Rehabilitation of the Older Adult.

Rehabilitation of the Older Adult By Andrews K. Baltimore, MD 21202, Edward Arnold Publishers Ltd, 1987, cloth, 364 pp, illus, $65 In the preface the author writes that the two primary purposes of the book are to provide some practical ideas for the management of specific disorders" and to encourage further research into rehabilitation," which he believes to be a "fundamental principle of geriatric medicine." To fulfill these purposes, content is presented in 20 chapters. Four chapters address issues of general importance! "Rehabilitation of the Elderly," "Physical Modalities Used in Rehabilitation," "Some Equipment for Rehabilitation of the Elderly," and "Organization of Rehabilitation Services." The remaining chapters present information about specific diagnoses or patient problems: Arthritis," "Spinal Conditions," "Fracture of the Neck of the Femur  ... .. Peripheral Vascular Disease," "Lower-limb Amputation," "Pressure Sores ... .. Oedema " " Venous Conditions," "Deafness and Hardness of Hearing," Visual Impairment  ... .. Falls and Balance Disorders," "Parkinson's Disease," and "Stroke" (including individual chapters on motor and sensory aspects). An immense amount of information is included in this book, especially considering that it has one author. I learned a great deal both by reading the book and by consulting some of the numerous references at the end of each chapter. Although the content is not presented in a particularly consistent manner, it is useful and interesting. Practical insights are found throughout the book. For example, in commenting on chair coverings, the author states, "Too rough and it restricts movement, too smooth and the patient may slip." In commenting on range-of-motion exercises, he states that simply moving each joint is insufficient to prevent deterioration unless the exercise involves the extremes of joint action." Although I do not agree with all the author's conclusions, I believe he has done an excellent job of bringing diverse information together and providing balanced conclusions with relevance to practice. For example, in a section on external causes of falls, he states, "There is no doubt that some falls are due to inappropriate footwear, such as slippers which are too loose, or are due to inadequate lighting. However, the environment is usually contributory rather than causative in falls in elderly people. Nevertheless, there is always an indication for checking for preventable environmental factors." The author fulfills his purposes. I definitely can recommend the book both for physical therapists and for physical therapist assistants. it is well worth its purchase price.