By highlighting the commonalities across a range of disciplines, this volume provides a unique and broad-based perspective on communication and ageing. This integrative approach brings together the best of current research and theory from communication, cognitive psychology, psycholinguistics and medical sociology. Centring on three topics - cognition, language and relationships - the book explores the individual areas as well as the ways in which they intersect. It brings to light the implications of individual differences among members of the elderly population as they affect communication, and illustrates the positive as well as the negative effects of the ageing process on language production, relational satisfaction an

Providers serving older adults face a growing problem. Older adults are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with service quality citing deficits in provider communication and relationship skills. The author argues this dissatisfaction is largely related to three widespread issues: ageism, use of professional jargon, and age-related changes in the older adult. To address these concerns, Dr. Storlie advocates adoption of an evidence-based, person-centered approach to communication. The benefits of person-centered communication are many. They can increase older adult satisfaction with provider services, enhance mutual respect and understanding, improve accuracy of information exchanged, positively impact service outcomes, increase compliance with provider recommendations, and reduce the frustration and stress often experienced by both provider and older adult. Rare to this genre, readers are introduced to several under-explored topics within the field of communication, along with methods for applying concepts from research findings into these topics to enhance the quality of interpersonal communication. Topics include the role of mental imagery in the communication process, the influence of neurocardiology on relationships, and controversial findings from research into quantum physics. The book concludes by highlighting progress made in narrowing the interpersonal communication gap and forecasts how communications-oriented technological advances might improve quality of life for 21st century older adults and the providers who serve them. Utilizing interdisciplinary case studies to illustrate common problematic situations, this book provides detailed exercises that explain how providers can integrate person-centered communication into their practices to improve provider-older adult interactions. Written in a style designed to maximize learning, it helps providers find the information they need, understand what they read, and apply what they've learned to improve professional communication. Person-Centered Communication with Older Adults is an essential guide for today's healthcare professionals and other aging-services providers, and also for the educators who help to prepare the providers of tomorrow. - Presents a conceptual framework for understanding respect-based, person-centered communication - Teaches specific communication skills to aging services providers and educators to assist in effectively communicating with older adults - Includes numerous case studies to help in identifying common problematic situations and describing practical ways to integrate positive communication - One of the first books to integrate scientific, evidence-based findings with a personal approach that includes important new information on neurocardiology

The book examines key topics such as interpersonal and family relationships in old age, media portrayals of aging, cultural variations in intergenerational communication, and health communication in old age.

This book is particularly relevant now as the baby-boomer generation is aging and a greater proportion of the world′s population is growing older. Interpersonal communication is clearly the most critical process for promoting social integration and adaptation of older adults within society. Yet understanding of the complex dynamics of interpersonal communication with the elderly is severely limited and the aged are often stigmatized, stereotyped, and isolated. This book will help clarify the role of communication in effective social integration and adaptation of the aged by providing comprehensive and in-depth analyses of relevant research and theory. The book integrates information on the most important issues and contexts influencing interpersonal communication and aging and the individual chapters are written by an excellent group of authors who have demonstrated expertise on their topics. The book is well organized, clearly written, and comprehensive. The major topics are logically organized and compelling. I highly recommend this book! --Gary L. Kreps, Northern Illinois University "Aging obviously occurs at many levels, with biological, psychological, and social systems showing multidirectional and interdependent changes. What is less obvious is how these factors affect communication in later life. This volume represents a strong contribution toward solving this problem by bringing together a group of prominent scholars with diverse perspectives on language, communication, and aging." --Elizabeth A. I. Stine, University of New Hampshire "The Hummert, Wiemann, and Nussbaum book brings together a strong theoretical base with the presentation of new data. The chapters go well beyond the typical literature reviews usually found in edited volumes. The contributors provide sophisticated presentations of a variety of socially significant and unique topics, including the communicative impact of physical and cognitive changes sometimes associated with aging, patronization, verbosity, frailty, conversational skills, proper names, and the presentation of self. Some of the chapters are strongly quantitative while others are more interpretive. After building a strong rationale for the volume, the editors go on to put together a series of well-written chapters that provide a much needed emphasis on the social construction of relationships through communication. The book should prompt much new research and advance our understanding of interpersonal communication and the aging process significantly." --Teresa Thompson, University of Dayton "The rich diversity of theoretical and methodological perspectives highlighted within the various chapters is an impressive feature of this edited collection. These essays add conceptual breadth and depth to our understanding of interpersonal communication and the process of aging." --Mary Anne Fitzpatrick, Department of Communication Arts, University of Wisconsin "This book is a valuable addition to the gerontological literature. Written from the perspective of the communication researcher, it brings together existing literature and offers new insights to gerontologists working in many social science disciplines. I recommend Interpersonal Communication in Older Adulthood as a resource to any scholars interested in older adults." --Victor G. Cicirelli, Professor of Developmental and Aging Psychology, Purdue University "This book is very timely. Communication is offering a new wave of aging research, and interpersonal processes in communication are where our experiences and our personal theories of aging are grounded. This book brings together many of the researchers who are breaking new ground in communication and aging. It offers a valuable overview of where we have gone in aging theory communicatively, and where we need to go. Interpersonal Communication in Older Adulthood demonstrates the rich diversity of methods and traditions of communication research that are beginning to illuminate gerontology." --Nikolas Coupland, University of Wales, Cardiff By highlighting the commonalities across a range of disciplines, Interpersonal Communication in Older Adulthood provides a unique and broad-based perspective on communication and aging. This integrative approach brings together the best of the current research and theory from communication, cognitive psychology, psycholinguistics, and medical sociology. The underlying framework of the book centers around three topics--cognition, language, and relationships--exploring the individual areas as well as the ways they intersect. In addition, this volume brings to light the implications of the elderly population′s individual differences as they affect communication, and illustrates the positive as well as the negative effects of the aging process on language production, relational satisfaction, and other communication-related variables. This major reference source, Interpersonal Communication in Older Adulthood, is essential reading for anyone concerned with the issues of aging and communication.

