Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Care Seminar

Program Overview:

  • The 12-16 hour dementia training provides CNAs and other clinical staff with intensive training and certification in dementia care
  • The course is recognized by the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners and can be offered on site at employer locations
  • Employers can offer course as a mandatory or optional employee training.
  • The 2019 workshop schedule has yet to be released. Please contact Margaret Bacheler at [email protected] to be added to the program waiting list.

Course Content:

  • Overview of Dementia
  • Environment
  • Staff and Family Relationships
  • Stress and the Care Giver
  • End of Life Procedures
  • Multicultural Considerations
  • Sex & Intimacy
  • Hoarding
  • Wandering
  • Communication
  • Repetitive Behaviors
  • Aggressive Behaviors
  • Paranoia & Hallucinations
  • Recognizing Pain
  • Depression & Alzheimer's Disease
  • Personal Care
  • Toileting
  • Nutrition
  • Sleep Disturbance

Curriculum

Please Note: Curriculum can be modified to include additional modules, including Hand-in-Hand training.

  • Overview of Dementia:
    • Stages & symptoms of Alzheimer's
    • Reversible / non-reversible Dementias
    • Normal aging
    • Medications used for treating dementia
  • Environment:
    • Social environment
    • Physical environment - walking path, lighting, noise, stimulation, home- like, clutter free, glare, safety, etc
  • Staff and Family Relationships:
    • Working together: challenges that families face with long term care placement
  • Stress and the Care Giver:
    • Taking care of yourself as the caregiver
    • Signs of breakdowns with family members-alcohol, drugs, depression etc
    • Support Groups
    •  
  • End of Life:
    • Feeding Tubes
    • Advance Directive: Do Not Resuscitate and Do Not Hospitalize;
    • Dying Process and Supporting the Family/ Care Givers
  • Multicultural Considerations in Care Giving:
    • Cultural and religious sensitivity/diversity
  • Sex & Intimacy
    • Misconceptions about the elderly and sex and intimacy
    • How to handle inappropriate behaviors
  • Hoarding
    • Signs and ways to help
  • Wandering
    • Types of wandering & triggers
    • How to redirect & manage wandering
    • Policy and procedures for elopement
    • Wandering Tools, Safe Return, Wander Guards, Alarms, etc
  • Communication
    • Verbal and Non Verbal Communication
    • Strategies to successful communication
    • Avoiding common mistakes
  • Repetitive Behaviors
    • Common Behaviors
    • Interventions for Repetitive Behaviors
    • Medications
  • Aggressive Behaviors
    • Causes of Aggressive Behaviors
    • Environmental Conditions, Physical & Medical Conditions
    • Anti Psychotic Medications & Side Effects
    • Interventions
    • Responding to Aggressive Behaviors
  • Paranoia & Hallucinations
    • Types of Behaviors & Causes
    • Management Strategies
    • Anti-Psychotic Medications & Side Effects
  • Recognizing Pain in the Person with Dementia
    • How is Discomfort Expressed?
    • Yes or No Responses
    • Assessing the Pain
  • Depression & Alzheimer's Disease
    • Signs & Symptoms of Depression
    • Interventions and Activities
  • Personal Care
    • Dressing & Bathing
    • Cognitive Changes
    • How to Encourage Participation
  • Toileting
    • Causes of Incontinence
    • Proper Toileting & Frequent Toileting
  • Nutrition
    • Nutrition Goals
    • What not to put on trays, anything that can be swallowed!
    • Memory Aides for Dining Room
    • Reasons for Eliminating Sugar and Caffeine from Diet
    • Seating Assignment-How to group people together
    • Dental Care
  • Sleep Disturbances
    • Causes &Interventions
    • Medications and Side Effects