EMDR for the Elderly (Older Adults)

Who is eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for? It is not only for young survivors of acute or complex trauma. It is also for the elderly, for people who have suffered from the effectives of post-traumatic stress for years, who deserve to have quality of life in their final years.

Much research has been done on the efficacy of EMDR to resolve post-traumatic symptoms. More recently, researchers have begun to use EMDR in older adults. Here, too, EMDR has been shown to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life (Gielkens et al., 2022a; Gielkens et al., 2022b; Gielkens et al., 2024). EMDR was shown to reduce symptoms in those with mild to moderate cognitive impairment, dementia, and in at least one case, even Alzheimer’s (Ahmed, 2018; Mikahilova, 2015; Ruisch et al, 2023; van der Wielen, 2019). Elderly people may need accommodations for EMDR to be most effective, but their limitations do not preclude it.

What accommodations could benefit elderly adults seeking EMDR treatment? In a briefing paper for the British Psychological Society, Patience, Bell, and Dykes (n.d.) suggested that history taking may take a bit longer due to the longevity of older adults. Therapists may need to target recent events before touchstone memories, as in the traditional protocol. Older adults may need additional caregiver support, as well as modified bilateral stimulation (BLS) (Gielkens et al, 2018). Subjective units of distress scales may be difficult for older adults with dementia, and they may benefit from visual scales, and or observations of distress (Patience, Bell, & Dykes). Speed and duration of the BLS may also need to be altered based on attention span. Therapists should be able to make these accommodations with very little additional effort, however.

In some ways, EMDR may actually be a preferred treatment for older adults. All it requires is that clients be able to think of the most disturbing memory and how they feel about it (Vancouver EMDR Therapy & Neurofeedback, n.d.). They can then proceed in processing with simple language and limited conversation. EMDR can be a brief treatment, quickly ushering older adults into healthier lives, even into their elderly years (Kase, n.d.). This can be a boon both for the elderly, and their caregivers.

Is EMDR a good fit for any elderly patient? No. Clients do need to meet with a therapist for assessment before undergoing treatment. EMDR should be a treatment the elderly and their caregivers consider, however, as its empirically validated results show it to be both efficacious and safe.