Past Trauma in Late Life

In the professional and practice literature on working with older people, little attention has been given to the potential impact of trauma experienced in childhood and early adult life. This book looks at the effect of trauma on behaviour, which is often mistakenly viewed as part of the pathology of old age. The contributors pay particular attention to the impact of the Holocaust and of the war experience of civilians and combatants, as well as individual trauma.

The authors call for sensitivity on the part of professionals and carers to the possibility of early trauma as a causal factor in distress in older people. The book encourages all those providing services to prepare themselves and their clients for a journey through what is often painful territory: the material contained in this volume will help both specialist and non-specialist practitioners to map a more certain course towards a coherent approach to therapeutic intervention and the care and support of many people still suffering from the consequences of earlier traumatic experiences.

Mary Marshall is a social worker who has worked with older people for most of her professional career. She was the director of the Dementia Services Development Centre at the University of Stirling from 1989 until she retired in 2005, and now writes and lectures in dementia care. Mary chaired the steering group for the new dementia standards in Scotland.

Linda Hunt is a qualified and experienced social worker. She was a lecturer in social work at Manchester University before joining The Scottish Office where until 1996 she was Assistant Chief Inspector in the Social Work Services Inspectorate. She has written and edited books and articles on social work practice.