Washington — Recognizing both the challenges and rewards of aging, the American Psychological Association has adopted revised Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Older Adults (PDF, 682KB)opens in new window.
The updated guidelines, which were approved Feb. 24 by APA’s governing Council of Representatives, reflect APA’s commitment to focus greater attention on the strengths and needs of older adults and ensure that practitioners have the necessary knowledge, skills and resources to serve older adults. Psychologists provide care to older adults in a wide range of settings, including at home and in community-based clinics, via telehealth, and in integrated primary care and long-term care settings.
“With questions regarding age, memory and competency much in the news lately, it’s important to note that psychologists play a vital role in supporting and maintaining the health and well-being of older patients,” said APA President Cynthia de las Fuentes, PhD.
While the guidelines emphasize how psychologists can best address psychological problems for older adults, they also acknowledge that “most older adults live vibrant and productive lives and have considerable reservoirs of resilience that have enabled them to survive into late adulthood” and encourage psychologists to consider positive aspects of aging.
This revision to the guidelines, which were originally issued in 2004, underscores the importance of psychologists’ continually assessing their readiness to work with older adults and to seek appropriate education and training.
Key highlights include:
- Understanding cognitive changes: The guidelines encourage psychologists to stay informed about normal cognitive changes in older adults to distinguish between typical aging and potential neurodegenerative conditions.
- Addressing diversity: The guidelines encourage practitioners to recognize the diversity within the aging population, including factors such as sex, gender identity, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and sexual orientation, which can significantly influence health and psychological experiences.
- Using telehealth: Acknowledging the increasing comfort with technology among older adults, the guidelines advise psychologists to consider using telehealth for assessing and treating older adults to improve access to care, especially in cases where in-person appointments are challenging. This guideline is new, recognizing the shift to telehealth since 2020.
- Collaborating with other health care professionals: Psychologists should understand the importance of coordinating with other health care providers or working in collaborative health care teams. This approach helps coordinate care and may involve partnering with professionals such as physicians, nurses, social workers, pharmacists and others, to provide comprehensive care to older adults.
