This book will help all health professionals involved in the rehabilitation of older people to provide their patients with the highest possible quality of life and autonomy. Expanded and rewritten by a diverse team of authors, the text is suitable for doctors in all specialties that see older patients, as well as nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, dietitians, speech and language therapists/pathologists, physician associates/assistants, healthcare assistants, and many others including patients, family members and students. The book is written in an accessible, no-jargon style and provides a patient-centred perspective on recent advances in the field of rehabilitation - an increasingly important aspect of care for older people. Clear explanations of relevant concepts: ageing, frailty, comprehensive assessment, rehabilitation Broad coverage of all aspects of rehabilitation including different settings Explanations of input from multiple health professionals Problem-based section that highlights solutions to common issues during rehabilitation Specialty-specific areas of rehabilitation such as stroke rehabilitation, cancer rehabilitation, post-operative rehabilitation, trauma, rehabilitation in the community Practical section explaining how to plan discharge safely, run a care planning meeting, organize home supports, continue rehabilitation at home Evidence-based but accessible writing, complemented by practical clinical wisdom Aimed at a broader audience - applicable to all health professionals who see older patients Resources for patients and their caregivers Multiple-choice questions to test knowledge

Worldwide, human life is headed for longevity. On the other hand, humans have a desire to stay healthy and live longer. However, synthetic drugs are immediately effective, but some drugs can cause serious side effects. From about 100 to 150 years ago, humans have used all diseases for treatment and prevention, using natural resources such as plants, animals and minerals. These natural ingredients can minimise side effects etc. even after long-term administration. In addition, these natural ingredients can also control chronic toxicity etc. in a concentration-dependent manner. Based on these ideas, this book will focus on plant ingredients and plants that can be expected to maintain health until this longevity.

This book provides a comprehensive view of rational suicide in the elderly, a group that has nearly twice the rate of suicide when chronically ill than any other demographic. Its frame of reference does not endorse a single point-of-view about the legitimacy of rational suicide, which is evolving across societies with little guidance for geriatric mental health professionals. Instead, it serves as a resource for both those clinicians who agree that older people may rationally commit suicide and those who believe that this wish may require further assessment and treatment. The first chapters of the book provides an overview of rational suicide in the elderly, examining it through history and across cultures also addressing the special case of baby boomers. This book takes an ethical and philosophical look at whether suicide can truly be rational and whether the nearness of death in late-life adults means that suicide should be considered differently than in younger adults. Clinical criteria for rational suicide in the elderly are proposed in this book for the first time, as well as a guidelines for the psychosocial profile of an older adult who wants to commit rational suicide. Unlike any other book, this text examines the existential, psychological, and psychodynamic perspectives. A chapter on terminal mental illness and a consideration of suicide in that context and proposed interventions even without a diagnosable mental illness also plays a vital role in this book as these are key issues in within the question of suicide among the elderly. This book is the first to consider all preventative measures, including the spiritual as well as the psychotherapeutic, and pharmacologic. A commentary on modern society, aging, and rational suicide that ties all of these elements together, making this the ultimate guide for addressing suicide among the elderly. Rational Suicide in the Elderly is an excellent resource for all medical professionals with potentially suicidal patients, including geriatricians, geriatric and general psychiatrists, geriatric nurses, social workers, and public health officials.

Die standige Zunahme der Lebenserwartung und des Anteils alterer Menschen an der Gesamtbevolkerung sowie die sprunghafte Entwicklung auf dem Gebiet der Alterspsychiatrie haben die Herausgeber veranlasst, die neuesten Ergebnisse dieser Wissenschaft in einem Handbuch zusammenzufassen. Angesichts der Tatsache, dass die Alterspsychiatrie eine interdisziplinare Wissenschaft ist, wird das Thema durch eine grossere Zahl von Beitragen kompetenter Autoren dargestellt. In den einzelnen Beitragen werden physiologische und psychopathologische Veranderungen, die sich aufgrund des Alterns ergeben, ebenso ausfuhrlich behandelt wie Diagnostik, Therapie und Rehabilitation gerontopsychiatrischer Erkrankungen. Dieses Handbuch stellt eine umfassende Informationsquelle auf dem Gebiet der Alterspsychiatrie dar."

