Geriatric Counselling

Geriatric counseling refers to mental health services for persons 65 and older. Even though everyone ages, the process is not simple. Aging naturally causes a number of cognitive and physical changes. These life changes may have a negative and significant impact on how you live, which may influence your overall happiness and sense of fulfillment.

Geriatric Counselling

History

A small group of pioneers got together in 1978 to talk about the need for late-life mental health and the field of geriatric psychiatry as interest in mental health and the aging process grew and older adults made up a growing proportion of the U.S. population. The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) emerged from this gathering. By the end of its first year, what started as the idea of 11 pioneers in the field of psychiatry had expanded to a society of several hundred. Nearly 2,000 geriatric psychiatrists and other medical specialists from the United States, Canada, and other countries are members of the AAGP today, a reputable membership organization devoted to the mental health of senior citizens.

Focus theme / core-concept

Geriatric counseling acknowledges the developmental components of aging and is cognizant of the fact that people continue to develop, change, and encounter new difficulties as they age. It takes into account the effects of social support, relationships, life transitions, and societal views regarding aging.
Geriatric therapy places a strong emphasis on honoring each person's autonomy, dignity, and individual life experiences.
Geriatric counseling recognizes the diversity of the older adult population, including distinctions in culture, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. It takes into account how cultural beliefs, customs, and values affect how people age.

Benefits

Emotional Support: Geriatric counseling offers a compassionate setting for senior citizens to communicate their thoughts, worries, and anxieties related to growing older.

Managing Transitions and Losses: Geriatric counseling helps senior citizens manage losses, including losing a loved one, retiring, or experiencing deteriorating health. It offers direction for managing life changes and acclimating to new responsibilities.

Better Mental Health: Counseling can assist senior citizens in controlling and reducing the signs and symptoms of loneliness, anxiety, and depression.

Support for Family and Caregivers: It offers direction, instruction, and coping mechanisms to handle the difficulties of providing care and upholding wholesome relationships.

Life Review and Meaning-Making: Life review exercises, which support older adults in reflecting on their experiences, discovering meaning and purpose, and cultivating a sense of fulfillment, are frequently incorporated into geriatric counseling programs.

Goals

Life transitions: Geriatric counseling is designed to support older adults in navigating a range of life transitions, including retirement, the death of a loved one, and changes in health.

Encouraging emotional well-being: In addition to helping older adults build resilience and coping mechanisms, the therapy addresses problems including depression, anxiety, loneliness, and bereavement.

Improving quality of life: The goal of the therapy is to improve life satisfaction and fulfillment by identifying and addressing psychological, social, and physical factors that may have an impact on well-being.

Encouraging support and communication within the family: A common goal of geriatric counseling is to work with families to enhance support and communication between elderly individuals and their loved ones. The goals of the therapy is to deal with issues, and encourage cooperation and understanding when providing care.

Improving independence and self-care: Supporting older adults in maintaining their health, adjusting to age-related changes, and cultivating a sense of control and autonomy are the main goals of the therapy.

Techniques

Social Skills Training

Cognitive Restructuring

Managing Stress

Behavioral Initiation

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