Full Course Description
A Comprehensive Approach to the Aging Client with Dementia: Certification Training
Caring for the older adult with dementia is challenging. You want to provide compassionate care with a focus on dignity and quality of life while keeping your clients safe and functioning to the highest of their ability.
Most clinicians do not feel prepared to manage and anticipate the complex patient needs of a patient with dementia. It can be frustrating and leave you feeling hopeless.
Prescribing and managing medications for dementia is difficult. Your clients may be taking multiple medications, even off-label, which might make their condition worse, or be dangerous. You need to know which medications are appropriate, what side effects to watch for, and when it is time to deprescribe.
Amy Siple is excited to share with you the proven best practices for improving care for patients with dementia. She will bring her unique perspective to provide the latest evidence and management approaches. From determining clinical competence to managing medications, she will provide an extensive overview of best practices.
Real patient stories will be shared to reinforce important practices that you can immediately apply to help your patients and benefit your own practice.
Register today! You will leave equipped with new clinical insights and critical thinking skills so that you won’t need to feel uncertain anymore!
Best of all, in just three easy steps, you will become an Evergreen Certified Dementia Care Specialist (ECDCS):
Step 1: Watch the online course
Step 2: Complete the CE test(s) and instantly print your completion certificate(s).
Step 3: Submit the Certification Questionnaire included in this training, and your application is complete.*
That’s it! No hidden fees. No catch. Just certification made EASY.
*Professional Standards apply. Learn more at www.evergreencertifications.com/ecdcs.
Program Information
Objectives
- Identify at least two essential elements in the clinical evaluation of Dementia.
- Recall at least two cognitive assessment tools.
- Identify at least one action item when driving safety is of concern in an older adult.
- Determine the purpose of dementia care planning.
- Evaluate at least two cognitive assessment tools for the client with dementia.
- Differentiate between realistic and unrealistic goals for clients with dementia.
- Implement at least three non-pharmacologic interventions.
- Determine the role of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonist.
- Determine at least two common triggers of dementia related neuropsychiatric symptoms.
- Analyze at least two pharmacologic drug classes often used to dementia related agitation.
- Determine at least two considerations when using pharmacologic agents to manage agitation in the client with dementia.
- Offer at least two non-pharmacologic interventions to reduce agitation in clients with dementia.
- Determine at least three risk factors of antipsychotics.
- Analyze at least two regulatory considerations when using antipsychotics.
- Propose at least three actionable steps that can be used to promote antipsychotic stewardship.
Outline
The Aging Client: Process for Determining Clinical Competency
- Ages and increased risks for diseases including dementia
- Why screen for clinical competency
- Clinical evaluation of dementia
- Common cognitive assessment tools
- Common dementia profiles
- Driving considerations
Developing a Dementia Care Plan
- Assessment tools that could be utilized
- Realistic goals
- Meaningful interventions
- Pharmacologic approaches
- Non-pharmacologic approaches
Managing Dementia-Related Neuropsychiatric Symptoms
- Common neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with dementia
- Common pharmacologic agents used to treat these symptoms
- Tips for de-escalating someone with agitation
- Strategies to engage clients with dementia
Antipsychotic Stewardship
- Risks associated with antipsychotic usage in older adults
- Misappropriate for behavioral and psychological symptoms associated with dementia
- CMS regulatory requirements for clients in long term care
- Choosing an appropriate antipsychotic
- Practical tips to employ antipsychotic stewardship
- Specific antipsychotics safety profiles
Target Audience
Credentialed Health Care Professionals such as Certified Nursing Assistants, Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Physicians and Physician Assistants • Licensed Rehabilitation Professionals such as Occupational Therapists/Occupational Therapy Assistants, Physical Therapists/Physical Therapist Assistants, Speech Language Pathologists • Licensed Behavioral Health Professionals such as Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists, Psychologists and Counselors • Other Credentialed Professionals such as Case Managers, Personal Care Assistants, Home Care Providers, Admissions Directors, Administrators
Copyright :
02/20/2023
Dementia Medication Update
Dementia of any type is a chronic disease with progressive deterioration of cognition, function, and behavior. The prevalence is only expected to increase as the patient population ages. This will result in a considerable challenge to patients, families, caregivers and facilities. Knowing the pharmacological DO’s and DON’TS for those with dementia can change outcomes, but understanding what not to prescribe can be difficult. In this session, hear a Geriatrician’s approach to the newest diagnostics and treatments in dementia, screening for the pharmacological deliriants that contribute to dementia, and placing emphasis on deprescribing unnecessary medications.
