In this thought-provoking memoir, Nancy Gerber maps the wrenching terrain of caring for an elderly parent. In the fall of 1995, at the age of 73, the author's father suffered a massive stroke on the right side of the brain, rendering him permanently disabled. This catastrophic event plunged the author and her family into a crisis for which they were completely unprepared, one that included financial worries; the need to hire full-time, live-in help; and the specter of putting her father into a nursing home. Even more wrenching was the demise of the parent she had always known. From an active, gregarious man with hobbies and friends - a man who had been working at the time of the stroke - her father became withdrawn, hostile, and silent. This profound loss was aggravated by the stress and anxiety that characterize family caregiving. In honest, evocative prose, the author describes her struggle to negotiate the competing demands of love, filial responsibility, familial conflict, and personal autonomy that arise when a parent becomes ill.

The study of death has the capacity to bring together a range of policy areas. Yet death is often overlooked within policy debates in the UK and beyond, and within gerontology. Bringing together a range of scholars engaged in policy associated with death, this collection provides a holistic account of how death factors in social policy. Within this, issues covered include inheritance, palliative care, euthanasia, funeral costs, bereavement support, marginalised deaths and disposal practices. At the heart of the book, the volume recognises that the issues identified are likely to intensify and expand over the next twenty years, as death rates continue to rise.

"She shares with us her gold - the conception, trial and error implementation, and initial scientific investigation of a new, educationally-oriented treatment approach that she has named mindfulness-based elder care (MBEC)." -from the Foreword by Saki Santorelli, EdD, MA, Associate Professor of Medicine, Executive Director, Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society University of Massachusetts Medical School

Drawing on years of experience as a geriatric social worker and mindfulness-based stress reduction practitioner, the author has taken Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program and adapted it to the particular needs of elders, their families, and professional caregivers. Mindfulness practices focus on abilities, rather than disabilities, in order to provide paths to the inner strengths and resources that we all possess. McBee's "Mindfulness-Based Elder Care" conveys the benefits of mindfulness through meditation, gentle yoga, massage, aromatherapy, humor, and other creative therapies to this special population. She provides clear, concise instructions for her program, as well as a wealth of anecdotal and experiential exercises, to help readers at all levels of experience. Hers is the first book to fully explore the value of mindfulness models for frail elders and their caregivers.

Features of this groundbreaking volume include:
Valuable tips for establishing programs to address each population's specific needs and restrictions Designed for short classes or 8-week courses Detailed experiential exercises for the reader Replete with case studies Clear, easy-to-follow instructions for elders and caregivers at all levels

This innovative book is suitable for use with a variety of populations such as nursing home residents with physical and cognitive challenges, community-dwelling elders, direct-care staff, and non-professional caregivers.

This study reflects a growing recognition of the contribution that studies of the post-war "welfare state" can make to contemporary debates about the restructuring of welfare. Drawing on the community care debates from 1971 to 1993, it illuminates contemporary concerns about such key issues as rationing care, the health and social care divide, the changing role of residential care and the growing emphasis on provider competition "From community care to market care?" focuses on the interpretation and development of national policy at local authority level in four contrasting local authorities. The authors outline the development of welfare services for older people from 1971 to 1993, and explore whether service developments in this period were as inadequate as claimed by the proponents of radical change. The continuities and changes in the pre- and post-1990 NHS and Community Care Act systems of community care are also examined The results of the study should make a significant contribution to the community care provision for older people. The book will be of interest to academic, policy and practitioner audiences.

A practical guide to providing home-based mental health services, Providing Home Care for Older Adults teaches readers how to handle the unique aspects of home-based care and apply and adapt evidence-based assessment and treatment within the home-based setting. Featuring contributions from experienced, board-certified home care psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists, the book explains the multifaceted role of a home-based provider, offers concrete and practical considerations for working within the home, and highlights adaptations to specific evidence-based methods used in treating homebound older adults. Also covered are special topics related to hoarding, safety, capacity evaluations, caregivers, case management, and use of technology. Each chapter includes engaging case examples with practical tips that illustrate what it is like to work in this new and exciting frontier. Psychologists, counselors, and other mental health practitioners in home settings will be able to use this guide to provide effective home-based care to older adults.

