Synonyms
Family caregiving; Family intervention
Definition
Therapeutic interventions that change interpersonal processes among family members alter the structure or functioning of families with the goal of improving the family’s abilities to meet the developmental needs of all members; aging family therapy focuses specifically on the “needs of families in which the key concerns center around the well-being of elderly members of the family” (Qualls 1995, p. 475).
Background
Families are a key social context for older adults, with family members making up more of the social network in later life than at any other time in adulthood. The salience of families makes them particularly influential to the well-being of older adults, and vice versa. The instrumental (aid with tasks) and emotional support flow in multiple directions within the family across the lifespan. As older adults develop illness, disability, or frailty, family support often increases in intensity, frequency, or style in a...
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Qualls, S.H. (2017). Family Therapy. In: Pachana, N.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-082-7_60
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-082-7_60
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