Program Information
Objectives
- Evaluate drug choices based on dementia type.
- Determine tools to help in diagnosing common dementia types.
- Analyze common pharmacological deliriants.
- Determine the value of deprescribing in dementia care.
Outline
Delirium
- The current algorithm of delirium
- A simpler approach to delirium
The Importance of Screening for Depression
How Medications Can Confound the Picture
The Anticholinergic Burden Score
The Importance of Cognitive Screens
- A screening test for all settings
Alzheimer’s Disease
- The general hypothesis
- The value of screening
- The NEWEST biological definition of SDAT
- LATE-NC – newly defined form of dementia
Copyright :
04/21/2023
Dementia Made Simple
Ever feel stuck when dealing with dementia? You are not alone. Cognitive impairment is challenging clinically, but you will learn tried-and-true techniques that will help simplify your assessment and treatment plan with dementia. Quickly determine where to focus your solution to dementia related difficulties. Dive into many pivotal topics including challenging behaviors, environment, engagement and caregiver stressors, and more! Walk away with immediate, practical and applicable strategies to treat people with dementia. Support these patients and families so they can still live their best life now.
Program Information
Objectives
- Develop working knowledge of a variety of appropriate clinical assessments available for use with the dementia population to assess cognitive abilities within their scope of practice.
- Evaluate the difference between normal aging and abnormal aging.
- Distinguish between symptoms of depression and dementia, and how to administer the PHQ-9.
- Assess the difference between palliative care and hospice care.
Outline
- Analyze and Assess The Dementia Situation – How to utilize appropriate assessments within your scope of practice as related to dementia/cognitive decline
- Short Blessed Test: A Quick Screening Tool
- BCAT and The MoCA: A Quick Comparison
- Preparedness for Caregiving Scale: An Overview
- myMemCheck® : An Introduction
- Implement a Solution To The Dementia Situation- How to quickly determine where to focus your solution to dementia related difficulties
- Person With Dementia:
- How to manage common dementia related issues like eating and nutrition, sleep and insomnia, aggression, wandering and other common “challenging behaviors”
- Environment of Care:
- How a person living with dementia’s environment can either help (or hinder) their best ability to function
- How to develop solutions to help
- Activity Engagement:
- How engaging in normal activities assists a person with dementia’s psycho-social well being
- Care Partner Stressors:
- How to assess family/relationship dynamics using the Caregiver Readiness To Change scale
- Addressing financial concerns during the dementia care journey
- The role of care partners
- Education:
- How to understand the difference between dementia and depression
- How to using the PHQ-9 Depression Scale
- Understanding the physiology of normal aging and abnormal aging
- Understanding the end of life care issues related to dying with dementia
- Know the difference between palliative care and hospice care
- Modify and/or Maintain The Dementia Strategies- Putting it all together
Target Audience
- Athletic Trainers
- Occupational Therapists
- Occupational Therapy Assistants
- Physical Therapists
- Physical Therapy Assistants
Copyright :
03/30/2023
Pharmacology in the Older Adult
Older adults are a unique subset of patients that required customization of medications. In this session, we will take a deep dive into issues in geriatric pharmacology. Eric will explore the physiological differences of the older adult, the perils of polypharmacy and the prescription cascade, BEERS criteria, deprescribing, and other topics that are important in understanding medications in the older adult. Also included will be information about drug interactions, including over the counter medications, high risk medications, and high risk drug-disease interactions.
