Geraitric

Psychosocial
Rehabilitation
Prakriti Kohli
1102210090
MSc Clinical Psychology
“There's one advantage to being 102.
There's no peer pressure.”
—Dennis Wolfberg
 Introduction
The fundamental concept of psychosocial rehabilitation relies
on the fact that individuals with mental health concerns need
not solely clinical assistance but also aids in the form of
societal and familial support.
It is a commonly held belief that an individual’s early
childhood and old age are the two epochs wherein they are in
requirement of utmost assistance and care. There is no dearth of
reports of the elderly reporting psychological distress and such
cases are more often than not overlooked as simply a sign of
ageing.
It is however, crucial to understand how the process of growing
older changes biological and mental proceedings and how these
directly affect an individual’s needs and interactions with their
families and society.
 Aging Process
Aging is associated with biological, physiological,
environmental, psychological, and behavioral changes,
along with changes in social supports and networks. It
can also be accompanied by metabolic changes that
increase vulnerability to medication side effects and the
effects of alcohol, as well as new onset of or worsening
of existing acute and chronic health conditions. Older
adults may also experience increased exposure to life
events associated with grief and loss, social isolation,
and cognitive and sensory impairments.
 Why do the elderly require specialised psr?

Physical and Generation and Exploitation

health decline communication gap and abuse

Lacks of awareness from Psychological

family and society challenges
 Findings
● With life-expectancy increasing across most of the world and
people choosing to retire earlier than before, rehabilitation is as
important, if not more, in the older adult demographic
● There are many mental disorders such as dementias and
affective disorders that are common and prevalent in the older
adult population. This burden is only set to increase in the next
30 years
● Existence of groups called ‘graduate’ patients who develop
mental disorders as younger adults but continue to be afflicted
with symptoms and resultant disability beyond working age
● Patients with dementia, the vast majority of whom are over the
age of 65, often tend to suffer in silence. Comorbid conditions
and functional mental disorders often become barriers to
rehabilitation and affect the ‘rehab potential’ for such patients
 Repercussions
● Individuals with any psychological distress are more prone to
higher rates of tobacco use, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; that
often lead to premature mortality.
● conditions may seriously impact ability to function in the
community and remain athome and may also impact mortality.
● The rate of suicide is particularly high among older men. Older
adults are also more likely than other age groups to use more
lethal means such as firearms (men) and medications (women).
● Homeless due to being banished from homes as well as being
mistreated, underfed and even abused at shelters or old age
homes.
● high rates of co-occurring chronic health conditions often result
in transition to a long- term care facilities and a very high cost
of hospitalisation and medication
Means of psr for the elderly
Specialized professionals for Skill training and employment
1 geriatrics such as social workers,
psychologists and doctors
4 opportunities for individuals to ensure
income and dignity

Peer support interventions and planned

2 Non medical care such as
assisted, nursing, veteran homes 5 activities such as yoga and meditation
to aid health and happiness

Interventions, continuous education Integrated care that blends medical and

3 and awareness for families of 6 psychological health to aid overall
quality of life
individuals
 Barriers to fruitful psr
Inadequate insurance coverage Limited physical mobility Lack of coordination between
for treatment of mental and access to medical, social, psychological
disorders transportation organizations

Shortage of trained Stigma, resistance and

geriatrics mental health ignorance towards to
clinicians unique challenges of old
age
 Culturally, linguistically appropriate psr

To accomodate the elderly, any intervention or approach

must be respectful of and responsive to their health
beliefs, practices, and cultural, linguistic, and other
social and environmental needs of the individual.
Services that recognize the cultural and other needs of
the individual can decrease disparities in access to
behavioral health services, as well as improve client
engagement in services, therapeutic relationships
between clients and providers, and treatment retention
and outcomes.
The elderly have unique needs, including the increased
likelihood of co-morbid physical and behavioral health
conditions and social isolation. Additionally, healthcare and
financing services for older adults are complex and include a
wide array of settings. The use of evidence-based
interventions to address issues in this population is
essential to mitigating these challenging and interrelated
issues. Other critical elements include:

● Screening and assessment of conditions for early

detection and treatment
● Education and training for professionals in
evidence-based interventions
● Health insurance coverage for diagnosis and treatment
of mental disorders
● Provision of integrated medical and mental health
services
 Resources
1. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.3855
2. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00249-8
3. Shah DC, Evans M. King D. Prevalence of mental illness
in a rehabilitation unit for older adults. Postgrad Med J.
4. Social Care Institute for Excellence (2006). Assessing the
mental health needs of older people treatment and
recovery
5. World Health Organisation. 2021;
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rehab
ilitation
6. Enabling self-management by empowering patients and
clinicians. Unpublished MSc Dissertation. Ashridge
Masters in Leadership. Ashridge Business School; 2014.
Thank you!