Working with older adults class notes

Question 1

how prevalent is depression in older adults?

Answer 1

1-5% in the community and 11-13% in the hospital

Question 2

how is depression likely to be expressed in older adults?

Answer 2

less likely to be present with affective symptoms and more likely presented with cognitive change, somatic symptoms (pain) and loss of interest

Question 3

What are some factors that can be a cause for early onset depression?

Answer 3

1. early onset more likely to have family history of depression
2. early onset is more likely to present with personality disorder features like neuroticism

Question 4

what are some factors that can be a cause of late onset depression in older adults?

Answer 4

1. more likely to have vascular risk factors like high blood pressure
2. late onset more likely to have concomitant (simultaneous) cognitive deficits, especially executive cognitive function or more likely to develop dementia right after
3. white matter hyperintesities or leukoencephalopathy are common in late onset

more likely caused by organic basis

Question 5

what is reminecience therapy?

Answer 5

helps old people have a run through of their lives

Question 6

how prevalent is anxiety and anxiety symptoms and how does it present in older adults?

Answer 6

prevalence is 1.2 - 15% in the community

clinical from 1-28%

anxiety symptoms is higher from 15-52.3% in community and 15 to 56% in clinical samples

more likely to present with physical symptoms

Question 7

what is the prevalence rate of dementia?

Answer 7

1.6%

16,000 of those are under 65

Question 8

what are the four most common types of dementia?

Answer 8

1. alzheimer’s disease
2. dementia with lewy bodies
3. dementia in Parkinson’s disease
4. vascular dementia

Question 9

How common is Alzheimer’s diseased and what age does it present?

Answer 9

most common dementia (70%)

age related disorder with prevalence doubling every 5 years between 60 and 90

Question 10

four features of Alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 10

1. early memory impairement
2. decreased higher executive function
3. behavioural and personality changes happen later
4. language and speech problems occur later

Question 11

what is vascular dementia?

Answer 11

result of small strokes and impaired circulation to parts of the brain

may see on CT scan in white matter changes

presents as sudden worsening and then stability and then worsening again

VAD and AD usually occur together

Question 12

what is fronts-temporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and its features?

Answer 12

covers a range of conditions

loss of executive function early like planning

behavioural and personality change occur early

speech disturbance occurs early

hyperorality (eating a lot)

preservation

memory loss later in illness

younger onset

more common in males

Question 13

what are some of the features of dementia with Lewy bodies?

Answer 13

memory loss is not a early feature

visual hallucination

fluctuating cognition

parkinsonian features like impaired gait and falls

Question 14

What is delirium?

Answer 14

consequence of a medical condition and not dementia

disturbance of consciousness with reduced ability to focus, sustain or to shift attention

Question 15

what are 5 benefits of groups for older adults?

Answer 15

1. peer to peer interactions
2. support and feedback from peers who may be dealing with similar age specific issues
3. acceptance and normalization
4. opportunity for altruism (supporting each other)
5. common mission and connection

Question 16

what are 6 common themes of group therapy?

Answer 16

1. mood
2. loss of idnependence
3. self esteem and self worth
4. shame
5. coping with life transitions and interpersonal conflicts
6. existential issues