Geropsychology Flashcards
1
Q
Mental health concerns in older adults
A
- depression
- anxiety
- substance use
- neurocognitive disorders/cognitive changes
2
Q
How does depression present differently in older adults?
A
more irritability than down/depressed mood
3
Q
Anxiety in older adults
A
- rates of anxiety increase as people get older
- focus can be on physical symptoms which can also be confused with medical issues
- treatment
- CBT, BA, relaxation techniques
- Medications- SSRI’s and anxiolytics (low and slow)
4
Q
Delirium
A
- acute- in response to a specific stressor
- also may hear it referred to as altered mental status
- not oriented to environment
- difficult focusing, thinking clearly and responding
- confusion
- triggered by infection, metabolic changes, etc.
5
Q
Alzheimers
A
- Accounts for a majority of cases
- Progressive decline in memory
- Family history- genetic component strong indicator
- Slowly have difficulty with daily tasks and require higher levels of care
- Not a lot of awareness of cognitive changes typically
- Early onset typically very poor prognosis and generally rapid decline
6
Q
Frontotemporal neurocognitive disorder
A
personality changes, less inhibition
7
Q
Prion disease
A
rapid course. disease causes spasms in the body
8
Q
Huntington’s Disease
A
inherited, progressive, memory difficulties. Mood changes.
9
Q
Parkinson’s
A
slow progressive, tremors and rigidity.
10
Q
Lewy Body
A
progressive decline in cognition, movement difficulties, hallucinations, sleep disturbance.
11
Q
Treatment for neurocognitive disorders
A
- Medication to manage symptoms or slow progression
- Aricept for Alzheimers: some mixed research to show this is effective.
- outcomes are better if caught and utilized earlier but still mixed results
- Aricept for Alzheimers: some mixed research to show this is effective.
- Therapy
- CBT- focus is more behavioral (functional analysis of target/problem behaviors)
- Behavioral Activation (physical exercise)
- Reminiscence
- Support for caregivers
