Ethical Practice in Geropsychology

Working with older clients involves a number of unique ethical challenges, including those related to the array of health concerns psychologists do not often encounter with younger clients, such as Alzheimer's disease. This book presents a decision-making framework and clinical vignettes to help clinicians navigate such complex quandaries. Perhaps the greatest challenge for geropsychologists is balancing the principles of respecting client autonomy and promoting client welfare, especially when a client's decision-making capacity is in question. Geropsychologists also must negotiate the competing interests and expectations of clients and their relatives, other health care professionals, and the institutions in which many older adults are evaluated and treated. To help geropsychologists navigate these complex issues, Bush, Allen, and Molinari introduce a structured decision-making process that draws heavily from principle-based and positive ethics, providing practical applications of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct while also accounting for federal laws and regulations. Detailed case examples illustrate how to apply this process in a variety of treatment contexts, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and hospice care. These vignettes review unique considerations for assessment, intervention, consultation, business practices, education and training, and advocating for clients' rights. This book will also help geropsychologists to prepare for the ethics component of the board certification exam.