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Assessing Deficits and Supports in the Elderly

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Diagnostic Interviewing

Abstract

This chapter is based upon the view that the “aging process” and its associated behaviors reflect interaction between the individual and often changing environmental events and consequences. For these reasons, a practical and less biased approach to assessing the behavior of aged individuals is through a behavioral interview that taps person—situation interaction. Also, the interview/assessment approaches presented in this chapter presume that the professional (a) will view the elderly from a perspective larger than that defined by his or her specific training; (b) will see major areas needing evaluation other than physical problems; (c) will see aging as a developmental rather than pathological process (with change not necessarily occurring across all areas); (d) will not view the elderly as rigid, slow to change, or hopeless; and (e) will seek other than custodial or limited intervention.

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© 1985 Plenum Press, New York

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Dupree, L.W., Patterson, R.L. (1985). Assessing Deficits and Supports in the Elderly. In: Hersen, M., Turner, S.M. (eds) Diagnostic Interviewing. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6826-1_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6826-1_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4615-6828-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-6826-1

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