Differential Diagnosis of the Disturbed Elderly Patient

Interdisciplinary evaluations for guardianships and conservatorships.

“…The value of the interdisciplinary approach for evaluating (and treating) persons who might be subject to a guardianship has been amply demonstrated (for the aged see, Cheah et al, 1979;Edinberg et al, 1978;Feigenbaum, 1977;Kleh et al, 1978; for the mentally ill see, Bloom & Parad, 1976;Brick & Swinth, 1980;Brunell, 1978;Cumming et al, 1976;Hartocollis, 1978;Reinharz & Lowenthal, 1979;Winslow, 1979; for those suffering from alcoholism and drug dependency see, Chegwidden, 1977;Milner, 1977; for those suffering with severe and incapacitating illness see, Aitken, 1979;Winder, 1978). Among the benefits noted are (1) the ability to differentiate between behavior dominated by mental illness as opposed to physical illness; (2) the ability to differentiate disabilities resulting from physical and psychological factors and those resulting from environmental, social, and economic factors; (3) the accurate diagnosis of all contributing factors based on a comparison and contrasting of symptoms; (4) the incorporation of different perspectives and talents resulting from divergent training and professional skills, providing greater insight into the problem under study and a wider range of appropriately proposed solutions; (5) the diminishment of noncontributive stereotypes resulting from the observation of behavior from a single perspective; (6) the clients' increased awareness of and accessibility to ancillary health care providers; (7) the avoidance of variously involved health-care disciplines unknowingly working at cross-purposes to each other; and (8) a general opportunity for the professionals to complement and supplement one another in prescribing treatment and care appropriate to the individual.…”

Modalities of Psychotherapy with the Elderly

“…This projection process is exacerbated by a society that has been discriminatory against older persons, and that shuns old age and views death and dying with shame and disgust. One way of rationalizing a failure to treat the aged is to diagnose their illness as chronic organic brain syndrome without proper neurologic evidence (39)(40)(41)(42).…”