Worldwide, the population ageing is a reality. The concept of Active Ageing, adopted by the World Health Organization, aims to guarantee quality ageing and appears as a strategy to solve this demographic challenge. The technological solutions might have a key role in the promotion of human functioning and in the mitigation of disabilities, particularly those resulting from the natural ageing process. This perspective is evident in the development of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) solutions. In this context, it is relevant to know about the recent developments in AAL and discuss future trends and challenges in this area. One of the objectives of this book is to do a systematic literature review on AAL, not only considering the technology used, but also the health condition that is intended to improve. For this purpose, we consider the human functioning, in particular the conceptual model of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Considering that the ICF conceptual framework is accepted within the healthcare domain, the use of its concepts and terminologies to promote multidisciplinary approaches for AAL solutions development processes can help to overcome difficulties of communication between users, careers and technological developers. AAL solutions must consider in their development the needs of the person that will use AAL solutions. The development must be user-centred and usability questions cannot be forgotten. In addition, the acceptance of the AAL solutions is closely related to the quality of the systems, so it is necessary to appropriately assess these solutions.

Despite being integral parts of all our identities, sexuality, sex and intimacy are what many would call the Last Taboo in dementia care, usually seen as 'problem behaviours' to be stopped and dealt with. Informed by a combination of accessible neuroscience and person-centred compassion, Danuta Lipinska's new book shows that the human need for intimacy, attachment and sexual expression is as important for supporting the wellbeing and personhood of people with dementia as communication and care. Considering the brain as the body's biggest sex organ, it examines the cognitive changes that occur in dementia and what these changes mean in the context of sexual behaviour and consent. Taking Carl Rogers' Core Conditions and Tom Kitwood's psychological needs of persons living with dementia as a starting point, Lipinska offers a unique model for person-centred conversations about sex and sexuality that we have not seen before.

Written by leading thinkers in the field, this text provides an in-depth analysis of the economic and policy issues associated with the aging of individuals and populations. With a strong policy focus based on demographic and economic study, this book focuses on "who gets what" from current and proposed government programs that impact on older persons, and how these affect individual behaviour. It does so in a straightforward manner that is accessible to readers with a range of mathematical backgrounds. The discussion concentrates on:
the effects of aging populations on the United States and other nations;
the economic wellbeing of the elderly, highlighting women and minorities;
public and private programs providing income for the elderly;
Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance;
Social Security and Medicare reform options;
employer-based retirement programs and pensions;
retirement patterns and factors influencing retirement decisions.

The authors draw from the experiences of other countries in evaluating the US experience and options. Additionally, each chapter engages the reader through practical examples and stimulates further investigation by providing practice questions with relevant website addresses.

For a shockingly high number of elderly people, growing older is not the media's soft-focus vision of fun times and fond grandchildren, but a journey of loss: loss of work and the opportunity to contribute, loss of health and well-being, loss of family and friends. Over two million older people are stuck in persistent poverty. The diseases and disabilities associated with growing older multiply with the dramatic ageing of the population, yet the response of communities and care systems is often inadequate and ageism still abounds. Countless seniors feel that society has left them behind and that their lives have been reduced to survival. Unequal Ageing is for all those with a serious interest in the unprecedented challenge of our ageing society. This powerful book provides strong evidence of the scale of current disadvantage in the UK and suggests actions that could begin to change the picture of unequal ageing. Written by leading experts in the field, it analyzes the vital dimensions

As the aging population of the United States continues to increase, age-related policies have come under intense scrutiny and have sparked heated debates. This revised and updated edition of "The New Politics of Old Age Policy" explains the politics behind the country's age-based programs, describes how those programs work, and assesses how well--or poorly--they meet the growing and changing needs of older Americans.

The chapters address theoretical approaches to age-based policy; population dynamics and the impact of growing diversity within the older population; and national, state, and local political issues associated with major age-based programs. The contributors are leading experts whose essays range across disciplines, including political science, sociology, law, social work, social welfare, and gerontology.

More than any other source, this book presents the most current information on growing older in the United States, including detailed analyses of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, housing initiatives, the Older Americans Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and tax policy.

Contributors: Christina M. Andrews, M.S.W., University of Chicago; Jeffrey A. Burr, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts-Boston; Andrea Louise Campbell, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Caroline Cicero, M.P.L., University of Southern California; Kerstin Gerst, Ph.D., University of Texas Medical Branch; Judith G. Gonyea, Ph.D., Boston University School of Social Work; Colleen M. Grogan, Ph.D., University of Chicago; Madonna Harrington Meyer, Ph.D., Syracuse University; Christopher Howard, Ph.D., The College of William and Mary; Ryan King, S.B., Renewable Energy Systems Americas, Denver, Colorado; Sandra R. Levitsky, Ph.D., University of Michigan; Frederick R. Lynch, Ph.D., Claremont McKenna College; Laurie A. McCann, J.D., AARP Foundation Litigation, Washington, D.C.; Kimberly J. Morgan, Ph.D., The George Washington University; Jan E. Mutchler, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts-Boston; John Myles, Ph.D., University of Toronto; Christy M. Nishita, Ph.D., University of Hawaii; Jon Pynoos, Ph.D., University of Southern California; Richard A. Settersten, Jr., Ph.D., Oregon State University; Molly E. Trauten, M.G.S., Oregon State University; Cathy Ventrell-Monsees, J.D., Attorney, Chevy Chase, Maryland; Janet M. Wilmoth, Ph.D., Syracuse University

