Dementia Care: A Client-Centered Approach

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is intended for healthcare professionals to enhance their knowledge and skills to manage and reduce dementia-related challenges including:

• Agitation
• Aggression
• Refusing or resisting care or help
• Wandering
• Repeating
• Hallucinations and distressing beliefs
• Rummaging and hoarding

You will be provided with foundational knowledge about dementia, tools to assess cognition, and strategies to approach care. This course will also provide you with an in-depth understanding of why behaviors occur.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Compare rehabilitation and habilitation approaches to care

Identify symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias

Apply models of dementia care to determine causes and triggers of challenging behaviors

Describe the effects of the environment, communication style, and internal state on individuals with dementia

Identify categories of strategies used to decrease dementia-related behaviors

Formulate specific strategies for managing dementia-related behaviors

COURSE OUTLINE

8:30 - 9:00 Registration/Continental Breakfast provided by the Quadrangle

9:00 Program Begins

Dementia

Introduction

Defining Dementia

Diseases that Cause Dementia

Prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease

Risk Factors and Reducing Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease

Dementia, Delirium, Depression

Staging

Assessment

Caregivers

Approaches to Care

Rehabilitation and Habilitation

Pharmacologic and Non-Pharmacologic

Understanding Challenging Behaviors

Dementia Care Models

Application of Triadic Model

Activity: Determining Triggers

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch provided by the Quadrangle

1:00 Program Resumes

Strategies to Handle and Reduce Behaviors

Considering Safety

Communication Techniques

Adapting the Environment

Adapting the Task

Enhancing Activity Engagement

Reducing Caregiver Stress

Activity: Brainstorming Strategies

Implementing Strategies

When to Refer

Community Resources

3:30 Program Ends

TARGET AUDIENCE

Pennsylvania Physical Therapists or Physical Therapy Assistants: This course has been submitted to the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy. Pending approval.

Pennsylvania Occupational Therapists or Occupational Therapy Assistants: This course has been submitted to the Pennsylvania State Board of Occupational Therapy. Pending approval.

Other professions: This activity qualifies for 330 minutes of instructional content. Save your course outline and certificate of completion, and contact your own board or organization for specific requirements.

SPEAKER

Rachel Wiley, MS, OTR/L, CDP is an occupational therapist and the founder and owner of Day By Day Home Therapy. Rachel has been adjunct faculty in the occupational therapy departments at Thomas Jefferson University and Temple University. She also worked previously as the occupational therapist and Dementia Service Coordinator for the Pew Charitable Trust Grant with Jefferson Elder Care. Rachel is certified in Skills2Care® for caregivers of individuals with dementia and LSVT BIG for Parkinson's Disease. Rachel is also has an older adult NBCOT practice area of emphasis. She is a certified master trainer of Skills2Care® through Jefferson Elder Care and trains occupational therapists from around the country in the Skills2Care® program. She had the privilege of presenting at the Alzheimer's Association conferences in Pennsylvania and Delaware and was featured in a Philadelphia Inquirer article in 2017. Rachel attended Penn State University for her Bachelor's in Rehabilitation and Human Services and minor in Psychology and attended Thomas Jefferson University for her Master's in Occupational Therapy. She served as the Gerontology Chair for the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association's District V Board. Rachel has been working with individuals with dementia for over 10 years.

Speaker Disclosures: Rachel Wiley is the founder and owner of Day By Day Home Therapy. She receives a speaking honorarium from Day By Day Home Therapy. Ms. Wiley is a zero-hour employee of Thomas Jefferson University.