Helping Relationships With Older Adults. Adelle M. Williams

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      From the Author’s Chair

      A genuine respect and appreciation for older adults is a value that I have adhered to since childhood. Providing assistance without compensation was taught from a very early age, and it is a rewarding experience. Therefore, it was not surprising to me that I chose a helping profession to continue to emphasize rendering services to older persons. I earned a master’s and a doctoral degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Pittsburgh and continued my focus on the aging population. The rehabilitation philosophy encompasses maximizing the functional capacity of individuals in all spheres of life. This philosophy is eclectic in its orientation, and it emphasizes doing whatever is appropriate to maximize the capabilities of clients. My personal philosophy and experiences are consistent with rehabilitating persons to their maximum level of functioning.

      Clinical, administrative, and research experiences were obtained in a variety of formats and various organizations. However, my clinical skills were enhanced at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (W.P.I.C.) where I had the opportunity to develop my skills in individual, group, and family counseling while simultaneously working with a multidisciplinary team. It should be noted that very few inpatient psychogeriatric units existed at this time, and I was fortunate to become one of the clinicians to work on the psychogeriatric units that focused exclusively on a comprehensive approach to the treatment of older adults with mental health issues. I had a unique opportunity to co-develop, recruit, and monitor the geropsychiatry admission process and to facilitate the admissions process for older adults and their families. Additionally, research opportunities were an integral component of my employment at W.P.I.C. Interacting with various therapists in the team proved valuable in the therapeutic process with older adults. Furthermore, I managed research grants that focused on improving and enhancing the well-being of older adults in the community. Throughout all of my professional experiences, I stayed committed to working with older adults. I had the opportunity to work on inpatient and outpatient units, long-term care systems, health care systems, and in educational and consultant positions. The Benedum Geriatric Outpatient Center provided numerous opportunities for assessment and treatment for older adults and excellent supervision by personnel who specialized in gerontology, geriatrics, and geropsychiatry. This breadth of experience facilitated my completion of a master’s degree in business administration to better prepare me to understand the business aspects of the health care industry and its impact on aging services.

      Currently as a professor and Gerontology Coordinator at Slippery Rock University, I have developed courses, revised curricula, managed academic programs, developed and supervised internship placements, advised students, conducted research, published articles, engaged in university governance, and provided community service. Positions included Director of a Health Services Administration program, Assistant to the Dean of the College of Health, Environment, and Science, and Gerontology Coordinator, while maintaining faculty responsibilities. Courses taught in administration included the organization, delivery, management, and financing of the health care delivery system. Courses in health included personal health, community health, and international health. Aging courses include the aging process, death and dying process, senior aging seminar, women and aging, foundations of aging, counseling older adults, career development counseling, and internship supervision.

      In all of the various transitions within the university, I continue to focus on increasing awareness of aging issues and promoting the counseling and related health professions to enhance their ability to serve older clients. Elevating the status of aging as a specialty and increasing the numbers of gerontological specialists remains a high priority.