Building bridges: Person-centered therapy with older adults

von Humboldt, Sofia; Leal, Isabel Pereira

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/2469

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Authors

von Humboldt, Sofia

Leal, Isabel Pereira

Abstract(s)

The growth of the older population has accentuated the need for consideration of how to manage stressors that compromise successful living across the aging continuum and that affect older adults’ successful aging. This paper, of theoretical reach, comes to explain some of the most pertinent older adults’ issues in the context of person-centered therapy (PCT), as well as research to sustain person-centered approach to older populations. First we examine some of older adults’ main contributors and limits to successful aging, based on growing literature. Then, we introduce PCT and its potential for addressing older adults and finally we explore older adults’ issues while discussing them within the PCT context. The value of this paper is to deepen the understanding of older adults’ distinctive reality and to help health care and medical professionals to better understand older adults’ needs. As professionals adapt to the shifting demographic composition of reality, it should be of importance to comprehend what old age might mean to older adults, to whom we are attending. Interventions with older adults may benefit from clearly understanding PCT as an important approach for promoting successful aging and reducing health and medical disparities.