Mental Health Concerns and The Older Adult
144
the associated virtue is love); stage 7 is generativity versus stagnation (usually met in adulthood and has the associat- ed virtue of care); and stage 8 is integrity versus despair (usually met in older adult- hood and has the associated vesture of wisdom) (Boyd, 2017). The older adult grew an appreciation of interdependence from stage 1. Ac- ceptance of the life cycle and self-control were gained in stage 2. In stage 3, the older adult gains humor, empathy, resil- ience, and life direction. The older adult developed humility and acceptance of the course of their life to include unful- filled hopes in stage 4. Stage 5 brings a sense of complexity to life and helps merge perception and devotion to life for the older adult. The older adult gathers a sense of relationships and comes to val- ue tenderness and love during stage 6. In stage 7, the older adult has learned empathy and how to care for others with concern. The eighth and final stage, in - tegrity versus despair, refers to the time period between being an older adult and death. An older adult client in this stage of life is juggling the purpose versus the finality of their life. This concept can be deep and meaningful, and it can drive the decisions a client makes toward their own health and the care they want/expect at the end of their life. An older adult client struggling with the fulfillment of this stage can experience high levels of despair and detachment (Sadock et al., 2015). These can be barriers the healthcare worker must consider when planning care and offering mental health interventions and treatments to the older adult. With an awareness of the theories on aging, the healthcare worker can more accurately conceptualize the client in their current
presentation and use this information in the administration of mental healthcare. INTERPERSONAL CONNECTION WITH THE OLDER ADULT An essential component of mental healthcare is the therapeutic relationship between the healthcare worker(s) and the older adult client. A healthcare worker who builds and maintains a therapeu- tic relationship will be connected to the older adult client, enhancing their ability to meet their mental healthcare needs. The older adult views connection as vital to their identity, autonomy, and self-es- teem (Jack et al., 2019). Key elements in the healthcare worker forming a thera- peutic relationship are rapport, empathy, and professional boundaries—all with- in the bounds of cultural consideration for the older adult. These elements will aid communication between the health- care worker and the older adult, which in turn strengthens the therapeutic relation- ship, a paramount component of mental healthcare. Rapport — trust Rapport is “interpersonal harmony” rooted in mutual understanding and re- spect for another (Boyd, 2017, p. 93). This concept of rapport is critical for the healthcare worker to develop a therapeu- tic relationship with the older adult in or- der to address their mental health needs. Trust is the foundation of the therapeutic alliance (Carlat, 2017). How a healthcare worker establishes rapport and builds trust depends on their individual capabil- ities and the current presentation of the client. Connecting with the older adult can be challenging if the healthcare worker harbors conscious or unconscious bias or stereotypes. Ageism is a healthcare work- er’s perception and outlook based on
Powered by FlippingBook