Main description:

In the past decade, evidence based practice (EBP) has emerged as one of the most important movements to improve the effectiveness of clinical care. As the number of older adults continues to grow, it is essential that practitioners have knowledge of effective strategies to improve both the medical and the psychosocial aspects of older persons' lives. The purpose of this work is to present systematic reviews of research-based psychosocial interventions for older adults and their caregivers.

The interventions presented focus on a variety of critical issues facing older adults today including medical illnesses (cardiac disease, diabetes, arthritis/pain, cancer, and HIV/AIDS), mental health/cognitive disorders (depression/anxiety, dementia, substance abuse), and social functioning (developmental disabilities, end-of-life, dementia caregivers, grandparent caregivers). For each of these areas the prevalence of the problem, the demographics of those affected, and the nature and consequences of the problem are discussed. The empirical literature is then reviewed. A treatment summary highlights the type and nature of research supporting the interventions reviewed and is followed by a conclusion section that summarizes the status of intervention research for the specified issue. A Treatment Resource Appendix for each area is included. These appendices highlight manuals, books, articles and web resources that detail the treatment approaches and methodologies discussed.

This book was previously published as a special issue of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work.

Contents:

Preface Barbara Berkman

1 Overview of Evidence-Based Practice with Older Adults and their Families Sherry M. Cummings and Nancy P. Kropf

EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR HEALTH CONDITIONS

2 Cardiac Conditions Michel D. Peck and Amy L. Ai

3 Cancer Treatments Peter Maramaldi, Sheryn Dungan and Nancy Levitan Poorvu

4 Arthritis Pain Eunkyung Yoon and John B. Doherty

5 Diabetes Treatments Vaughn A. DeCoster

6 HIV/AIDS Treatments Charles A. Emlet and R. Andrew Shippy

EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR COGNITIVE AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

7 Depression and Anxiety Margaret E. Adamek and Greta Yoder Slater

8 Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Sara Sanders and Carmen Morano

9 Substance Abuse Sherry M. Cummings, Brian Bride, Kimberly McClure Cassie and Ann Rawlins-Shaw

EVIDENCE -BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR SOCIAL FUNCTIONING

10 Individuals with Developmental Disabilities and their Caregivers Philip McCallion and Tara Nickle

11 Treatment at the End of Life Deborah P. Waldrop

12 Familial Caregivers of Older Adults Kimberly McClure Cassie and Sara Sanders

13 Grandparent Caregivers Stacey Kolomer

14 Evidence-Based Interventions with Older Adults: Concluding Thoughts Nancy P. Kropf and Sherry M. Cummings