Maintaining good metabolic profile plays a significant role in improving the quality of life at aging. Widely recommended physical and psychological strategies include exercise, calorie restriction (such as healthy diet), anti-aging neuroprotective and anti-inflammation therapy. Most occurring risks at middle age range (45-65 years old) are obesity, insulin resistance, inflammation, alteration in the hypothalamus-hypophysis suprarenal axis activity, stress and hypertension that could increase the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome increases with age, particularly for women. Significant associations were seen between imaging measures and cardiovascular risk factors at both baseline and 18-month follow-ups. Both baseline and longitudinal imaging analysis and correlations with neurocogntive tests as well as cardiovascular risk factors could provide distinct and confirmative perspectives relating to the pathophysiology of aging-related diseases such as dementia and diabetes. Significant baseline and longitudinal effects of age, smoking and neuropathological burdens such as amyloid, tau and glucose metabolism provide a complete imaging, neurocognitive and cardiovascular profile for better staging and differentiating different diseases. Together with accurate imaging guidance, early detection and treatment could be achieved with the ultimate goal of improving quality of life at middle age and extending longevity. The aim of this book is intended to provide both beginners and experts in biomedical imaging and health care a broad picture as well as new development in brain function and metabolism of aging using innovative neuroimaging techniques and advanced longitudinal /correlational analyses. Methods and data presented in this book with novel experimental designs and protocols, especially longitudinal investigation of multiple imaging metrics from microvascular, micro-structural to systematic functional, metabolic and neuropathological perspectives will help improving diagnosis and early prevention of common diseases at middle age such as metabolic syndrome and early dementia. Some promising prevention strategies such as arts therapy, aerobic exercise and calorie restriction will be introduced additionally with imaging evidence. Results presented will help improving diagnosis accuracy, staging, and determining phases and trajectories of disease progression with age, endothelial dysfunction and deficits in metabolic syndrome. This book will provide the current state-of-the-art and new frontiers of brain function and metabolic changes at age using multi-parametric functional, structural and molecular imaging techniques in detection, diagnosis and treatment. We will present some forefront and interesting multi-dimensional baseline and longitudinal imaging techniques to serve as a reference and resource book in neuroimaging application and research field. Several distinct detection and application perspectives, including cutting-edge imaging methods from baseline evaluations to longitudinal applications as well as multi-modal and multi-parametric quantifications will be described. The relatively new and advanced data and results together with interesting examples and application demonstrations could help facilitate the generalization, interpretation and applications of these techniques to improve disease diagnosis, quality of life and treatment for metabolic syndrome and brain dysfunction.

Detailed Review of Nutritional Therapies Used to Combat Elderly Health Issues The combination of the aging baby-boomer generation and their increased longevity has been fortunately met with increased research and greater understanding of health promotion and disease prevention in the elderly. Handbook of Nutrition in the Aged: Fourth Edition shares these groundbreaking insights and serves as a guide to better understand health problems that occur in aging adults and the nutritional therapies that are proven to fight and prevent them. Addresses Requirements for Optimum Health of Aging Physiological Systems This sharply focused work recognizes the special nutrition hurdles associated with the aged, particularly the decline of nutrient intake that compromises health. As a globally relevant text, this fourth edition is extensively revised, updated, and expanded to reflect the latest research in nutrition and aging. New chapters to this edition include information on: Arthritis Cognition Nutrition and the geriatric surgery patient Nutrition supplementation in fracture care Coffee and hypertension Asian medicine This book is a valuable tool not only for geriatricians and gerontologists, but also for dieticians, nutritionists, and aging researchers. It provides all the necessary information for assisting the growing aging population in maintaining a healthy quality of life.

The shifting demographic toward a "graying" population -- coupled with today's reality of managed care -- makes the need for high-quality, cost-effective psychiatric services within the nursing care setting more urgent than ever. As we increase the number of our years, it is also imperative that we enhance the quality of those years.

