-needed international overview of the topic.

Opening with an examination of what elder abuse is, Amanda Phelan sets it in a theoretical context and looks at assessment and approaches to the issue in residential and community care environments. The book then presents a range of country studies, which provide an overview of the context of elder abuse in the country and a discussion of related policy, legislation, research and practice. Countries covered include Ireland, United Kingdom, Spain, China, Australia, Kenya, Israel, Canada and the United States, whilst a regional chapter looks at South America. A concluding chapter draws together cross-cultural comparisons and provides some guidance as to best practice.

The only comprehensive book in this area, "International Perspectives on Elder Abuse" is an invaluable reference for practitioners, academics and researchers from a range of disciplines, including nursing, social work, sociology, public health and social policy.

Vivid case examples help to guide nurses in developing appropriate interventions that include complementary and alternative health therapies and provide a basis for evaluating outcomes. Exercises interspersed throughout each case study include numerous open-ended and multiple-choice questions to facilitate learning and critical thinking. The text is unique in that some of the presented cases focus on psychosocial issues such as gambling addiction, hoarding behaviour, emergency preparedness, and long-distance caregiving. Cases also depict geriatric clients who are living healthy, productive lives to counter myths and negative attitudes about older adults. Scenarios demonstrating ethical dilemmas prepare students to appropriately respond to "gray area" situations. The text is geared for AACN and NLN Accreditation and is organized according to the needs of actual clinical settings. With cases that take place in the home and community or within primary, acute, and long-term care facilities, this book will be useful for courses specific to gerontology nursing or across any nursing curriculum. New to the Second Edition: A completely new section of Aging Issues Affecting the Family New cases addressing Healthcare Disparities, Aging in Place, and Prevention of Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection Additional contemporary case studies Additional video clips and animations embedded throughout the text The addition of Quality for Safety in Nursing Education (QSEN) Initiatives A greater focus on prioritization and delegation of client's needs infused throughout exercises

Today more than 10 million people require some form of long-term care, a number that is rapidly increasing and will continue to do so for years to come. This concise and user-friendly resource contains the fundamental information long-term care nurses need to provide all aspects of safe and effective care to their patients in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Written by a renowned and highly respected nurse leader in long-term care and gerontology, it presents key facts and core competencies related to the clinical and managerial responsibilities of nurses in these settings. Information on the specific skills required for this challenging specialty, as well as must-know information on regulatory standards, site visits, management and leadership, and dementia care, is presented in a consistent format for quick access to information. The guide embodies a holistic approach to nursing that recognizes the importance of quality of life in addition to quality of care. It provides an overview of the unique features of long-term care, addressing the operational differences in these settings from those of acute settings, the distinct responsibilities of long-term care nurses, special needs of the residents, and major clinical challenges. Since most long-term care nurses are responsible for supervising unlicensed personnel, the book addresses relevant management and leadership issues. The guide also covers legal risks, documentation essentials, and the importance of self-care. Additionally, it offers guidance in the use of evidence-based knowledge within the constraints of long-term settings. Features such as ""Pearls of Wisdom"" and ""Fast Facts Highlights"" assist readers in reinforcing and applying content. Also included are plentiful resources for more in-depth information. The book will also serve as a useful study resource for Long-Term Nursing Care Certification. Key Features: Embodies the essential competencies for long-term care nursing practice Presents information in a concise easy-to-access format with bulleted facts, ""Pearls of Wisdom,"" and ""Fast Facts Highlights"" Addresses management and leadership issues germane to the long-term care setting Includes must-know information on regulatory standards, site visits, legal risks, documentation essentials, and more Guides nurses in using evidence-based knowledge in long-term care settings

The fifth edition of this widely used book by caregivers brings to you updated and revised content, built on the basic understanding that medicine does not work in a vacuum, but rather alongside other disciplines to provide the environment for a healthy and fulfilling long life. Edited by alumni and senior faculty at McGill University, with international contributions, this book advocates the achievement of better, longer, satisfying, and more productive lives for older persons. It is a helpful resource for physicians, professional caregivers, therapists, students, and residents in medical and nursing disciplines, who care for our burgeoning older population and need to know what to look for and when to consult specialists. Key Features: 1. Follows a uniform structure with many chapters having a hypothetical vignette for instructional purposes and with the clinical chapters detailing the features and diagnosis of given conditions, along with possible management protocols specific to afflicted older individuals. 2. Builds on the success of the previous four editions to provide high-quality content from international experts for physicians and other caregivers in the field. 3. Provides possible management for pressing problems, including the nursing home challenge, pandemics such as COVID, and precision therapy for cancer.

