What's so different about older people?

This paper introduces the special section on psychological therapy with older adults. It is widely accepted that the provision of health services, including psychological services, to older people is subject to ageism. There is no justification for arbitrary age cut-offs in making decisions about the appropriateness of psychological treatment, and good practice with younger adults is just as applicable in later life. The specialist aspects of working with older adults, which are highlighted in this paper, include working with people with cognitive impairment, the recognition of the importance and impact of past events and the importance of the social context in which older people find themselves. These aspects are not unique to work with older adults, and indeed should also be considered in work with younger adults. However, they form a constant backdrop to psychological therapy with older adults, which has an increasingly strong evidence-base to underpin it. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]