Full Course Description

Experience the Aging Brain & Body

Program Information

Target Audience

Nurses, Occupational Therapists & Occupational Therapy Assistants, Physical Therapists/Physical Therapist Assistants, Physician Assistants, Social Workers and other Healthcare Professionals

Objectives

  1. Develop strategies to manage difficult behaviors in seniors who have an altered perception of reality.
  2. Analyze why wandering occurs in individuals with cognitive impairment and develop strategies to minimize or redirect this behavior.
  3. Communicate the environmental and behavioral causes of agitation.
  4. Analyze the physical and psychological changes that affect an elder’s desire and ability to eat including the changes in nutritional requirements.
  5. Assess polypharmacy and medication management in the older adult.
  6. Appraise the reasons for nonadherence and strategies to increase adherence.

Outline

THE AGING BODY

Vision & Eye Problems

  • Current Management Strategies for:
    • Cataracts
    • Glaucoma
    • Macular Degeneration
    • Diabetic Retinopathy
  • Decreased Peripheral Vision
  • Low Vision Strategies

Hearing Loss

  • Identifying the Cause
  • Ototoxic Medications
  • Modifications to Consider

Hands-on Learning Station

Using the GERT® Simulator, you will experience different types of vision loss and hearing loss and develop modifications that can be implemented to help your patients.

Mobility Challenges

  • Managing Changes In:
    • Strength & Dexterity
    • Altered Gait & Impaired Balance
  • Current Treatment Recommendations for:
    • Arthritis
    • Pain
  • Strategies to Reduce Falls
  • Patient Safety Considerations
  • Transitioning to Higher Level of Care

Hands-on Learning Station

In this session, you will attempt a variety of activities of daily living and experience the frustration that comes with limited joint mobility, kyphosis and neuropathic changes in the foot. You will gain a better understanding and develop fall prevention strategies.

Nutritional Needs of the Elderly

  • Screening Tools
  • Altered Metabolism
  • Sensory Impairments
    • Taste & Smell
    • Oral Health
  • Psychosocial Considerations
  • Environmental Considerations
  • Interventions for Malnutrition

THE AGING BRAIN

Normal & Abnormal Changes of the Mind

  • Diagnosing Levels of Cognitive Impairment
  • Cognitive Assessment Tools
    • SLUMS
    • Mini-Mental Status Exam
    • Related Behaviors & Management Strategies for:
      • Wandering
      • Agitation
      • Aggression

The 3 Ds:

  • Dementia
  • Delirium
  • Depression
  • Differential Diagnosis
  • Communication Strategies
  • Related Challenges
    • Driving
    • Self-Management

Hands-on Learning Station

In this session, you will experience the challenges that occur with decreased dexterity, hand tremors and limited vision. Opening pill bottles, making change, even feeding oneself become very difficult tasks. You’ll discuss practical tips and tools that can be implemented to assist patients and improve their quality of life.

Health Management

  • Dangers of Polypharmacy
  • Ensuring Adherence
    • Setting Goals with the Patient
    • Involving the Family
  • Preventative Care
  • Health Literacy

Copyright : 12/14/2016

The Aging Brain: Assessments, Treatments & Interventions for Alzheimer's Disease & Other Dementias

Program Information

Objectives

  1. Analyze the impact of dementia on brain structure and function, and determine the difference between “normal forgetfulness” and cognitive impairment.
  2. Diagnose dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease, by accurately identifying manifestations of each type and understand how these differences impact prognosis in older adults.
  3. 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.
  4. Develop adaptable behavioral interventions that can provide patients with individualized care and promote more effective participation in therapy.
  5. Investigate the concept of caregiver guilt and its implications for the client, clinicians, and those caring for older adults with dementia.
  6. Correlate patients’ strengths and limitations to potential therapeutic approaches when developing treatment plans for older adults with dementia.

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

Target Audience

Counselors, Teachers/Educators, Marriage & Family Therapists, Nurses, Occupational Therapists & Occupational Therapy Assistants, Physical Therapists/Physical Therapist Assistants, Psychologists, Social Workers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and other Mental Health Professionals

Copyright : 08/22/2017