Psychological assessment and psychotherapy in long-term care

The continued growth of the older adult population, combined with the inclusion of psychologists in Medicare, is leading to psychological services increasingly being delivered in long-term care settings. This article reviews some basic concepts in psychological assessment and psychotherapy with older adults in long-term care settings. A guide is provided for the assessment of dementia, delirium, and depression. The use of validated empirical instruments, the collection of multiple sources of historical data, and the incorporation of assessment results in treatment planning are emphasized. Psychotherapy with persons having a dementia, and psychotherapy with persons having a personality disorder are the focus of the treatment section of this article. We argue that these have been neglected areas of practice, and yet treatment can produce significant benefits to these patients.