Psychological assessment is practiced in wide-ranging settings to address the varied clinical and administrative needs of veteran populations. Such assessment blends record review, clinical interviews of the veteran and collateral sources of information, behavioral observations, and psychological testing.
This book promotes the care and well-being of veterans by bringing together knowledgeable and experienced psychologists to discuss a range of psychological assessment methods and procedures. It aims to help patients and their families, healthcare providers, and concerned citizens gain an improved understanding of veterans' cognitive functioning, emotional states, personality traits, behavioral patterns, and daily functioning.
The book begins with a history of the psychological assessment of veterans and investigates its efficacy in different settings, including outpatient mental health, long-term care, primary care, home-based primary care, and telemental health. Later chapters address assessment of a variety of disorders or presenting problems, including substance use disorders, psychotic disorders, mood disorders and suicidal thoughts and behavior, PTSD and other anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dementia, pain and pain-related disorders, and polytrauma. The book concludes with important special considerations, including assessment of symptom and performance validity, assessment of homeless veterans and health-related quality of life, and ethical, legal, and professional issues.
Psychological Assessment of Veterans provides an essential reference and guide for clinical psychologists, including those working in the subspecialties, and psychology trainees who work with veterans.

Against the background of Socrates' insight that the unexamined life is not worth living, Reading Our Lives: The Poetics of Growing Old investigates the often overlooked inside dimensions of aging. Despite popular portrayals of mid- and later life as entailing inevitable decline, this book looks at aging as, potentially, a process of poiesis: a creative endeavor of fashioning meaning from the ever-accumulating texts - memories and reflections-that constitute our inner worlds. At its center is the conviction that although we are constantly reading our lives to some degree anyway, doing so in a mindful matter is critical to our development in the second half of life.
Drawing on research in numerous disciplines affected by the so-called narrative turn - including cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and the psychology of aging - authors Randall and McKim articulate a vision of aging that promises to accommodate such time-honored concepts as wisdom and spirituality: one that understands aging as a matter not merely of getting old but of consciously growing old.

Life changes dramatically for the entire family when the decision is made to move a person who has dementia from home to community care. Rachael Wonderlin, a gerontologist, dementia care expert, and popular dementia care blogger, helps caregivers cope with the difficult behaviors, emotions, and anxieties that both they and their loved one may experience. Writing from her own practice and drawing on the latest research in gerontology and dementia, Wonderlin explains the different kinds of dementia, details the wide range of care communities available for people who have dementia, and speaks empathetically to the worry and guilt many families feel. "Do not let anyone make you feel like you have taken the 'easy way out' by choosing a dementia care community," she writes. "You are still going to deal with a lot of challenging behaviors, concerns, and questions regarding your loved one's care." When Someone You Know Is Living in a Dementia Care Community is an accessible guide offering answers to such questions as: * How do I choose a place for my loved one to live?* What can I find out by visiting a candidate memory-care community twice?* What do I do if my loved one asks about going home?* How can I improve the quality of my visits?* What is the best way to handle conflict between residents, or between the resident and staff?* How can I cope with my loved one's sundowning?* What do I do if my loved one starts a romantic relationship with another resident? An indispensable book for family members and friends of people with dementia, When Someone You Know is Living in a Dementia Care Community touches the heart while explaining how to make a difficult situation better.

As old age is increasing globally, some challenges arise such as multimorbidity, a unique medical condition that has multiple potential complications and thus needs high-quality care directed by qualified healthcare providers. Multimorbidity is an important daily challenge to internists worldwide due to its many difficulties. Junior physicians dealing with multimorbidity must have the knowledge to practice high-quality care for their elderly patients. Cases on Multimorbidity and Its Impact on Elderly Patients considers approaches to manage multimorbidity and its unique complications and challenges to aid in appropriate daily decision making. Covering key topics such as weight loss, aging, and frailty, this reference work is ideal for medical professionals, nurses, policymakers, researchers, scholars, academicians, practitioners, instructors, and students.

The ultimate-and fun!-guide to maintaining vibrant sexual health with aging. In Never Too Late, Shannon Dowler, MD, a family physician who is also an expert on sexually transmitted diseases (STD), provides a refreshing overview of sexual education for people over 55. With the advent of dating apps, vibrant 55+ retirement communities, and sexual enhancement drugs, adults are sexually active well into their golden years. Unfortunately, the rates of STDs are dramatically increasing in older adults. In entertaining, accessible language, Dr. Dowler presents relatable patient stories and hilarious rhymes that make for an easy and fun way to learn about safe sex. This guide covers important topics, including: * How to identify the signs and symptoms of different STDs, including newer infections * The importance of regular screening * Best sexual practices, including guidance on medications * Preventative measures, tests, and treatments * Guidance on how to broach difficult conversations with romantic partners and doctors * Details about changing sexual trends, including dating apps, swinging, and normal aging changes that may impact your sexuality * Conditions commonly confused with sexually transmitted infections, such as urinary tract infections, tick-related infections, and forms of dermatitis * Common misconceptions, myths, and assumptions * Advice on seeking medical care when uninsured or financially limited Never Too Late will help you take charge of your sexual health and learn how to protect yourself and your current and future partners.

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.

