The elderly are special members of our society. Special in their contributions, special in their life styles, and, most importantly, special in their needs. And one of these special needs is mental health care. As health care professionals, we will most often see an elderly patient for physical ailments. Yet a large part of the aging process involves quite a bit of stress. Particularly stress over a loss. Loss of a friend or family member. Loss of a home. Loss of status within the family and society. The loss of bodily functions. Other stress factors the elderly share with the general population are financial and family pressures, and resistance to change. Generally, the elderly deal with more stress than any other age group. A knowledge of the psychosocial factors and their effects on the elderly is important in the care of the elderly. This program will examine aging as it relates to the patient\'s mental health and care, including a discussion of normal and abnormal changes of aging, and guidelines for interventions. | 