The product of the American Psychiatric Association's (APA's) Council on Aging and its Committee on Long-Term Care and of the Elderly, the Manual of Nursing Home Practice for Psychiatrists stands out because it focuses on the "how" -- not the "why" -- of nursing home care. Of exceptional importance is its detailed discussion of the Minimum Data Set (MDS), a structured assessment required by both Medicare and Medicaid for all residents of skilled nursing facilities.

Divided into six sections, this "how to" volume contains practical information readers can use right away, from getting reimbursed by insurance companies to handling nursing facility politics: - Clinical -- History; evaluation and management of psychiatric problems in long-term care patients; an overview of the MDS; sexuality within the nursing home care setting- Regulatory -- Introduction to the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 (part of OBRA-87) and its implications for psychiatric care; details about the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI), which includes the MDS, the Resident Assessment Protocols (RAPs), and Utilization Guides specified in the State Operations Manual (SOP)- Financial -- Documentation, reimbursement, and coding; what to look for when contracting with nursing homes- Legal and ethical -- The dehumanizing effect of diagnostic labels and the ethical issues inherent in regulating daily schedules (e.g., bed, meal, and bath times); nursing home placement; competence and decision-making ability; comfort care for end-stage dementia; coping with Alzheimer's disease; and the role of caregivers- Summary and Future Perspectives -- A detailed vision about how psychiatrists can improve the diagnosis and treatment of nursing home patients- Appendixes and bibliography -- Staffing recommendations and assessment instruments

Edited by a distinguished authority and former chair of the APA's Committee on Long-Term Care and Treatment of the Elderly, this comprehensive volume will appeal to a wide audience of professionals: from general psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists, to primary care physicians and residents.

The graying of the U.S. population draws increasing focus to historically unattended segments of society, including sexual and gender minorities. In this first comprehensive volume to address the challenges of aging in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex populations, this text presents what is currently known about aging GLBT individuals and what services are needed to support them.

The editors first provide an introductory overview comparing caregiving in GLBT and normative aging communities. In chapters devoted to the issues of each alternative sexuality and gender identity community, top experts in the field discuss biomedical, psychological, social/sexual, spiritual, socioeconomic, and service topics related to that community's aging needs.

GLBT populations face unique challenges as they age. Despite the often severe difficulties they encounter, many live out their final years with the dignity and grace that all of us deserve. With a combination of the latest biological and social science research, moving case studies and first-person accounts, practical advice for health professionals, and research literature citations, this book represents a major step forward in addressing concerns of aging GLBT populations.

Integrating research, practice, and policy, this text is for students and professionals in gerontology, medicine, social work, psychology, nursing, public health, and related fields who wish to learn more about the life experiences and concerns of sexual- and gender-minority-identified older patients.

Through five editions, The 36-Hour Day has been an essential resource for families who love and care for people with Alzheimer disease. Whether a person has Alzheimer disease or another form of dementia, he or she will face a host of problems. The 36-Hour Day will help family members and caregivers address these challenges and simultaneously cope with their own emotions and needs. Featuring useful takeaway messages and informed by recent research into the causes of and the search for therapies to prevent or cure dementia, this edition includes new information on * devices to make life simpler and safer for people who have dementia* strategies for delaying behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms* changes in Medicare and other health care insurance laws* palliative care, hospice care, durable power of attorney, and guardianship* dementia due to traumatic brain injury* choosing a residential care facility* support groups for caregivers, friends, and family members The central idea underlying the 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.

