1. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY
Geriatrics and Mental Health - The Facts
http://www.aagpgpa.org/prof/facts_mh.asp
This fact sheet gives statistics on mental health
issues
affecting the elderly.
2. AMERICAN FAMILY PHYSICIAN
The Geriatric Patient: A Systematic Approach to
Maintaining Health
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000215/1089.html
This article reviews assessment tools and techniques
for health
screening of the elderly. Screening tools include
the Mini-Mental
State, the Geriatric Depression Scale, the
Instrumental Activities
of Daily Living Scale, and the Checklist of
Assessment Areas for
Maintaining Healthy Geriatric Patients.
3. CLINICAL GERIATRICS
Failure to Adequately Detect Suicidal Intent in
Elderly Patients
in the Primary Care Setting
http://www.mmhc.com/cg/articles/CG0101/blank.html
Elderly mentally ill persons are less likely than
any other age
group to receive needed psychiatric treatment even
though they are
the highest risk group for committing suicide.
4. CLINICAL GERIATRICS
Choosing Appropriate Treatment for Geriatric
Depression
http://www.mmhc.com/cg/articles/CG0105/lavretsky.html
Early diagnosis and treatment of late-life
depression in the
elderly reduces suffering, helps in suicide
prevention, restores
optimal levels of function and independence, and
decreases the
societal cost of health care.
5. MERCK MANUAL OF GERIATRICS
Legal and Ethical Issues
http://www.merck.com/pubs/mm_geriatrics/sec1/ch14.htm
The manual discusses assessment of decisional
capacity and
competence, identification of decision makers,
resolution of
conflicts about care, disclosure of information,
termination of
treatment at the end of life, and decisions about
long-term care.
6. EMEDICINE
Elder Abuse
http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic160.htm
The authors identify seven categories of elder abuse
and provide
questions that can be used to elicit information
about abuse.
7. JOURNAL OF COUNSELING AND DEVELOPMENT
Ethical Guidelines for Counselors Working With Older
Adults
http://www.counseling.org/members/journals/jcd_spring00.pdf
This article examines the needs of older adults with
cognitive
impairments or terminal illness or who are the
victims of abuse
and proposes guidelines for counselors working with
such clients.
(The Adobe Reader is needed. Document may be slow to
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to the first article.)
8. ANNALS OF LONG-TERM CARE
Neglect and Self-Neglect of the Elderly in Long-Term
Care
http://www.mmhc.com/nhm/articles/NHM0102/reyesortiz.html
Self-neglect in the elderly is described as a
heterogeneous
geriatric entity. Other names used for it are
Diogenes syndrome
(DS), aged reclusion, social breakdown of the
elderly, and
squalor
syndrome.
Edward E.
Rylander, M.D.
Diplomat American
Board of Family Practice.
Diplomat American
Board of Palliative Medicine.