Group a counseling specialty 7e pearson by t gladding chapter 14

Chapter 14
Groups for Older Adults
Prepared by: Nathaniel N. Ivers, Wake Forest
University

Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e
© 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.


Roadmap







Late Adulthood
Types of Groups for Older Adults
Setting up Groups for Older Adults
Role of the Leader in Older Adult Groups
Groups for Caregivers of Older Adults
Strengths and Limitations

Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e
Samuel Gladding

14-2

© 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.

All rights reserved.


Late Adulthood






Begins in the 60s and extends up to
approximately 120 years of age
The percentage of those over the age of
65 continues to rise (13% of the
population or 43 million in 2014)
By 2060, the number is projected to more
than double and will be 92 million.

Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e
Samuel Gladding

14-3

© 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.


Types of Groups for Older Adults


Psychoeducational and Task/Work Groups



Counseling and Psychotherapy Groups

Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e
Samuel Gladding

14-4

© 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.


Psychoeducational & Task/Work
Groups




Gray Panthers Groups
AARP Groups
Groups for older adults who require longterm care

Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e
Samuel Gladding

14-5

© 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.


Counseling and Psychotherapy
Groups







Reality-oriented groups
Remotivation therapy groups
Reminiscing and life review groups
Topic- and theme-focused groups
Member-specific groups
eGroups

Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e
Samuel Gladding

14-6

© 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.


Setting up Groups for Older Adults



Factors to consider:








Group size – as a rule, they tend to be
smaller (e.g., 4-8 members)
Physical environment
Norms of the group (e.g., socialization
outside the group)
Themes of growth and enhancement
Trust-building

Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e
Samuel Gladding

14-7

© 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.


Role of the Leader in Groups for Older
Adults



Steps for prospective leaders working with
older adults:







Read
Examine
Meet
Fantasize
Learn
Care
(Hawkins, 1983)

Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e
Samuel Gladding

14-8

© 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.


Groups for Caregivers of Older
Adults



65 million Americans serve as caregivers
for their sick, disabled, or infirm relatives
(Vacha-Haase, 2014)





A number of different kinds of caregivers
groups are available
They primarily attempt to provide members
with information and support (Kennedy & Tanenbaum,
2000)



They are preventative in nature – they
affirm, support, and educate

Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e
Samuel Gladding

14-9

© 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Strengths of Groups for Older
Adults









Provides an opportunity to develop
interpersonal relationships
Gives its members an opportunity to try out
different responses and initiate new behaviors
Provides opportunities for formal and applied
learning
Can enhance self-concept (O’Brien et al., 1979)
Provide a series of checks and balances for
those who participate in them

Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e
Samuel Gladding

14-10

© 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.








Can be labor intensive
Require leader to have specialized skills
In groups with members who are old-old, group
members and leaders have to face real loss
Often have more limited goals than other groups
Group leaders and members will likely have to
deal with the caregivers for other members.
Many of these encounters are positive but they
also can be a source of stress (Thomas & Martin, 2010)

Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e
Samuel Gladding

14-11

© 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.