Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book shows that the relevance and value of psychoanalytic concepts in supporting the core role of colleagues working directly in services for people who are older. It describes the development of Freud's thought and contemporary developments in psychoanalytic thinking that are used directly in clinical work with older people. The book discusses the process of psychoanalytic assessment and treatment interventions offered within the Adult Department of the Tavistock Clinic. It introduces a basic framework for undertaking a psychodynamic assessment. It also illustrates the usefulness of "second-opinion" assessment. The book provides a detailed description of a psychodynamic approach to consultancy. It reviews the extensive literature examining the phenomenology of dementia, focusing specifically on the family of research looking at self, identity, and self-awareness in the person with dementia.