WHAT OTHER ROLES CAN PSYCHOLOGISTS PLAY TO IMPROVE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF OLDER ADULTS?
American Psychological Association
Table of Contents
Why Practitioners Need Information
Although providing direct services to older adults is the chief focus of professional psychologists, there are other activities that may enhance the well-being of older people.
| Consultation | Particularly in institutional settings (e.g., nursing homes, inpatient rehabilitative, medical, psychiatric services) psychologists may consult on cases in which there are complex behavioral problems or maladaptive interpersonal behavior on the part of the older adult. |
| Supervision | Not only do psychologists supervise psychology trainees, but they will be increasingly called upon to supervise the activities of paraprofessionals who provide a wide range of health-related services to older adults. |
| Prevention | Psychologists may engage in activities that target the special problems or issues of particular communities of older adults with the goal of preventing the onset of mental disorders or ameliorating them at early stages. Efforts to educate older adults about mental health issues, conduct outreach to settings where older adults congregate (e.g., senior centers, education centers, senior citizen housing, special group homes for adults with mental illness, houses of worship) or conduct outreach through mobile geriatric units may be part of prevention activities. Use of psychoeducational approaches may delay the onset of illness or reduce excess disability. |
