Community delivery of brief therapy for depressed older adults impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

Older adults frequently under-report depressive symptoms and often fail to access services after a disaster. To address unmet mental health needs, we developed a service delivery program (SMART-MH) that combines outreach, assessment, and therapy and implemented it in New York City after Hurricane Sandy. This study aimed to examine the feasibility, effectiveness, and patients' engagement of our brief psychotherapy ("Engage").

Storm Impact and Depression Among Older Adults Living in Hurricane Sandy-Affected Areas.

Objective: Research on the impact of natural disasters on the mental health of older adults finds both vulnerabilities and resilience. We report on the rates of clinically significant depression among older adults (aged ≥60 years) living in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and the factors associated with mental health need.

Methods: The Sandy Mobilization, Assessment, Referral and Treatment for Mental Health (SMART-MH) program integrates community outreach and needs assessments to identify older adults with mental health and aging service needs.

PROTECT: A Pilot Program to Integrate Mental Health Treatment Into Elder Abuse Services for Older Women.

The goal of this pilot program was to test the usefulness of adapted Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) and anxiety management, called PROTECT, integrated into elder abuse services to reduce depression and improve self-efficacy. Depressed women victims were randomized to receive elder abuse resolution services combined with either PROTECT or a mental health referral. At follow-up, the PROTECT group showed greater reduction in depressive symptoms and endorsed greater improved self-efficacy in problem-solving when compared to those in the Referral condition.

Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Elder Abuse and Neglect in the Community: A Population-Based Study.

Objectives: To estimate past-year prevalence and identify risk and protective factors of elder emotional abuse, physical abuse, and neglect.

Design: Cross-sectional, population-based study using random-digit-dial sampling and direct telephone interviews.

Setting: New York State households.

Feasibility of integrating mental health screening and services into routine elder abuse practice to improve client outcomes.

The goal of this pilot program was to test the feasibility of mental health screening among elder abuse victims and of offering those victims a brief psychotherapy for depression and anxiety. Elder abuse victims who sought assistance from a large, urban elder abuse service were screened for depression and anxiety using standardized measures. Clients with clinically significant depression (PHQ-9) or anxiety (GAD-7) were randomized to receive one of three different interventions concurrent with abuse resolution services.

Financial exploitation of older adults: a population-based prevalence study.

Background: Financial exploitation is the most common and least studied form of elder abuse. Previous research estimating the prevalence of financial exploitation of older adults (FEOA) is limited by a broader emphasis on traditional forms of elder mistreatment (e.g.

Effect of Alzheimer's training on multicultural personal care aides.

This article reports on the first 2 years of an ongoing project that examined the efficacy of a 10-hour dementia training provided to entry-level personal care aide (PCA) trainees from the Hispanic, White, African American, and Asian communities in New York City. Participants were enrolled in a 90-hour PCA training program offered by the New York City Department for the Aging and were either recipients of public assistance, displaced employees from September 11, or recent immigrants to the United States from China. Classes were conducted in Spanish, English, and Mandarin/ Cantonese.

Effects of dependency on compliance rates among elder abuse victims at the New York City Department for the aging, elderly crime victim's unit.

A study was conducted at the New York City Department for the Aging Elderly Crime Victim's Unit (ECVU) to examine the relationship between dependency and compliance rates. Dependency was defined by the total score for each case on the Victim Dependency Scale and Abuser Dependency Scale. Compliance was defined as the act of accepting a referral and compliance rates were determined by counting the total number of referrals the victim accepted.