Gregory A. Hinrichsen – Mental Health Issues in Older Adults: Proven Strategies for Cognitive Deficits, Depression and Anxiety

Outline

The Worlds of Older Adults

• Myths and realities about older adults
• What do you really think about older adults and your own aging?

Credibility with Older Adults

• A life before becoming old
• Etiquette and avoiding interpersonal pitfalls in establishing rapport
• Adaptations for sensory, cultural and generational mismatch
• How health, housing and social services shape older lives

Mental Health Issues in Late Life

• Epidemiology of late life mental disorders – made easy
• Common mental health conditions and life problems
• Facts about successfully treating mental health problems

Assessment of Mental Health Problems

• Assessment of motivation and intention to see you
• Medical history and medications
• Tools, instruments and protocols to measure:
  • Cognitive deficits
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Substance abuse
• Referrals for medical care, psychiatric care, social services
• Common problems during an initial assessment (and how to deal with them)

Management of Mild-Severe Cognitive Deficits

• Distinction between dementia and delirium
• Strategies to address memory complaints
• Strategies to help older adults with dementia and their families
• Common problems faced by clinicians (and how to deal with them)
• Resources

Treatment of Late Life Depression

• Fundamental issues in late life depression
• Proven treatment strategies using:
  • Problem Solving Treatment
  • Interpersonal Psychotherapy
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Common problems encountered in psychotherapy (and how to deal with them)

Treatment of Late Life Anxiety

• Fundamental issues in late life anxiety
• Proven treatment strategies using CBT
• Common problems encountered in psychotherapy (and how to deal with them)
• Resources to further build your treatment skills

Critical Steps in Building a Successful Geriatric Practice

• An overview of Medicare and Medicaid
• Common service delivery sites
• Referrals and coordinating care with other health care providers
• Common problems in business and management (and how to handle them)

Ethical Issues

• Balance safety and autonomy
• Safeguard privacy and consent
• Determine capacity to give consent
• Deal with conflict of interest and blurring of roles