Nursing homes are where some of the most vulnerable live and work. In too many homes, the conditions of work make it difficult to make care as good as it can be. For the last eight years an international team from Germany, Sweden, Norway, the UK, the US and Canada have been searching for promising practices that treat residents, families and staff with dignity and respect in ways that can also bring joy. While we did find ideas worth sharing, we also saw a disturbing trend toward privatization. Privatization is the process of moving away not only from public delivery and public payment for health services but also from a commitment to shared responsibility, democratic decision-making, and the idea that the public sector operates according to a logic of service to all. This book documents moves toward privatization in the six countries and their consequences for families, staff, residents, and, eventually, us all. None of the countries has escaped pressure from powerful forces in and outside government pushing for privatization in all its forms. However, the wide variations in the extent and nature of privatization indicate privatization is not inevitable and our research shows there are alternatives.

This book creates a value proposition in geriatric care - a promise of value to be delivered to improve care and to provide specific benefits to healthcare systems. It describes strategies and understanding of the incentives, barriers encountered in promoting changes in the healthcare systems, and discusses numerous examples and outcomes. Drawn from many fields such as medicine and science, sociology, politics, business and economics, the book helps guide the introduction of geriatric principles into mainstream medical care with the goal of improving the care and quality of life of older persons in all healthcare systems.

Winner of an "AJN" Book of the Year Award

Named an Outstanding Academic Title for 2007 by "Choice "

"Well organized, extensively referenced, and illustrated with figures/tables, this work represents a unique, multipurpose, interdisciplinary approach to elder care...Highly recommended."

"--CHOICE"

Based on the concept that vulnerability in the older populace encompasses those who are at increased risk for physical and psychosocial health problems, this book takes a closer look at vulnerability and how it affects five specific populations within the elderly: Those incarcerated in prisons The homeless Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people Those who are HIV positive or living with AIDS The frail

Both physical and psychosocial health care issues and needs are addressed as well as interventions and resources that can be implemented to care for these very specific populations and their requirements for successful physical and mental health care. The unique challenges of hospice care in prisons; the lack of services that cater to homeless older people; and the overall attitude towards helping elderly gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people are some of the increasingly important issues covered. Unique features include:
The latest research and theoretical approaches are summarized to give health professionals a concise picture of health care needs of these older adults Themes of interdisciplinary approach to care, cultural considerations, and neglect and abuse are integrated throughout Strategies and resources for caring for older adults with dementia are discussed for each vulnerable population

Applying interdisciplinary perspectives about everyday life to vital issues in the lives of older people, this book maps together the often taken-for-granted aspects of what it means to age in an ageist society. Part of the Ageing in a Global Context series, the two parts address the materialities and the embodiments of everyday life respectively. Topics covered include household possessions, public and private spaces, older drivers, media representations, dementia care, health-tracking, dress and sexuality. This focus on micro-sociological conditions allows us to rethink key questions which have shaped debates in the social aspects of ageing. International contributions, including from the UK, USA, Sweden and Canada, provide a critical guide to inform thinking and planning our ageing futures.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed proceedings of the International Conference on Communication Technologies for Ageing Well and e-Health, ICT4AgeingWell 2015, held in Lisbon, Portugal, in May 2015. The 11 full papers and two invited papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 45 submissions. The papers cover five main topic areas, covering different aspects, including Ambient Assisted Living, Telemedicine and E-Health, Monitoring, Accessibility and User Interfaces, Robotics and Devices for Independent Living and HCI for Ageing Populations.

A practical, comprehensive approach to the major areas of social work with older adults Social Work with Older Adults provides pre- and in-service social workers with a clear and engaging all-in-one resource for working with older adults. This practical and comprehensive text examines the basics of biopsychosocial functioning, the assessment of older adults' strengths, and the design of both traditional and alternative interventions to treat a wide variety of challenges facing older adults. Readers are given the opportunity to practice the tools and strategies they need in the field through numerous case studies, discussion questions, and new integrated learning activities. The 5th Edition includes a new chapter (13) that details the importance of community programs, as well as expanded coverage of culturally responsive practice throughout the text. New cases with discussion questions and new end-of-chapter integrated learning activities offer readers even more opportunities for practice.