This book provides the most comprehensive analysis available of the challenges created by Europe's ageing population. Grounded in state-of-the-art scientific assessments by leading European researchers, the book is strongly policy focused. Indeed this book contains a detailed account of the policies required across a broad field, from economic sustainability and extending working lives, to healthy ageing, technological innovation, long term care and political citizenship, for the successful adaptation to the challenges of ageing in Europe and globally. It is a policy manifesto to ensure that the future of ageing in Europe is transformed into a highly beneficial one for both citizens and societies.

Non-motor Parkinson's Disease is a burgeoning area of the movement disorders field, as patients increasingly live longer and encounter more late-stage symptoms. The spectrum of non-motor manifestations spans much of the body, with non-motor features occurring in all stages of the disease. Identification of symptoms is key for preserving quality of life and successful treatment. This is a practical manual on all aspects of pre-motor and non-motor manifestations of Parkinson's. The genetic causes of non-motor symptoms are detailed and methods of patient evaluation summarized. Topics such as autonomic and sexual dysfunction, mood disorders, and drug-induced symptoms of non-motor Parkinson's are covered in depth. This is an essential resource for movement disorder specialists, neurologists and other clinicians involved in caring for those with Parkinson's disease.

Describes a wealth of diverse employment opportunities in gerontology and how to land them. How do you know if a career in gerontology is right for you? What opportunities exist in the field? Completely updated to reflect significant changes to policy and management of resources, the second edition of 101 Careers in Gerontology provides a wealth of helpful and timely guidance in this rapidly growing field. Written for all levels of job seekers ranging from community college students to credential-seeking professionals, the book outlines a multitude of opportunities that dovetail with careers ranging from Sociologist and Home Care Agency Administrator to Architect and Documentary Filmmaker. Interviews with practitioners provide insight into job particulars and the experience of starting out with a degree versus on-the-job-learning. The book describes five emerging gerontology-related fields, updates already existing job profiles including salary scales, and includes many new careers and their education requirements. New interviews are replete with advice and job search tips. The section "Thoughts and Advice from Leaders in the Field of Aging", adds additional grist to the mill. Surprising additions to the list of career profiles include Retirement System Wealth Manager, Custom Clothier, Health Coach, Social or Cultural Historian, Travel/Tourism Specialist, Senior Theater Director, and many others. This second edition encompasses career changes and opportunities resulting from the newly created Administration from Community Living (ACL), and those influenced by policy changes in Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and the Affordable Health Act. Also new to the second edition are lists of gerontology professional organizations that can be helpful career search resources and links to professional organizations specific to each career profile. Changes to the Second Edition Include: Many new careers and their education requirements Updated job profiles including salary scales A description of three types of commonly required credentials and how to prepare for them Coverage of such emerging fields as Entrepreneurial Gerontology, Global Aging, Journalism and Aging, and Urban Gerontology Career changes resulting from policy changes in relevant government agencies Lists of professional organizations specific to each career profile 13 new interviews and 12 interviews updated from first edition Information about national, international, and local gerontology organizations including student and new professional member sections Updated and expanded glossary of acronyms

The Last Years of Long Lives is a unique account of that period of old age which precedes death. Based on 400 complete individual histories and covering a twenty-year period, it looks at the experiences of people over eighty years old in three important areas: disability, family life and health care. Using the life-course approach to research, it reveals rich data about the contributions of formal and informal care and how life expectancy and experiences of disability interact with experiences of care. The reader is invited to conceptualise these phenomena as processes in continuous time - processes that are sometimes long and complex, sometimes short and simple - and learns about the four types of disability career before death. At the same time, the author presents a three-stage model of informal care and examines the main patterns of formal service use. The Last Years of Long Lives presents a new way of looking at old age for students, researchers, practitioners and policy makers and gives a comprehensive picture of what has been called 'the fourth age'.