A practical and clarifying approach to aging and aging-related diseases Providing a thorough and extensive theoretical framework, The Biostatistics of Aging: From Gompertzian Mortality to an Index of Aging-Relatedness addresses the surprisingly subtlenotion with consequential biomedical and public health relevance of what it means for acondition to be related to aging. In this pursuit, the book presents a new quantitative methodto examine the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to mortality anddisease incidence in a population. With input from evolutionary biology, population genetics, demography, and epidemiology, this medically motivated book describes an index of aging-relatedness and also features: * Original results on the asymptotic behavior of the minimum of time-to-event random variables, which extends those of the classical statistical theory of extreme values * A comprehensive and satisfactory explanation based on biological principles of the Gompertz pattern of mortality in human populations * The development of an evolution-based model of causation relevant to mortality and aging-related diseases of complex etiology * An explanation of how and why the description of human mortality by the Gompertz distribution can be improved upon from first principles * The amply illustrated analysis of real-world data, including a program for conducting the analysis written in the freely available R statistical software * Technical appendices including mathematical material as well as an extensive and multidisciplinary bibliography on aging and aging-related diseases The Biostatistics of Aging: From Gompertzian Mortality to an Index of Aging-Relatedness is an excellent resource for practitioners and researchers with an interest in aging and aging-related diseases from the fields of medicine, biology, gerontology, biostatistics, epidemiology, demography, and public health.

The scientific study of aging is a relatively nascent field of inquiry. Although philosophic and literary reflections on what it means to grow older appear in the earliest historical records, the systematic study of aging began in earnest about a century ago. Scholarly interest in the topic has accelerated in recent decades, due in part to rapid population aging in developed nations. As a result, the study of aging has been incorporated into many disciplines, emphasizing concepts, theories, and methods to elucidate the antecedents and consequences of growing older. Although each discipline has key concepts and empirical generalizations about aging, there is little agreement across disciplines about the intellectual core of gerontology. Each discipline brings its own intellectual heritage and perspective to the study of aging, but the question posed by author Ken Ferraro is whether there is an emergent perspective or way of thinking about aging that transcends the disciplines. Biologists, psychologists, and sociologists may claim an interest in gerontology, but do they have a common image of aging or a set of principles to guide their research? Do they share a paradigm-a fundamental image of aging-that incorporates concepts and empirical generalizations from multiple disciplines? And when disciplinary approaches to gerontology clash, which approach or conceptualization of aging is likely to emerge as part of the paradigm? Although biologists, psychologists, and social scientists share an interest in the study of aging, they are distinctive in how they conduct their research. The Gerontological Imagination provides an integrative paradigm of aging that makes it the first book to identify intellectual common ground among scholars studying aging. Ferraro identifies an underlying set of principles that constitute a paradigm for the study of aging: causality, life course analysis, multifaceted change, heterogeneity, accumulation processes, and ageism. The proposed paradigm provides an efficient way to identify and interpret essential ideas, findings, models, and theories across multiple disciplines that study aging.

Dementia is an illness that raises important questions about our own attitudes to illness and aging. It also raises very important issues beyond the bounds of dementia to do with how we think of ourselves as people - fundamental questions about personal identity. Is the person with dementia the same person he or she was before? Is the individual with dementia a person at all? In a striking way, dementia seems to threaten the very existence of the self. This book brings together philosophers and practitioners to explore the conceptual issues that arise in connection with this increasingly common illness. Drawing on a variety of philosophers such as Descartes, Locke, Hume, Wittgenstein, the authors explore the nature of personal identity in dementia. They also show how the lives and selfhood of people with dementia can be enhanced by attention to their psychosocial and spiritual environment. Throughout, the book conveys a strong ethical message, arguing in favour of treating people with dementia with all the dignity they deserve as human beings. The book covers a range of topics, stretching from talk of basic biology to talk of a spiritual understanding of people with dementia. Accessibly written by leading figures in psychiatry and philosophy, the book presents a unique and long overdue examination of an illness that features in so many of our lives.

It is increasingly important for physicians who treat older persons, and for researchers on aging, to understand how molecular biology informs clinical expressions of aging and age-related conditions such as osteoporosis, diabetes, osteoarthritis, frailty, cancer, and dementia. Dr. David Hamerman translates basic scientific concepts into precepts of clinical practice and sheds light on the links among biology, natural aging, longevity, and disease.

Exploring the connections between disease and the science behind it, Geriatric Bioscience addresses how mechanisms of inflammation, cytokine expression, and stress responses influence disease and how preventive gerontology in the practice of medicine could compress morbidity. Hamerman also discusses cutting-edge therapies such as cyclo-oxygenases, bisphosphonates, statins, cytokine inhibitors, and hormone therapies.