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

The challenge of population aging requires innovative approaches to meet the needs of increasing numbers of older people. Emerging information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as pervasive computing and ambient assistive technology, have considerable potential for enhancing the quality of life of many older people by providing additional safety and security while also supporting mobility, independent living, and social participation. The proposed book will be a landmark publication in the area of technology and aging that will serve as a statement of the current state-of-the-art and as a pointer to directions for future research and emerging technologies, products, and services.

The time has come to further challenge biomedical and clinical thinking about dementia, which has for so long underpinned policy and practice. Framing dementia as a disability, this book takes a rights-based approach to expand the debate. Applying a social constructionist lens, it builds on earlier critical perspectives by bringing together concepts including disability, social inclusion, personhood, equality, participation, dignity, empowerment, autonomy and solidarity. Launching the debate into new and exciting territory, the book argues that people living with dementia come within the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and therefore have full entitlement to all the rights the Convention enshrines. A human rights-based approach has not to date been fully applied to interrogate the lived experience and policy response to dementia. With the fresh analytical tools provided in this book, policy makers and practitioners will will gain new insights into how this broader perspective can be used to further promote the quality of life and quality of care for all those affected by dementia.

In this book, 22 authors discuss development of Ambient Assisted Living. It presents new technological developments which support the autonomy and independence of individuals with special needs. As the technological innovation raises also social issues, the book addresses micro and macro economical aspects of assistive systems and puts an additional emphasis on the ethical and legal discussion. The presentation is supported by real world examples and applications.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 6th International Workshop on Ambient Assisted Living, IWAAL 2014, held in Belfast, UK, in December 2014. The 42 full papers presented with 12 papers of the workshop WAGER 2014 and 10 papers of a special session HTA were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. The focus of the papers is on following topics: ADL detection, recognition, classification; behavioural changes, coaching and education; AAL design and technical evaluation; expression, mood and speech recognition; health monitoring, risk prediction and assessment; localization; and user preferences, usability, AAL acceptance and adoption.

In this book, leading authors in the field discuss development of Ambient Assisted Living. The contributions have been chosen and invited at the 5th AAL congress, Berlin. It presents new technological developments which support the autonomy and independence of individuals with special needs. As the technological innovation raises also social issues, the book addresses micro and macro economical aspects of assistive systems and puts an additional emphasis on the ethical and legal discussion. The presentation is supported by real world examples and applications.

With over 3.5 million copies sold, the bestselling guide to understanding and caring for people with dementia is now completely revised and updated! For 40 years, The 36-Hour Day has been the leading work in the field for caregivers of those with dementia. Written by experts with decades of experience caring for individuals with memory loss, Alzheimer's, and other dementias, the book is widely known for its authoritativeness and compassionate approach to care. Featuring everything from the causes of dementia to managing its early stages to advice on caring for those in the later stages of the disease, it is widely considered to be the most detailed and trusted book available. Highlighting useful takeaway messages and informed by recent research into the causes of dementia, this new edition has been completely updated. It features * brand-new content on everything from home care aides to useful apps to promising preventative techniques and therapies * practical advice for avoiding caregiver burnout-plus tips for when and how to get additional help * a completely new two-column design that allows readers to quickly access what they need The central idea underlying this indispensable book-that much can be done to improve the lives of people with dementia and of those caring for them-remains the same. The 36-Hour Day is the definitive dementia care guide.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 5th International Workshop on Ambient Assisted Living, IWAAL 2013, held in Carillo, Costa Rica, in December 2013. The 13 full papers and 7 short papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 23 submissions. The focus of the papers is on following topics: AAL environments, user interaction and assistive solutions, sensing and activity recognition and key application domains.

The notion of quality of life has for several decades been well-established in ethical debate about health care and the care of older people. "Dignity in Care for Older People" highlights the notion of dignity within the care of the elderly, focusing on the importance of theoretical concepts.
Primarily based on a Research Project, Dignity and Older Europeans, funded by the European Commission, this book provides a thorough investigation of the concept of dignity and related concepts such as quality of life and autonomy. It includes a chapter devoted to the dignity of human embodiment, emphasizing the importance of the notion of the lived body in the context of elderly care. As a result of the conceptual study a model of dignity emerges in which four variants of dignity stand out: dignity of merit, dignity as moral status, dignity of identity and Menschenwurde (the specifically human value). From this follows a discussion of how these variants of dignity can be used in characterizing the care of the elderly. The notions of dignity and dignified care are discussed particularly in relation to demented persons and dying persons. The book also contains a chapter on the dignity of the dead person.
International in focus, "Dignity in Care for Older People" provides a contemporary discussion of the care of older people, and will be of use to qualified nurses and social care practitioners working with older people, as well as those on ethics and gerontology courses.