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Older Adults

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Diagnostic Interviewing

Abstract

Interviewing older adults is often associated with some type of assessment of the individuals or their situations or both. Frequently encountered objectives usually include the determination of one or more of the following: (1) cognitive functioning, (2) emotional status, (3) need for resources, and (4) ability to utilize objects, materials, and resources in order to function successfully in required activities of daily living (ADLs). This chapter will present a type of interview involving an assessment that both simplifies and improves on this process. The method to be explained and illustrated uses the Behavioral Interview (BI) techniques developed by Pascal and Jenkins (1961) combined with a focus on problems that are widely recognized to be prevalent in elderly populations. Their interview method achieves its usefulness by seeking to determine the way an older adult interacts with his or her personal social and material environment so as to maintain (or fail to maintain) a desirable level of functioning. In contrast, most other approaches have sought to measure resource availability and abilities of the individual as separate entities. The authors seek to make the case that discovering the unique way the particular person interacts with his or her own environment can provide much more direct information regarding strengths and deficits in the person—environment system.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterans Affairs, William V. Chappell Jr. Outpatient Clinic, Daytona Beach, Florida, 32117-5115, USA

    Roger L. Patterson

  2. Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, 33612, USA

    Larry W. Dupree

Authors
  1. Roger L. Patterson
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  2. Larry W. Dupree
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA

    Michel Hersen

  2. Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA

    Samuel M. Turner

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Patterson, R.L., Dupree, L.W. (1994). Older Adults. In: Hersen, M., Turner, S.M. (eds) Diagnostic Interviewing. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2323-6_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2323-6_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

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