Psychotherapy with Elder Patients

Paper Summary:

This paper presents an examination of psychotherapy with elderly patients in nursing homes. The writer explores the issues of confidentiality, cognitive understanding and the benefits of therapy for the elderly. It asks whether this form of treatment is necessary and effective and if the age of the patients presents a barrier.

From the Paper:

"Advances in medical science now allow people to live longer than ever before. With the longevity however, comes a higher incidence of several things including the need for nursing home care, the need for mental health services and the need for a combination of them both. Nationwide, nursing homes are filled to and beyond capacity, which often translates to understaffing of employees. The elderly population of the United States, particularly those in nursing homes is often overlooked when it comes to mental health issues. Many times symptoms are attributed to the aging process, if they are noticed at all by a harried staff member who takes a cursory sweep through the patient's inpatient records and compares them to the patient's present state of mind. The need for psychotherapy in the elderly population has historically been ignored or overlooked. However, recent studies had attention have place a focus on the need for mental health care in the elderly, including those who reside in nursing homes."

More papers on Psychotherapy with Elder Patients:

• Essay # 25887 : "Clinical Issues and Interventions with the Elderly Hispanic Population"
• Descriptive Essay # 102343 : "Dialogues with Nursing Patients"
• Term Paper # 115661 : "Music Therapy: Benefits to Elderly Patients"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: