You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
This book has already received sufficient, merited, good reviews to ensure its place as the vade mecum of the psychologist working with the elderly. It has scholarly reviews of such subjects as the intellectual changes of ageing (few) and of dementia, psychological theories and treatment of depression, assessment, and critical and valid comments on Reality Orientation and Reminiscence therapies, and the role of the psychologist with the elderly. As this book will deservedly become a source book for many professionals working with the elderly is deserves stringent criticism.
As a doctor reviewing a book intended for another profession one could not help be made aware of the gulf that is growing up between psychology and medicine. If a physiotherapist had written a book about arthritis but had failed to distinguish osteoarthritis, autoimmune arthritis, and metabolic arthritis one might regard the book with some suspicion. These authors do refer to the differences in neuropathology of the dementias, but then devote 30 pages to an analysis of the cognitive deficits of dementia as if it was one illness. Depression is also discussed as a unitary phenomenon, bipolar psychosis and mania receiving not a mention. Another notable omission is paraphrenia which is given 18 lines in all and schizophrenia which is ignored. Whilst E.C.T. is not a psychological treatment it has implications for the psychologist but again is not mentioned.
The role of the psychologist in the multidisciplinary team also gives rise to some concern. Assessment and treatment, they say, must be a minor part of the role of the psychologist. ‘We feel it is worth maintaining some individual contact; apart from any benefit to the clients concerned, it helps the psychologist retain credibility, provides refreshment and encourages humility, in their attempts to work at other levels.’ More important is his role as consultant to the team, as teacher to