Examining the science of geriatrics and converting its concepts into clinical applications, this groundbreaking work provides clinicians and researchers with a solid foundation for a greater understanding of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of age-related diseases as well as recommendations for promoting healthy aging.

Older adults increasingly rely on family members or friends (i.e., informal caregivers) for needed care and support as they age. Family caregivers typically assume their caregiving role willingly and reap personal fulfilment from helping a loved one, developing new skills, and strengthening family relationships. For these benefits, however, caregivers often sacrifice their own health and well-being. Depression, anxiety, poor physical health, and compromised immune function are more common among family caregivers than in adults not providing such care. The REACH OUT Caregiver Support Program offers a multi-component, tailored, and flexible intervention for caregivers of people with dementia that is focused on the evidence-based therapeutic strategy of problem solving. This practical volume is designed to guide clinicians through the process of implementing REACH OUT (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health: Offering Useful Treatments) and to provide them with necessary tools to share with caregivers, with the goal of enhancing caregiver physical and mental health. Five common risk areas (home safety, caregiver health, social support, challenging behaviors, and emotional well-being) are described in the manual, and interventions are outlined that respect the nuances of each risk area. By beginning with an individualized risk assessment and being flexible to the needs and issues of the caregiver, the REACH OUT intervention helps clinicians identify risk areas and provides caregivers with tailored action plans to reduce risk and promote well-being.

This guide is structured to assist physicians in the management of those hypertensive patients who present with specific comorbidities, such as diabetes, systolic dysfunction, obesity, renal disease, or previous cardiac events, often associated with hypertension. The clinical cases contained in this book have been selected to provide a paradigmatic set of scenarios frequently encountered in daily clinical practice, and will serve as an easy-to-access tool in applying general guidelines to individual patients, particularly in the choice of the most appropriate antihypertensive therapy. Treatment of hypertension with associated clinical conditions require specific therapies and combinations of drugs, which are necessarily different from one comorbidity to another. By discussing exemplary cases that may better represent clinical practice in a "real world" setting, and analyzing step by step the diagnostic and therapeutic process, this book will assist cardiologists and physicians in selecting the diagnostic tools and forms of treatment best suited to the individual patient and the particular cardiovascular risk profile.

Anthroposophical medicine recognizes the individuality of each human being. This philosophy is central to care for the elderly where it is important to see beyond the outer ageing body, and to ensure dignity for all. This book describes particular approaches for professional nurses and carers, as well as offering practical care plans. While care cannot itself heal, it can provide the basis for the healing process to work. This book will help those who work with the elderly with invaluable guidance and advice.

With life expectancy increasing globally, older adults around the world want to live active lifestyles with improved health and higher quality of life. Physiology of Exercise and Healthy Aging, Second Edition, examines the effects of the aging process on the major physiological systems and identifies the positive impacts of physical activity and regular exercise for older adults, including delaying specific diseases and increasing quality of life. Students will be presented with foundational concepts of physiology to understand the structural and functional changes on the major physiological systems throughout the aging process. Physiological responses to acute and chronic exercise are examined, with comprehensive coverage of studies on age-related diseases and other common issues for older adults, including cardiovascular disease, cardiorespiratory fitness, type 2 diabetes, muscle metabolism and strength, osteoporosis, neurophysiology, and arthritis, plus content new to this edition that addresses mental health, pelvic floor issues and incontinence, and sexual activity. Programming recommendations in each chapter translate exercise science into practice, examining the benefits of exercise, contraindicated exercises, and other forms of physical activity beneficial to the aging population. Exercise considerations address the training needs of older adults in three unique groups: average aging adults, frail elderly with special needs, and masters athletes, with expanded content more reflective of today's active seniors. With an emphasis on screening and assessment, coupled with basic principles of exercise and training programs, students will learn to safely administer exercise programs that meet the needs of older adults-in any stage of aging and at various levels of physical activity-to contribute to increased health and quality of life for all. Chapter-opening quotes bring content to life with insights from scientists, fitness professionals, and other experts. Chapter objectives, new to this edition, help readers to understand and apply key concepts. Questions to Consider at the end of each chapter provide tools for reflection, while references direct students to additional reading and opportunities for further learning. An appendix offers easy access to assessments and forms, including a Three-Day Nutritional Assessment form and a Client Report form, preparing readers for professional use in their careers with older adult clients. Physiology of Exercise and Healthy Aging, Second Edition, delivers a thorough discussion of the physiological effects of aging and illustrates the power of exercise as a tool to reduce or offset the effects of aging in order to improve the quality of life enjoyed by our aging population.