This text employs a communication perspective to examine the aging process and the ability of individuals to adapt successfully to aging. It continues the groundbreaking work of the first edition, emphasizing a life-span approach toward understanding the social interaction that occurs during later life. The edition provides a comprehensive update on the existing and emerging research within communication and aging studies and considers such topics as notions of successful aging, positive and negative stereotypes toward older adults, and health communication issues. It raises awareness of the barriers facing elderly people in conversation and the importance such conversations have in elderly people's lives. The impact of nonrelational processes, such as hearing loss, are considered as they impact relationships with others and affect the ability to age successfully. The book is organized into 14 chapters. Each chapter is written so that the reader is presented with an exhaustive review of the pertinent and recent literature from the social sciences. As in the first edition, when the literature is empirically based, the communicative ramifications are then discussed. Readers of this volume will gain greater understanding of the importance of their communicative relationships and how significant they remain across the life span. Developed for students in communication, psychology, nursing, social gerontology, sociology, and related areas, Communication and Aging provides important insights on communication to all who are affected by the aging process.

Emerging and currently available technologies offer great promise for helping older adults, even those without serious disabilities, to live healthy, comfortable, and productive lives. What technologies offer the most potential benefit? What challenges must be overcome, what problems must be solved, for this promise to be fulfilled? How can federal agencies like the National Institute on Aging best use their resources to support the translation from laboratory findings to useful, marketable products and services? Technology for Adaptive Aging is the product of a workshop that brought together distinguished experts in aging research and in technology to discuss applications of technology to communication, education and learning, employment, health, living environments, and transportation for older adults. It includes all of the workshop papers and the report of the committee that organized the workshop. The committee report synthesizes and evaluates the points made in the workshop papers and recommends priorities for federal support of translational research in technology for older adults.

Lifespan human development is the study of all aspects of biological, physical, cognitive, socioemotional, and contextual development from conception to the end of life. In approximately 800 signed articles by experts from a wide diversity of fields, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development explores all individual and situational factors related to human development across the lifespan. Some of the broad thematic areas will include: Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood Aging Behavioral and Developmental Disorders Cognitive Development Community and Culture Early and Middle Childhood Education through the Lifespan Genetics and Biology Gender and Sexuality Life Events Mental Health through the Lifespan Research Methods in Lifespan Development Speech and Language Across the Lifespan Theories and Models of Development. This five-volume encyclopedia promises to be an authoritative, discipline-defining work for students and researchers seeking to become familiar with various approaches, theories, and empirical findings about human development broadly construed, as well as past and current research.

Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion of adults in the United States report feeling lonely. People who are 50 years of age or older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairments. Over a life course, social isolation and loneliness may be episodic or chronic, depending upon an individual's circumstances and perceptions. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that social isolation presents a major risk for premature mortality, comparable to other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, or obesity. As older adults are particularly high-volume and high-frequency users of the health care system, there is an opportunity for health care professionals to identify, prevent, and mitigate the adverse health impacts of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults summarizes the evidence base and explores how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, particularly among low income, underserved, and vulnerable populations. This report makes recommendations specifically for clinical settings of health care to identify those who suffer the resultant negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness and target interventions to improve their social conditions. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults considers clinical tools and methodologies, better education and training for the health care workforce, and dissemination and implementation that will be important for translating research into practice, especially as the evidence base for effective interventions continues to flourish.

Smith and Steven R.