Psychiatric Medications for Older Adults: The Concise Guide [Hardcover]

Carl Salzman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 2000 | ISBN-10: 1572305789 | ISBN-13: 978-1572305786 | Edition: 1

From the author of the leading textbook on geriatric psychopharmacology, this up-to-the-minute guide is designed for physicians and other caregivers who work with older adults in a range of settings. It will be particularly useful for those who are called upon to treat such problems as agitation in the nursing home, late-life depression and anxiety, memory impairment, and sleep difficulties. The book provides chapter-by-chapter coverage of how to recognize and treat specific conditions. It includes concise prescribing guidelines, quick-reference drug interaction tables, and illustrative case examples. Practical advice is presented on choosing medications, determining dosages, anticipating side effects, and recognizing when symptoms may caused by normal aging or physical illness.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This cohesive, well-written handbook will suit a range of practitioners. From Carl Salzman, the foremost expert in geriatric psychopharmacology, the book provides a coherent overview of fundamental principles and issues. Its concise, heuristic case examples do an excellent job of explicating typical presentations, therapeutic approach, treatment, and outcomes. In addition to practitioners, it will serve as a useful text for graduate students across the health-related professions." --Lon S. Schneider, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Gerontology, Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California School of Medicine

"In this cogent, readable handbook, Salzman combines evidence-based medicine with the experience of an astute clinician. Well organized and readily applicable to the clinical situation, this book will be of significant practical use for mental health professionals and gerontologists. It will be equally important to academicians and researchers as an example of the thoughtful application of clinical research to the treatment of patients." --Steven P. Roose, MD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

"This is an exceptionally well-written book on a topic of increasing importance. Salzman is one of the best-known geriatric psychopharmacologists in the country, and the present volume is the culmination of years of experience as a clinician, researcher, and educator. The result is an eminently readable, highly informative book. The case vignettes are particularly interesting and add a real-life quality to the understanding of the use of medications in older patients. I would recommend this book to all health care providers who work with older people suffering from psychiatric disorders." --Dilip V. Jeste, MD, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego

About the Author

Carl Salzman, MD, is Director of Psychopharmacology and Director of Education at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center, and Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is the editor of the seminal textbook Clinical Geriatric Psychopharmacology as well as over 200 articles, chapters, and reviews. Dr. Salzman's contributions to the field of psychiatry have been recognized with numerous awards. He has chaired a number of national task forces on psychiatric research and training, and has served on the editorial boards of such journals as the leading American Journal of Psychiatry. He maintains an active clinical and consulting practice.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 191 pages
• Publisher: Guilford Press; 1 edition (November 6, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572305789
• ISBN-13: 978-1572305786
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,735,540 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a keeper!, November 20, 2001

By 

S. M Marson (Lumberton, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Psychiatric Medications for Older Adults: The Concise Guide (Hardcover)

As a gerontologist, I have read many books on drugs and drug interaction for elderly patients. All of them were thoughtfully written and had salient points. However, if you asked me to provide you with a list of books I've read on this subject, I couldn't help you. I didn't keep them. In fact, I gave them away. Nothing I have read seemed relevant to my work with elderly patients. However, I'll keep Salzman's book.

Two critical points can be made about this important volume.

First, it is well written. Salzman has a rare ability to captivate his readers. Please realize that PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATIONS FOR OLDER ADULTS is an academic book. It is not suppose to be interesting, but it is. I think the case illustrations are particularly good.

Second, it is relevant to gerontologists who are NOT physicians. After reading this book, I can more clearly understand issues that physicians must address and comprehend how medication mistakes can be made.

Everyone who is concerned about drugs and elderly should read this book and retain it as a reference. It's a keeper.