 14 AGING CLIENT PRESENTATION 1. Advanced Age (1) * A. As the client has grown older, he/she has become more dependent on others. B. The client's advanced age has exacerbated his/her severe and persistent mental illness concerns. C. The client displayed den ial regarding the effects of aging on his/her ability to function independently. D. The effects of the client's advanced age have been ameliorated through the use of an enhanced support network and greater supervision. 2. Decreased Intensity of Symptoms (2) A. As the client has advanced in age, he/she has reported a gradual decrease in the intensity of his/her severe and persistent mental illness symptoms. B. The client's overall level of functioning has gradually increased as he/she has aged. C. As th e client has aged, he/she displays less intense thought disorder symptoms and more ability to control his/her symptoms. 3. Cognitive Decline (3) A. The client presented with clear evidence of impaired abstract thinking and a tendency to think in a rather concrete manner. B. The client showed evidence of short-and long-term memory deficits. C. The client displayed periods of confusion. D. The client has struggled to learn new information. E. As the client has complied with treatment approaches, he/she has reported an amelioration of his/her cognitive difficulties. 4. Loss of Social Support System (4) A. The client reported that he/she has been losing his/her support system due to the infirmity or death of members of his/her family of origin and frien ds. B. Individuals whom the client has regularly relied upon have been less capable of providing support to the client. C. The client has begun to develop a new social support system. 5. Little Interest from Offspring (5) A. The client reported that he /she receives little or no support or attention from his/her children. B. The client's children identified that they struggle with providing support for the client due to his/her long history of severe and persistent mental illness. * The numbers in parentheses correlate to the number of the Behavioral Definition statement in the companion chapter with the same title in The Severe and Persistent Mental Illness Treatment Planner, 2nd ed. (Berghuis and Jongsma) by John Wiley & Sons, 2008. 