Public Education

It still amazes me when I hear about some of the stereotypes that people have about psychotherapy, especially, it seems, with older adults who have ideas about psychotherapy that come straight out of the 1950s. Fortunately, psychologists now have a number of different "tools" to use in order to facilitate change. These days, psychotherapy can range from really brief (e.g., lasting for just a few sessions) to long-term (e.g., lasting several years).

Looks as if New York will be setting up playgrounds specifically for use by older adults: NYC Seniors Get Their Own Playground. Neat idea!

"This Emotional Life" is a 3-part series that aired for the first time on PBS this week.

Hosted by Daniel Gilbert, a social psychologist at Harvard and author of "Stumbling on Happiness," the series did a nice job of explaining some pretty sophisticated psychological concepts, using cutting-edge research and interviews with a diverse group of individuals.

The Alzheimer's Association has come out with a new easy-to-understand list for helping people to determine whether or not the memory problems they are experiencing may be due to Alzheimer's Disease. Each item on this list includes an example of what might suggest Alzheimer's and what might suggest typical changes that come with aging.

Beginning this Sunday, May 10th HBO is showing a series of documentaries called "The Alzheimer's Project." I haven't seen any of them yet, but I hear from colleagues on geropsychology listservs that they are "powerful and well produced."

In my Psychology of Aging II class the semester, we've been learning about late-life development as well as common concepts of "successful" aging. I'm always interested in learning about older adults who defy the dreary stereotypes of late life and seem to be aging well. This story about the oldest college basketball player ever is one example of a remarkable senior who is doing just that.

Caregivers of people with dementia have to make countless decisions throughout their caregiving career. One of the decisions that isn't frequently discussed is how to assist a care recipient with the process of voting. The Alzheimer's Association has posted an article with points for caregivers to consider and tips for facilitating the vote of someone with dementia.

My first official publication came out this week in a local newspaper for seniors, Life After 50 (November 2008 issue, pg. 19). The article addressed several misconceptions about psychotherapy, what to expect during therapy, and some reasons for why older adults seek therapy. The benefits of therapy can include increased quality of life and sense of emotional well-being for individuals at any age.

National Family Caregivers Month, organized by the National Family Caregivers Association, is "designated as a time of year to thank, support, educate, and empower family caregivers." This year's theme encourages caregivers to speak up for their rights.

The New York Times had an interesting article today about the detrimental impact that "elderspeak" has on older adults.