Dementia Care: A Client-Centered Approach 

Course Description: 

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

• Agitation
• Aggression
• Refusing or resisting care or help
• Wandering/eloping 
• 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

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

• Differentiate between rehabilitation and habilitation approaches to care
• Identify four categories of strategies used to decrease dementia-related behaviors
• Apply models of dementia care to determine causes and triggers of challenging behaviors
• Apply the Triadic Model to determine effects of the environment, communication style, and internal state on individuals with dementia
• Formulate at least three specific, client-centered strategies for managing dementia-related behaviors

Target Audience: Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, Clinical Social Workers, Social Workers, Professional Counselors, Mental Health Counselors, Psychologists, Registered Nurses, Other healthcare providers 

Course Outline

9:30am - 10:00am EST Login 

10:00am EST Program Begins

• Defining 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

12:30 - 1:00 pm EST Lunch (on your own)

1:00 pm EST Program Resumes 

1:00-3:00pm EST 

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

3:00 - 4:00pm EST

Implementing Strategies

When to Refer

Community Resources

4:00pm EST Program Ends

Professional Development

Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy Assistants: 

Pennsylvania Physical Therapists or Physical Therapy Assistants: This course is pending approval by the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy for 5.5 contact hours.

Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants: 

The Dementia Collaborative LLC is an AOTA approved provider of professional development. AOTA Course Approval # 00574 for 0.55 CEUs.

The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.

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.

Course Completion Requirements: Learners must sign-in with link provided in email at start of course and remain for the entirety of the course. Learners must also complete the post-test and course evaluation to receive course certificate.

Learners will demonstrate meeting course objectives through a combination of course assessment, exam, and group activity. 

Intermediate Education Level: General working knowledge of dementia care beneficial for course engagement

Instructional Methods: Virtual course attendance includes pdf access to materials including all slides and additional reference material. Instruction includes visual use of slides and video, oral description of material and video, group work, group presentation, and incorporated time for Q&A.

Cancellation Policy: Please contact us at least 30 days prior to event at [email protected] in order to receive a full refund. If you contact us at least 2 weeks prior to event, you can transfer your registration to someone else. In the event that the provider must cancel the course, you will be provided a full refund and will be notified via email. 

ADA Needs: We are happy to accommodate any accessibility needs. Please contact us at least 2 weeks prior to the event at [email protected]

Speaker Disclosures: Rachel Wiley is the founder and owner of the Dementia Collaborative. Ms. Wiley receives a speaking honorarium from The Dementia Collaborative LLC. 

Reviews:

“The instructor was extremely knowledgeable, engaging, and provided valuable interventions to implement into patient care.” —OT

“Very interactive. Lots of real examples. Great Presenter.” — PT

“Awesome course. Super applicable & intervention-focused, which is hard to find. Examples are so helpful.” — OT

“Rachel is a natural educator and wonderful role model and did a great job making all participants feel heard and valued.” — PT

“Loved how all the information is relevant to how I can educate and treat clients and their families.” — OT

“Very informative and practical.” — PT

“It was easy to apply to my daily caseload. Learned new strategies.” —OTA

“Great presentation skills. Easy to follow with great examples.” — PT

“Great breakdown of models for dementia care and how they can apply to interventions! Case examples were very useful. Practicing with a group to identify triggers was great for reinforcing education. Thank you for printed powerpoint with an area for notes.” — OT

“So useful, thank you! …Thanks for allowing so much time for questions — it was useful to hear other people’s examples, too, and your answers to their questions.” —OT

“Rachel had fantastic first hand experiences that she brought to the discussion. She had ideas that I never would have considered.” —PT

“The information table was a hit for me. The breakdown of dementia in such a small amount of time, but learned so much. I am absolutely happy to have attended and will apply all that I have learned at work, and will also share the information with co-workers.” —OT

“Instructor was very sweet, knowledgable, and answered all questions. I was not overwhelmed with information but have better strategies for patient care.”  — PT

“Great instructor. Awesome examples to help understand. Very thorough.” — PT