This book addresses in a structured and multidisciplinary way the medical issues related to aging, paying particular attention to the role of diagnostic imaging in the field of cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, respiratory, neurological, urogenital and gastrointestinal diseases.The progressive increase of the average age of the population, of life expectancy and the improvement of the quality of life are common phenomena in many countries of the World. Over the years, the management of older persons seems to have had an increasing impact both on the socio-economic and on the medical-health level. Medicine, in all its branches, has in fact focused more and more on the health conditions of the elderly patient and its protection and, in this context, due to the increasing progress in the field of technology and imaging methods, the radiologist occupies a front-line position. Unlike the young or middle-aged patients, the elderly need special care and attention, especially because of the involutive-degenerative senile processes they have to face, which must be taken into account to avoid incurring into misdiagnosis. Radiology, in fact, aims more and more at developing imaging techniques that are on the one hand satisfactory and comprehensive, but at the same time that do not represent any risk and/or obstacle for the elderly patient. The aim of this book is to provide the radiologist, and not only, with an adequate and complete geriatric preparation, thus to improve the diagnostic-therapeutic management of those patients who, to date, constitute the most conspicuous part of the medical-health users.  

Sleep disorders cause considerable morbidity and distress in the aging population. By highlighting the clinical diagnosis and management of sleep disorders, this volume provides a valuable resource for all those involved in health care of older individuals. The changes in sleep patterns that occur during normal aging are described, followed by authoritative chapters on the presentation of various age-related sleep disorders. The book deals with the range of therapeutic measures available for managing these disorders and gives insight to potential areas of research that have emerged in the last few years, such as the study of circadian rhythms in later life, sleep patterns associated with co-morbidities and the use of quality-of-life measurement tools to determine sleep quality as we age. This volume is relevant to sleep disorders specialists, psychiatrists, geriatricians and gerontologists, and any professionals and researchers working in the interdisciplinary areas of sleep and aging.

Africa is known both for having a primarily youthful population and for its elders being held in high esteem. However, this situation is changing: people in Africa are living longer, some for many years with chronic, disabling illnesses. In Ghana, many older people, rather than experiencing a sense of security that they will be respected and cared for by the younger generations, feel anxious that they will be abandoned and neglected by their kin. In response to their concerns about care, they and their kin are exploring new kinds of support for aging adults, from paid caregivers to social groups and senior day centers. These innovations in care are happening in fits and starts, in episodic and scattered ways, visible in certain circles more than others. By examining emergent discourses and practices of aging in Ghana, Changes in Care makes an innovative argument about the uneven and fragile processes by which some social change occurs. There is a short film that accompanies the book, “Making Happiness: Older People Organize Themselves� (2020), an 11-minute film by Cati Coe. Available at: https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-thke-hp15

This edited book is based on original work of authors. It discusses elder abuse issues and brings focus on different ways of combating it. The topic of elder abuse has gained importance in recent years especially with ageing of the populations and increase in the number of older people in societies. Australia and India are two important and leading countries in the Asia Pacific region. Their specific country responses are of interest in these regions and even for the world. Combating elder abuse has gained importance in recent times as there are not only different types of elder abuse identified in societies but also there exists various strategies to deal with the problem. What steps are being taken in Australia and India can be examples of combating the menace in the Pacific and Asian region. The book will of academic interest as it highlights an important concern with which academicians and researchers are increasingly getting involved in different countries and looking for solutions and ways to combat the growing problem from different disciplinary frameworks but mainly from social and legal perspectives which this book takes into account. This is first of its kind book which focuses on two important ageing countries, namely Australia and India, simultaneously, who are increasingly facing the problem of elder abuse, a growing global menace which requires different combating mechanisms to minimize its impact on societies. Social and legal perspectives on tackling the problem of elder abuse in different situations are gaining ground in countries and the chapters in this book discuss different aspects of ways to combat the problem by also discussing aspects of its occurrence in different sections of the society. Issues of vulnerabilities which older people face leading to elder abuse and what kind of societal responses are needed and are being adopted in societies to combat the problem has been highlighted by different authors in the book. Chapters written by experts from the social and legal field from the two countries, giving first-hand account of the situation in terms of care giving issues, financial abuse, rural areas, dementia patients, widows, prevailing legislations, residential care facilities, national and local responses, rights of senior citizens, and broader concerns related to combating the problem would be of interest to cross section of people across the world.

