Handbook of Clinical Behavior Therapy with the Elderly Client

Although we speak of "the elderly" as if there were one body of people with common characteristics, older adults are more heterogeneous than any other popu­ lation. People over the age of 65 are also the fastest-growing segment of the population in the United States, currently numbering 25 million. The majority of older adults reside in their communities; a small fraction of them are cared for in institutions. Most may expect to experience some kind of physical impairment. Approximately a quart