This new edition of the popular and market-leading Diabetes in Old Age features up-to-date and comprehensive information about the key aspects of managing older people with diabetes, predominantly type 2 diabetes. With a strong evidence-based focus throughout, the entire range of issues surrounding diabetes and its many complications are covered, each with a clear focus on how they relate directly to the older patient. Varying approaches to optimizing diabetes care in the community, primary care and secondary care health care arenas are presented, and the importance of comprehensive functional assessment is emphasized. Coverage of areas unique to an ageing population of older people with diabetes such as falls management, frailty and sarcopenia, and cognitive dysfunction form a key cornerstone of the book. In every chapter, best practice points and key learning outcomes are provided, as well as published evidence bases for each major conclusion. Diabetes in Old Age, 4th edition is essential reading for diabetologists and endocrinologists, diabetes specialist nurses, primary care physicians, general physicians and geriatricians, podiatrists and dieticians with an interest in diabetes, as well as all health professionals engaged in the delivery of diabetes care to older people.

Most of the DNA in the human genome does not encode proteins but is involved in regulatory functions. In addition, the human genome is characterized by an extensive array of structural DNA variants arising from de novo mutations plus accumulated structural variants transmitted through an individual's lineage. The result is that each person has a unique genome which is expressed as that person's unique phenotype. Ageing can be understood on both the species and individual level. Each species has a programmed ageing and mortality pattern, but within those broad species-specific boundaries there is considerable individual variation. At the individual level, ageing reflects the integrated effects of that individual's unique mix of DNA structural variants, unique experience-specific epigenetic marks and imperfectly repaired genomic and cellular damage. This book examines human "chronic degenerative" diseases which are not diseases, but rather variations of the ageing process across individuals.

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

With the book Borderline Personality Disorder in Older Adults: Emphasis on Care in Institutional Settings, Drs. Hategan, Bourgeois, and Xiong address an often underappreciated clinical problem that is likely increasing with the aging of the population. Geriatric patients with borderline personality disorder, like their younger counterparts, experience social and relationship challenges, comorbid psychiatric illness (including but not limited to substance use disorders), comorbid systemic illness, and are high utilizers of medical and social services. With the aging of the population worldwide, more older patients with chronic/progressive illnesses are to be found in various institutional settings such as skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation units, and residential care, as well as in the general hospital. However, these patients' habitual patterns of behavior (including affective dyscontrol, externalizing of blame, "splitting" the external world into groups who are "all good" and "all bad") make the compromises and need for collectivity in institutional settings more challenging than for any other easily defined and demarcated patient group. The Editors have assembled a large team of authors and co-authors to produce a clinical handbook that addresses the clinical, social, and administrative needs of this particular group of patients. They include an overview of the development of the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder over several issues of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classification system; the epidemiology and comorbidity, personality and aging, clinical diagnosis and productive use of psychometrics; clinical interventions including psychotherapy, psychopharmacology and advanced somatic treatments; and chapters devoted to medical-legal matters, systems of care, therapeutic alliance, and palliative care approaches. In all chapters, the authors have endeavored to focus specifically on the challenges posed for the patient, the clinician, and the larger system for geriatric patients with borderline personality disorder. The authors and the editors hope that this volume summarizes the current clinical literature pertinent to the care of this population, with a focus on clinical encounters, clinical decision making, and techniques for interventions with patients and clinical systems of care to enhance the opportunities for favorable clinical outcomes for these patients, who typically have difficulty coping with the major existential challenges of old age, infirmity, and mortality. Greater awareness of borderline personality disorder in this population and greater clinician attunement to its understanding and management may serve the patient and the care system in this regard.