Resilience is an area of growing interest within critical gerontology and policy agendas. In this book, researchers from multiple disciplines critically reflect on ways in which cultural engagement can develop social connectivity and improve resilience for older people, and how the built environment, community living, cultural participation, lifelong learning, and artist-led interventions can all help people to thrive in older age.

Assisted living is a rapidly evolving industry, and many personnel lack adequate knowledge of emerging regulatory and reimbursement issues, resident care models, and marketing needs. A panel of experts covers clinical, business, and operational aspects of assisted living, presenting innovative approaches to providing a superior atmosphere of care. Most operators/administrators of assisted living (AL) facilities have backgrounds in long-term care or other residential care facilities and are familiar with basic facility operations. This book is designed to assist these individuals to cross train in their new positions. While avoiding both the dry detail of an operations textbook and the theoretical focus sometimes found in academic texts, this book thoughtfully covers the key business aspects and the fundamental resident care aspects of assisted living success.

Training and education are indispensable for the growth and success of those assisted living administrators who, although familiar with basic facility operation methods, lack specific knowledge about regulatory requirements, Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement issues, health prevention and promotion models, and marketing needs specific to an AL facility. This book provides readers with innovative approaches to operation of different components of an assisted living facility and relies on examples and case studies to show how a superior atmosphere of care can be provided.

Focusing on mental health rather than mental illness, this book adopts a lifecourse approach to understanding mental health and wellbeing in later life. Well-respected author and scholar Alisoun Milne explores the influences of lifecourse experiences, structural inequalities, socio-political context, history, gender and age related factors and engages with new ways of thinking about preventing mental ill health and promoting mental health in later life. Drawing together material from a number of different fields, the book analyses the meaning and determinants of mental health among older populations and offers a critical review of the lifecourse, ageing and mental health discourse for students, professionals, policy makers and researchers.

Demographic changes transform societies and challenge existing institutional solutions and policies. The need for policies addressing these challenges has increasingly been put on the agenda. The Making of Ageing Policy analyzes these innovative policy ideas and practices at both the international and the national level. The book provides insights into the value basis and justifications of ageing policies, the potential for conflict and how policy ideas are embedded in institutional defense and advocacy for institutional change and reform. In terms of policy ideas the economically focused 'productive ageing' dominates, but the book finds instances where the broader 'active ageing' approach has gained a hold in policymaking. Ageing policy reforms within pensions and labour market policy include measures to make people extend their working life. In long-term care reforms abound, and implies changes in the responsibility of financing and provision but the patterns across countries differ substantially. The authors provide normative analysis of ageing policy ideas, divulge political conflicts and consensus on ageing policy, and contribute by describing and analyzing the changing institutional landscape of ageing politics and policies throughout Europe. It will prove insightful for academics and researchers in the field, but it will also appeal to practitioners who are increasingly dealing with demographic challenges across a wide number of policy sectors in their daily affairs. Contributors include: M. Doyle, Z. Drozdzak, R. Ervik, L. Foster, I. Helgoy, N. Kildal, G. Lamura, T.S. Linden, M.G. Melchiorre, E. Nilssen, J. Perek-Bialas, A. Principi, A. Ruzik-Sierdzinska, C. Schiller, V. Timonen, K. Turek, A. Walker

