WHAT ADAPTATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS ARE REQUIRED
FOR
OLDER
ADULTS?
American Psychological Association
Table of Contents
Why Practitioners Need Information
In addition to the general principles of working with older adults outlined
earlier, several adaptations of existing psychological interventions may
be helpful.
- The processes of problem-solving, learning, and behavior change may evolve more slowly for older adults.
- Written materials that are typically part of cognitive-behavioral interventions need to be presented in a manner that is understandable to most older people and printed in type large enough so that adults with visual impairment can read them.
- Cognitive impairment in an older client is not necessarily a contraindication to receiving psychological treatment. Although older clients must have the capacity to interact with the psychologist, understand what is discussed in therapeutic sessions, and retain the basic issues and themes of the psychotherapy, older people with mild and even moderate cognitive loss may benefit from psychotherapy. In the case of cognitively impaired older adults, interpersonal support and environmental/behavioral modification may play a greater role than with other older people.
- Many late-life mental disorders are recurrent or chronic. The psychologist needs to be flexible about setting therapeutic goals. Goals may emphasize managing symptoms, preventing relapse, and enhancing functional capacity rather than completely ameliorating presenting problems.
