Full Course Description
Effective Interventions for Geriatric Patients: Dementias, Challenging Behaviors & More​
OUTLINE
Mental Health Evaluation
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Alcohol Abuse
Cognitive Disorder and "Forgetfulness"
- Transient Cognitive Decline
- Pre-cursor to dementia
- Mild Neuro-Cognitive Disorder
Diagnostics of Dementing Conditions
- Alzheimer's
- Vascular
- Parkinson's
- Lewy Body
- Frontotemporal
- Reversible Conditions
Cognitive Assessment Tools
- Mini-Mental State Examination
- SLUMS
- Clinical applications
- Administration and scoring
- Objective and subjective interpretation
- Therapy modalities
Differentiate Dementia and Depression
- Clinical indicators of depression and anxiety
- Practical application
Psychopharmacology
- Early and Mid-stage Alzheimer's - Acetylcholinesterace Inhibitors
- Mid and Late-stage Alzheimer's - Neurotransmitter Glutamate
- Alternate interventions
Behavioral Interventions
- Intervention strategies for depression, poor appetite, verbal and physical combativeness, refusing ADL care
- Strategies for coping mechanisms for the caregiver and clinician
Working with Caregivers at Home
- Caregiver guilt
- Depression
Ethics
- Responsibility to client
- Reporting abuse
- Power of Attorney
- Documentation
OBJECTIVES
- Analyze the impact of dementia on brain structure and function, and determine the difference between “normal forgetfulness” and cognitive impairment.
- Diagnose dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease, by accurately identifying manifestations of each type and understand how these differences impact prognosis in older adults.
- Articulate differences between the Folstein Mini-Mental Status examination, SLUMS, and MOCA and effectively utilize them as screening measure tools for cognitive impairment and dementia.
- Employ adaptable behavioral interventions that can provide patients with individualized care and promote more effective participation in therapy.
- Investigate the concept of caregiver guilt and its implications for the client, clinicians, and those caring for older adults with dementia.
- Correlate patients’ strengths and limitations to potential therapeutic approaches when developing treatment plans for older adults with dementia.
Copyright :
08/22/2017
Challenging Geriatric Behaviors​
Program Information
Target Audience
Registered Dietitians & Dietetic Technicians, Nurses, Nursing Home Administrators, Occupational Therapists & Occupational Therapy Assistants, Physical Therapists/Physical Therapist Assistants, Social Workers, Speech-Language Pathologists and other Mental Health Professionals
Outline
Normal Aging, Dementia, Depression or Delirium
- Normal aging changes of the mind
- Depression, dementia, and delirium
- Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
- Diagnose, differentiate, and develop a plan of care
Alzheimer’s Disease
- Stages
- Assessment
- Getting a diagnosis
- Behavioral issues of early diagnosis
- Management and interventions
- Pharmacological treatments
Driving with Dementia
- Driving safety
- Legal issues
- Assess driving abilities
- How to take the keys away
Wandering
- Reasons why cognitively impaired individuals wander
- Is wandering a bad thing?
- Issues to consider
- Manage a wanderer’s behavior
Physical Aggression
- Identify the cause of aggression
- Loss of impulse control
- Regression of the mind/child-like mind
- Manage the problem
Inappropriate Sexual Behaviors
- Normal sexual drive or inappropriate behavior
- Cognitively impaired individuals
- Medication management
- Ethical considerations
Refusing to Eat/Forgetting to Eat
- Reasons why geriatric patients slow or stop eating
- Nutritional needs in a geriatric patient
- Improve nutritional status
- Malnutrition and dehydration
- Alternatives to eating
Sleepless Nights
- Sundowning and behavioral problems in the evening
- Why does sundowning occur?
- Environmental interventions to decrease aggressive behaviors
- Medication management when it becomes problematic
Caregiver Stress
- Physical, psychological, and emotional stress
- Identify caregiver burnout and ways to help
- Assist the caregiver
Other Issues
- Ways to identify potential falls and prevent injury
- Causes for orthostatic hypotension
- Ways to avoid using restraints
Case Studies: Learning from Experience and Mistakes
- How to manage sundowners
- Strategies to improve hygiene
- Reassurance and redirection
Objectives
- Develop strategies to manage difficult behaviors in seniors who have an altered perception of reality.
- Differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate sexual behaviors in individuals with dementia.
- Distinguish between normal sleeping patterns and bedtime issues which could lead to increased health problems.
- Analyze the physical and psychological changes that affect an elder’s desire and ability to eat including the changes in nutritional requirements.
- Apply current research findings to prevent and slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Determine environmental and behavioral triggers of agitation.
- Develop strategies to minimize or redirect wandering behavior.
Copyright :
12/06/2017
Differentiating Dementias
Program Information
Objectives
- Distinguish the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
- Determine appropriate diagnostic tests to achieve accurate diagnosis.
- Devise interventions that are effective and promote positive communication between staff, family & the older adult.
Outline
- Normal vs. Abnormal Aging
- Types of Dementias
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Parkinson’s Disease Dementia
- Substance-Induced Neurocognitive Disorder
Target Audience
Nurses, Occupational Therapists & Occupational Therapy Assistants, Physical Therapists/Physical Therapist Assistants, Physician Assistants, Social Workers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and other Healthcare Professionals
Copyright :
10/23/2017