Contents: M.L. Hummert, J.F. Nussbaum, Introduction: Successful Aging, Communication, and Health. Part I:Developments in Health Care and Successful Aging.P. Whitten, J.L. Gregg, Telemedicine: Using Telecommunication Technologies to Deliver Health Services to Older Adults. J.F. Nussbaum, L. Pecchioni, T. Crowell, The Older Patient-Health Care Provider Relationship in a Managed Care Environment. M.K. Pichora-Fuller, A.J. Carson, Hearing Health and the Listening Experiences of Older Communicators. T.A. Garstka, P. McCallion, R.W. Toseland, Using Support Groups to Improve Caregiver Health. Part II:Provider-Patient Communication and Successful Aging.M.G. Greene, R.D. Adelman, Building the Physician-Older Patient Relationship. J. Coupland, N. Coupland, Roles, Responsibilities, and Alignments: Multiparty Talk in Geriatric Care. A. Norberg, Communication in the Care of People With Severe Dementia. Part III:Family Communication and Successful Aging.M.L. Hummert, M. Morgan, Negotiating Decisions in the Aging Family. H. Edwards, Family Caregiving, Communication, and the Health of Care Receivers. J.B. Orange, Family Caregivers, Communication, and Alzheimer's Disease. K.A. Noels, H. Giles, C. Gallois, S.H. Ng, Intergenerational Communication and Psychological Adjustment: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Hong Kong and Australian Adults. E.B. Ryan, J.E. Norris, Epilogue: Communication, Aging, and Health: The Interface Between Research and Practice.

Mary Lee Hummert, Jon F. Nussbaum

This collection highlights the current efforts by scholars and researchers to understand the aging process as it relates to the health of older adults. With contributions from international scholars in communication, psychology, public health, medicine, nursing, and other areas, this volume emphasizes communication as a critical research, education, policy, and practice issue for the design, provision, and evaluation of health and social services for older adults. Organized into sections addressing communication developments in the healthcare arena, issues in provider-patient communication, and the relationships between family communication and health. The chapters cover critical topics related to successful aging, such as Alzheimer's disease, managed care and older adults, communication issues of severe dementia, and healthcare decision-making within families.

The editors have designed this volume to be accessible to a broad audience, including scholars and students of aging and communication, healthcare practitioners with older clients, and aging individuals and their families who are pursuing strategies for successful aging. The chapters represent the highest levels of current scholarship on communication, aging, and health, providing a strong foundation for future research. Each contribution also addresses the applied implications of this research, offering practical guidance to readers dealing with these issues in their own lives. As a whole, Aging, Communication, and Health represents a major advance toward understanding the importance and application of communication for successful aging.