The editors undertook this project to promote the International Conference on Death, Grief, and Bereavement in La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA. Throughout its history, the conference has attracted internationally known speakers. This book illustrates the quality of their presentations. Section One, "Professional Applications in End of Life Care," begins with Currier, Hammer, and Neimeyer's examination of the importance of the social network, including both religion and family, not just the individual, in working with those at the end of their lives. The authors analyse the impact of social support and its health implications. In Chapter 2, Parkes looks at the influence of child development on adult life and bereavement. Rather than simply showing how insecure child development affects loss as adults, he examines how insecure attachments in childhood can lead to extreme attachments to God, homes, territories, political leaders, and symbols and discusses interventions for these extreme attachments. Papadatou (Chapter 3) develops a model for professionals and caregivers who work with the dying. She suggests that those who give care to the dying also have multiple needs and also face suffering, examines the private world of professionals and what is healthy and what is unavoidable, and describes both functional and dysfunctional coping patterns used by professionals. Kobler (Chapter 4) uses case studies to explain how to develop and maintain relationships with children and their families in paediatric palliative care. She offers strategies for using rituals and ways to initiate and maintain relationships with children and their families. Thompson (Chapter 5) focuses on the effects of working in situations involving high levels of emotion and the stress that may result. He makes a strong case that such stress can do harm to individuals, groups, and whole organisations and offers a model for a more holistic approach that incorporates social and organisational strategies and practical ways to prevent and manage stress. Eves-Baine and colleagues (Chapter 6) examine the application of paediatric and adult-based principles to the newborn period. They discuss how to create the best situations for families when life-sustaining medical therapy has been withdrawn, how to support the family, and the ethical challenges that perinatal palliative care presents. The authors offer models for care through the journey of palliative and bereavement care. Section Two, "Facing End of Life and Its Care," begins with Gilbert's chapter presenting a strong argument that caregivers need to honour the multiple tracks that come with dying while maintaining a focus on the wishes of the dying person. He offers ways for the team to better meet the needs of the dying person. Koppleman (Chapter 8) follows the journey of a friend who faced death. It is a powerful story, told from the point of view of the dying in a scholarly fashion. Smith and Potter (Chapter 9) suggest that palliative care for the dying can be defined as offering "comfort care," both for those who are dying and for their loved ones. The authors present a model of the psycho-spiritual side of palliative care as a way of offering comfort to all those involved. Adams (Chapter 10) examines different methods of working with patients and families. It looks at the ways in which such work can be complicated by factors of geographic distance, differences in family reactions, differences in treatment plan concepts, and in meaning making. All of these factors may become stumbling blocks and may prevent the delivery of positive support. Pizzini (Chapter 11) looks at the experience of dying in prison from the perspective of inmates who are terminally ill, prison medical staff, and prison security staff. She discusses how to maintain dignity of the dying and a "good death" while in prison. McCord (Chapter 12) discusses attempts by hospice patients and others diagnosed with terminal illnesses to die either by their own hand or with physician assistance. She presents common risk factors, strategies to assess the degree of risk and possible plans for suicide and suicide postvention in the context of hospice. Section Three, "Cultural Considerations in End-of-Life Care" begins with The End of Life: Two Perspectives in which Robert G. Stevenson looks at two perspectives on the end of life that are not often examined in terms of their impact on the individual and his/her attitude toward this time. The two perspectives are that of adolescents, and that are shown in a military ceremony used in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Feu de Joie or Fire of Joy. In Chapter Fourteen, Janet McCord discusses suicide attempts by hospice patients and others diagnosed with terminal illnesses to die either by their own hand or with physician assistance. Connor's description of the need for hospice and palliative care around the world and the challenges of developing palliative care globally, and offers models that can be used around the world. Cox and Cox (Chapter 15) suggest ways to offer end-of-life care to Roman Catholics who do not fit the traditional model of hospice care and examine special needs, theology, and rituals. Cox and Sullivan (Chapter 16) offer suggestions on end-of-life care for American Indians, explaining cultural differences among American Indians and suggesting ways to improve care to a group that is generally neglected in hospice care. Smith (Chapter 17) looks at the cultural differences and understandings of Fundamentalist Christian views of a "good death" and the afterlife, ways to negotiate faith understandings that complicate end-of-life care, and ways to comfort individuals who may be marginalised because they do not share the theological views of the dying individual or key family members.