Working with older clients involves a number of unique ethical challenges, including those related to the array of health concerns that psychologists do not often encounter with younger clients, such as Alzheimer's disease. Perhaps the greatest challenge for geropsychologists is balancing the principles of respecting client autonomy and promoting client welfare, especially when a client's decision-making capacity is in question. Geropsychologists also must negotiate the competing interests and expectations of clients and their relatives, other healthcare professions, and the institutions in which many older adults are evaluated and treated. To help geropsychologists navigate these complex issues, this book introduces a structured decision-making process that draws heavily from principle-based and positive ethics and provides practical applications of the APA Ethics Code while also accounting for federal laws and regulations. Detailed case examples illustrate how to apply this process in a variety of treatment contexts, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and hospice care. These vignettes review unique considerations for assessment, intervention, consultation, business practices, education and training, and advocating for clients' rights. This book will also help geropsychologists prepare for the ethics component of the board certification exam.

For those fortunate enough to reside in the developed world, death before reaching a ripe old age is a tragedy, not a fact of life. Although aging and dying are not diseases, older Americans are subject to the most egregious marketing in the name of ""successful aging"" and ""long life,"" as if both are commodities. In Rethinking Aging, Nortin M. Hadler examines health-care choices offered to aging Americans and argues that too often the choices serve to profit the provider rather than benefit the recipient, leading to the medicalization of everyday ailments and blatant overtreatment. Rethinking Aging forewarns and arms readers with evidence-based insights that facilitate health-promoting decision making. Over the past decade, Hadler has established himself as a leading voice among those who approach the menu of health-care choices with informed skepticism. Only the rigorous demonstration of efficacy is adequate reassurance of a treatment's value, he argues; if it cannot be shown that a particular treatment will benefit the patient, one should proceed with caution. In Rethinking Aging, Hadler offers a doctor's perspective on the medical literature as well as his long clinical experience to help readers assess their health-care options and make informed medical choices in the last decades of life. The challenges of aging and dying, he eloquently assures us, can be faced with sophistication, confidence, and grace.

Offers proven strategies for advancing the care of the homeless elderly. Filled with key insights and field-tested knowledge, this is a concise, hands-on guide to how interdisciplinary team strategies can advance the care of older homeless adults. The book encompasses research evidence, education-based initiatives, and systems thinking, and describes how to implement promising health care outlooks for diverse elderly populations in a variety of localities. Chapters address the many challenges to caring for homeless individuals by integrating a team vision for adopting transformation and geriatrics health care workforce education. The book provides an overview of population demographics and trends and discusses specific medical/psychological care challenges including the spread of infectious diseases. It covers the delivery of care to homeless patients, complex ethical and legal issues, housing, social economics, family disruption and abuse, end-of-life considerations, and political and policy challenges. With abundant case studies and discussions about successes and failures in homeless geriatric health care, the book provides a framework for the joint efforts of social worker, nurse, mental health professional, physician, and other health care professionals to provide optimal care for older homeless populations. Key Features: Presents the most current resources, evidence, and developments for interdisciplinary care of older homeless populations Written by an interprofessional health care workforce with abundant clinical and academic experience in the field Focuses on implementing, developing, and adopting health care strategies to provide for care of the frail homeless elderly Includes case studies and discussions of successes and failures Addresses challenges, barriers, resolutions, and opportunities for homeless geriatric care

Elderly Care: Options, Challenges and Trends examines the demographic shifts Lebanon has experienced over the last few decades, indicating that it is a rapidly aging country. Such an aging population may need various levels of support including access to nursing care in nursing homes, either for short-term rehabilitation or for extended periods of time, when individual dependency outstrips family-based resources. Next, a review is provided on the latest studies and evidences regarding the influence of indoor environment on elderly health. A set of recommendations to improve elderly environmental health are presented, considering the most recent state-of-the-art on this field. Following this, the authors share their real-world experiences from an ongoing large-scale project on IoT-enabled community eldercare. Technology-centric challenges that need to be addressed are identified so that such systems can be sustainably implemented and adopted by key stakeholders. In a separate chapter, the book analyzes hospice care in China, which is still far from meeting its needs caused by the profound aging of Chinas population. The analysis indicates that the Chinese Government should formulate a development plan for hospice care and include hospice care services in the National Healthcare Insurance System. Additionally, NGOs should continue to play their part in hospice care development. The perspectives of aging and frailty syndrome are explored later, focusing on the role of biomarkers and environmental exposure in its development. Currently, there are several gaps in the scientific literature regarding frailty syndrome, namely in their definition, models, causal-effects and prevention or treatments. Afterwards, rib fractures in the elderly are addressed. Although plain radiographic films are diagnostic, a large number of patients will need CAT scans for more precise locations of rib fractures. The management of complications as a direct result of rib fractures; mostly hemopneumothorax or visceral injury, will be dealt with accordingly. In an additional study, the factors for hospital admissions associated with adverse drug events are studied. Drug related hospital admissions in the elderly are commonly influenced by polypharmacy and inappropriate prescribing.