The interaction between mind and skin diseases is the focus in psychodermatology. This important subspecialty is the result of the merging of two major medical specialties: psychiatry and dermatology. Research and existing publications in this field are mainly focused on the general population. The increase in life expectation and the increasing number of elderly individuals worldwide is making the geriatrics specialty more and more important. "Geriatric psychodermatology" is a combination of three medical specialties: Geriatrics, Psychiatry and Dermatology. The natural aging changes that occur in the skin can be a psychological challenge for many individuals, as well as various psychodermatological disorders pertaining to the elderly population, causing significant psychological and physical distress and impacting quality of life. This is the first book ever published about this unexplored and eminent topic. This book presents a new perspective of known psychodermatological diseases in elderly populations. Psychological implications, impact on quality of life and holistic and integrated management of psychocutaneous diseases are the main focus of this book. The authors invite you to explore the geriatric psychodermatology field.

Productive Aging: An Occupational Perspective is a concise and practical text that takes a fresh look at our rapidly expanding and diverse older population. Recognizing the unique identity of each older person, this text provides client-centered guidelines for maximizing function, independence, and wellness. Productive Aging also outlines self-management strategies for promoting participation and engagement in productive occupations for the older persons own continuing development, health, and well-being. Productive Aging not only summarizes current evidence, but it looks into the lives of forty productive agers who shared their personal perspective with the authors as part of an original qualitative study. These participant stories, often told in the participants own words, describe how current theories of aging are applied in the lives of older adults who are currently living the experience. Older adults ages 60 to 98 describe the effective strategies they used to manage their own aging process, to structure healthy lifestyles and social connections, and to intentionally direct their own productive occupations in satisfying and meaningful ways. The results of this qualitative research study have led to a grounded theory of Conditional Independence, which guides occupational therapy approaches to productive aging in practice. Authors Marilyn B. Cole and Dr. Karen C. Macdonald explore the six productive occupations that researchers have identified as typical of older adults today: self-management, home management, volunteering, paid work, care giving, and lifelong learning. In addition to summarizing current research and theories within each occupation, concrete strategies and techniques relative to these roles are detailed, with multiple examples, case studies, and learning activities. Throughout Productive Aging, interviews with experienced practitioners, administrators, and educators reveal some of the implications of various trends and techniques. For occupational therapists, descriptions of settings and types of intervention are consistent with the latest version of AOTA's Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, Third Edition. In addition to promoting productive occupations within traditional institutional and medical-based practice, occupational therapy roles include that of consultant, educator, and advocate when treating individuals, groups, and populations in home care, organizational, and community settings. Special attention is given to developing the ability to become an effective self-manager, facilitating social participation, and maximizing clients applied functional abilities. Productive Aging: An Occupational Perspective is the perfect addition to the bookshelf of occupational therapy students, faculty, and clinicians, as well as any health care practitioner who would like to update his or her knowledge of the aging individual within his or her current practice settings.

The healthy human brain contains tens of billions of neurons, specialized cells that process and transmit information via electrical and chemical signals. While the brain may shrink to some degree in healthy aging, it does not lose neurons in large numbers. In Alzheimer's disease, however, damage is widespread as many neurons stop functioning, lose connections with other neurons, and die. Alzheimer's disrupts processes vital to neurons and their networks, including communication, metabolism, and repair. At first, the disease typically destroys neurons and their connections in parts of the brain involved in memory, including the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus. It later affects areas in the cerebral cortex responsible for language, reasoning, and social behavior. Eventually, many other areas of the brain are damaged, and a person with Alzheimer's becomes helpless and unresponsive to the outside world. This book provides a comparison of international approached to dealing with Alzheimer's disease and dementia, as well as discusses the effect this disease has on the brain and its function.