The many significant technological and medical advances of the 21st century cannot overcome the escalating risk posed to older adults by such stressors as pain, weakness, fatigue, depression, anxiety, memory and other cognitive deficits, hearing loss, visual impairment, isolation, marginalization, and physical and mental illness. In order to overcome these and other challenges, and to maintain as high a quality of life as possible, older adults and the professionals who treat them need to promote and develop the capacity for resilience, which is innate in all of us to some degree. The purpose of this book is to provide the current scientific theory, clinical guidelines, and real-world interventions with regard to resilience as a clinical tool. To that end, the book addresses such issues as concepts and operationalization of resilience; relevance of resilience to successful aging; impact of personality and genetics on resilience; relationship between resilience and motivation; relationship between resilience and survival; promoting resilience in long-term care; and the lifespan approach to resilience. By addressing ways in which the hypothetical and theoretical concepts of resilience can be applied in geriatric practice, Resilience in Aging provides inroads to the current knowledge and practice of resilience from the perspectives of physiology, psychology, culture, creativity, and economics. In addition, the book considers the impact of resilience on critical aspects of life for older adults such as policy issues (e.g., nursing home policies, Medicare guidelines), health and wellness, motivation, spirituality, and survival. Following these discussions, the book focuses on interventions that increase resilience. The intervention chapters include case studies and are intended to be useful at the clinical level. The book concludes with a discussion of future directions in optimizing resilience in the elderly and the importance of a lifespan approach to aging.

Ethnic minorities represent a growing percentage of the elderly population in the United States. Yet, the impact of aging on minority groups and subgroups has only been partially studied. Now, Minorities, Aging, and Health begins to fill the gap and open up the debate on how to provide for the specific needs of an increasingly diverse elderly population. In order to provide as complete and current overview as possible, the contributors examine a variety of populations, including Hispanics, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans. Some specific issues covered in this volume include: mortality and life expectancy, the incidence of disease and disabilities, diet and nutrition, access to health services and long-term care, and public health care policy. This book is both timely and unique, thus making it a welcome addition to the literature on aging for scholars and health care professionals. It will be an invaluable resource in the fields of gerontology, public health, ethnic studies, and nursing.

As the average age of the U.S. population continues to increase, age-related policies have come under intense scrutiny, sparking heated debates. In the past, older people were seen as a frail, dependent population, but major policies enacted or expanded on their behalf have made them major players in electoral and interest-group politics. This thoroughly revised and updated edition of Robert B. Hudson's "The New Politics of Old Age Policy" not only explains the politics behind the country's age-based programs and describes how those programs work but also assesses how well--or poorly--they meet the growing and changing needs of older Americans.

Essays by leading experts in political science, sociology, law, social work, and gerontology address, among other things, theoretical approaches to age-based policy; population dynamics and the impact of growing diversity within the older population; and national, state, and local issues associated with major age-based programs. More than any other source, this book presents the most current information on growing older in the United States, including in-depth analyses of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, housing initiatives, the Older Americans Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and tax policy.

Detailed new chapters focus on financial security and retirement in the context of the Great Recession, diversity and inequality in aging populations, and implications of the Affordable Care Act. Scholars, students, and policymakers will appreciate the volume's timely overview of the evolution of aging policy.

This book will help readers to better understand and address a strange social phenomenon: the apparent choice by some seniors to live in squalor. Seniors and Squalor examines the widespread and growing phenomenon of mentally competent senior citizens living in self-imposed squalor and refusing help, whether from health care professionals, government, or family. At this juncture of medicine and law, many families have experienced frustration, embarrassment, and heartbreak. The book also explores associated ethical questions, arguing that society can address the problem while respecting individual legal autonomy. For the theorist, this work provides the first in-depth treatment of legal and political theory questions undergirding the issue of self-neglect by seniors. It also underscores the importance of limited government, the necessity of granting American citizens their individual rights, and the critical need to stop classifying self-neglect as abuse. This is an ideal read for graduate and undergraduate students, scholars, practitioners of health care and geriatrics, social workers, and lawyers. Most importantly, this book will appeal to those directly affected by the problem-family, friends, and social work professionals-by giving them a broader understanding of this complex social issue and how to best respond to it. Incorporates the latest research concerning laws and medical classifications Offers the first in-depth treatment of legal and political theory questions underlying the issue of self-neglect by senior citizens Includes policy approaches crafted to address the issue at a societal level Raises ethical questions based in the role of government in solving social problems