Book excerpt: Disturbed Behavior in the Elderly provides information pertinent to the needs of those giving care as well as of the elderly themselves. This book presents relevant topics of contemporary psychiatric importance. Organized into four parts encompassing 11 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the clinical, administrative, and interpersonal problems posed by the elderly patient with disturbed behavior. This text then examines the rational management of disturbing behavior among the elderly in health care and other residential settings. Other chapters consider the use of medications and psychotropic drugs in old age. This book discusses as well the great value of drug therapy in alleviating the sufferings of the elderly and helping them restore the equilibrium that has been disturbed by aging, physical disability, and shrinking socio-economic network around them. The final chapter deals with staff burnout, job stress, and low morale in dealing with the elderly. This book is a valuable resource for geriatric psychiatrists and caregivers.