Through the autobiographical perspectives of 16 preeminent researchers and scholars of Environmental Gerontology, this state-of-the-art Annual Review critically examines the broad range of topics that comprise this interdisciplinary field. The writings of these individuals, who have contributed to and shaped the growth of the field over the past three-plus decades, trace the growth and evolution of Environmental Gerontology and provide understanding of, and insights on, the role of environments for older adults and an aging society at multiple levels. The book examines the origins and growth of Environmental Gerontology, how the personal influences and professional choices of each author is linked to its development, the contextual factors influencing its biographical-intellectual evolution, and its potential implications for an aging society. The Review encompasses research and scholarship in diverse scales/contexts of the physical/built environment; diversity of disciplinary backgrounds represented by related social sciences, health sciences, and environmental design; basic/theoretical and applied/policy-oriented research; and more. Key Features: Promotes a critical understanding of the state of science and art in Environmental Gerontology Examines the origin, evolution, development, and future perspective of the field through the unique autobiographical lens of its worldwide pioneers Represents theoretical/substantive/applied perspectives through the reflections of preeminent scholars Focuses on intellectual development of pioneers in the field

Mental and physical disorders are common in old age but frequently remain undetected and untreated. Managing treatment and controlling symptoms of these disorders is imperative to the longevity and quality of life of patients. The Handbook of Research on Geriatric Health, Treatment, and Care provides emerging research on promoting health in older adults by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities. By highlighting topics such as alternative treatment, clinical diagnosis, and positive psychology, this publication explores the methods and approaches of identifying and diagnosing epidemiological factors that contribute to geriatric health issues. This book is an important resource for healthcare professionals, academicians, medical practitioners, researchers, and students seeking current research on the methods and strategies for maintaining healthy and successful care for the elderly.

Nutritional Modulators of Pain in the Aging Population provides an overview on the role of foods, dietary supplements, obesity, and nutrients in the prevention and amelioration of pain in various diseases in the aging population. Headaches, fibromyalgia, joint pain, arthritis pain, back pain, and stomach pain are discussed. In addition, the potential health risks of using foods to reduce symptoms is evaluated. Each chapter reviews pain causing conditions before reviewing the role of food or exercise. Both researchers and physicians will learn about dietary approaches that may benefit or harm people with various types of pain. Chapters include current research on the actions of nutrients in pain treatment, the effects of lifestyle and exercise on pain management, and discussions of dietary supplements that provide pain relief from chronic conditions like arthritis.

Gerotechnology is the use of technology to sustain individual autonomy to an advanced age; a field of increasing importance for those who serve elders who experience a natural decline in biopsychosocial abilities. Such technology advancements improve activities of daily living, general health, and well-being. Current and future applications in crucial areas such as mobility and transportation, assistive devices, senior citizen housing, in-home technologies, safety and privacy, research and development (especially design), are described. New methods like virtual environments, advances in applications of research findings in sensation, perception, and cognition, novel accessibility challenges to information and communication technology, and the changed-and- evolving characteristics of the elderly are among the exciting chapters in this state-of-the art volume. Contributors from around the globe, including the UK, Germany, Japan, Canada, The Netherlands, Korea, the US, and more, bring unprecedented cross-cultural insight to the intersections of these two phenomena: aging and technology. Third place winner in the 2017 American Journal of Nursing awards.

Provides recommendations by foremost scholars regarding best practices and future directions in LGBT aging. With its critical examination of contemporary issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) elders, this landmark Annual Review continues a nearly 40-year tradition of providing state-of-the-art knowledge, insight, and research on topics critical to gerontologists worldwide. The 37th volume addresses the cardinal changes occurring in the public policy arena—marriage rights, social security benefits, and other movements toward equality—as they pertain to LGBT elders, and focuses on a variety of key challenges affecting this population. Bringing together the work of highly respected researchers in health policy and psychosocial spheres pertinent to older LGBT adults, the Review also sets forth recommendations on best practices and discusses future directions for working with this population. Each chapter covers a specific issue affecting the older LGBT population and includes definitions of key concepts; a summary of current research; and a discussion of trends and future directions. The Review addresses such key topics as sexuality and sexual health, health and mental health disparities, caregiving, and service needs. It focuses on such critical issues for LGBT elders as social services, families and social supports, health and wellbeing for transgender and bisexual older adults, stigma for bisexual older adults, and special issues for older LGBT veterans and rural-dwelling elders. Also examined is the intersection of diverse characteristics such as gender, race, religion, disability, and sexual orientation. The book concludes with a discussion of programs and policies for older LGBT adults and offers concluding comments for professionals working with this population. Key Features: Provides an historical view of events, policy, and public opinion that have affected the lives of older LGBT cohorts Distils state-of-the-art research and data on such critical issues as sexuality, health and mental health disparities, caregiving, and service needs Considers the intersection of diverse characteristics such as gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and aging Discusses families and social supports, health and wellbeing for transsexual and bisexual older adults, LGBT veterans, and rural elders Examines future trends and changes in policy and programming to benefit older LGBTs .

As the baby boom generation ages, the number of people requiring long-term care will grow dramatically in developed nations. A majority of them will become increasingly frail and suffer from dementia and associated neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Against this backdrop, Psychiatry in Long-Term Care, Second Edition (first published under the title Psychiatric Care in the Nursing Home) comprehensively reviews the present state of knowledge on how to identify the major psychiatric disorders affecting residents of long-term care facilities and how to intervene. Edited and written by some of the world's foremost authorities, the book provides in-depth coverage of topics such as these:
- General approaches to assessment and treatment of behavioral disturbances
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Dementia
- Sleep impairment
- Psychosis
- Substance use disorders
- Contemporary strategies for successful psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions
Complementing these chapters with clinical guidelines on specific disorders are chapters on medicolegal considerations, ethics, and education of care staff.
The new edition is an important resource for care providers from all disciplines devoted to improving the well being of people in long-term care facilities and for students and scholars of mental health and aging.