Palliative Care: Mental Health Issues of Older Adults Module 4 - Contextual Issues of Elder Care

This study is part of a series of studies on palliative care for mental health professionals.  The studies can be studied as stand alone topics or may be taken in sequence for a more comprehensiveexploration of the topic.

Module Four Contextual Issues of Elder Care discusses issues such as diversity concerns, ageism, therapeutic nihilism and gerophobia.  Training recommendations for providers of care to the elderly are provided.

Module One: Designed to give a bio-psychosocial overview of older adulthood including theories of aging, and the processes of normal aging.

Module Two: Common mental health problems of the elderly, covers demographics of the elder population and common mental and behavioral health problems encountered in older populations.

Module Three: Care giving and care delivery.Among the more compelling concerns are end-of-life issues. The offering discusses advance directives and the concept of medical futility and the common problems associated with these decisions.

Objectives

1. Participants will be able to discuss the status of the specialty of geriatric mental health

2. Participants will be able to describe the context issues pertinent to elder care

Purpose

Learners should obtain a foundational understanding of the older adult population and its mental health needs. The study should enhance sensitivity to and wareness of perceptions and expectations of aging and the aged.