Program Information
Objectives
- Identify physiological differences of the older adult and how that impacts medication management.
- Recognize potentially inappropriate and high-risk medications in the geriatric patient utilizing the Beers criteria.
- Discuss the risks of polypharmacy and the prescribing cascade.
- Identify common drug interactions with over-the-counter medications that will negatively impact our geriatric patients.
Outline
- Physiological differences of the older adult
- Perils of polypharmacy and the prescription cascade
- BEERS criteria
- Deprescribing
- Drug interactions
- Over the counter medications
- High risk medications
- High risk drug-disease interaction
Target Audience
- Nurses
- Nurse Practitioners
- Occupational Therapists
- Occupational Therapy Assistants
- Physical Therapists
- Physical Therapist Assistants
- Physician Assistants
- Speech Language Pathologists
- Other Healthcare Professionals
Copyright :
09/29/2022
Keeping Patients Off the Floor: Identifying Fall Risk and Preventing Falls in Aging Adults Throughout the Continuum of Care
This session will provide insight into identification of potential patient fall risk factors throughout the continuum of care. As falls have been identified by the CDC as a public health challenge, costing aging individuals their independence and quality of life, and related healthcare costs upwards of $50 billion dollars for non-fatal falls, fall prevention has become a nationally recognized initiative. Participants will learn how to integrate approaches to facilitate prevention of falls through appropriate patient management including screening, intervention and referral.
Program Information
Objectives
- Determine the magnitude of falls in the aging population.
- Identify causes of patient fall risk throughout the continuum of care.
- Acknowledge the signs of a patient at risk for falls in common healthcare settings and in the home.
- Synthesize the impact of polypharmacy on fall risk.
- Integrate strategies for fall prevention.
- Perform screening for fall risk and determine appropriate referral services as indicated.
Outline
- Introduction to falls; magnitude and impact
- Falls are not part of normal aging
- Roles of different healthcare professionals in identifying factors that contribute to fall risk and falls, throughout the continuum of care
- Strategies for decreasing or preventing falls in aging adults
- Looking at the right things, subtle and obvious
- Polypharmacy and impact on balance and fall causation
- Integrating CDC STEADI – Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries, recommendations for fall prevention
Target Audience
- Nurses
- Nurse Practitioners
- Occupational Therapists
- Occupational Therapy Assistants
- Physical Therapists
- Physical Therapist Assistants
- Physician Assistants
- Speech Language Pathologists
- Other Healthcare Professionals
Copyright :
09/29/2022
Dining, Dementia, and Dysphagia
Individuals afflicted with dementia often suffer from dysphagia. Physical limitations, sensory changes, decline in cognition, and other issues may ultimately impact a person’s ability to consume food and fluids. This presentation will explore these issues along with interventions we can employ to promote safe eating practices.
Program Information
Objectives
- Identify at least two potential etiologies of dysphagia.
- Recall at least two interdisciplinary team members to consult for dysphagia.
- Identify the importance of a patient-centered care approach.
- Identify at least two safe eating evidence-based practice guidelines.
Outline
Introduction
- The relationship between dementia and dysphagia
- Impact of physical limitations and sensory changes on swallowing
- Cognitive decline and its role in dysphagia
- Etiologies of Dysphagia…causes and contributing factors
Management Approach/Interdisciplinary Collaboration
- Recognizing the importance of teamwork in managing dysphagia
- Key interdisciplinary team members for consultation
- Patient-centered care approaches
Evidence-based guidelines for safe eating
- Implementing recommended practices to ensure safe eating
- Practical interventions for promoting safe eating practices
- Best practices to enhance the patient's dining experience
Summarizing key takeaways
- Application of knowledge in dementia care
Target Audience
- Nurses
- NPs
- PAs
- PTs
- SLPs
- Dietitians
- Physicians
Copyright :
10/23/2023