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

  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. Employ 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.

 

 

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

  1. Develop strategies to manage difficult behaviors in seniors who have an altered perception of reality.
  2. Differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate sexual behaviors in individuals with dementia.
  3. Distinguish between normal sleeping patterns and bedtime issues which could lead to increased health problems.
  4. Analyze the physical and psychological changes that affect an elder’s desire and ability to eat including the changes in nutritional requirements.
  5. Apply current research findings to prevent and slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
  6. Determine environmental and behavioral triggers of agitation.
  7. Develop strategies to minimize or redirect wandering behavior.

Copyright : 12/06/2017

Differentiating Dementias

Program Information

Objectives

  1. Distinguish the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
  2. Determine appropriate diagnostic tests to achieve accurate diagnosis.
  3. 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