Caring for Dementia Patients

Anysia Ensslen-Boggs, Ed.D., M.S., CCC-SLP

Online Course

Includes all course content in digital format

Prerequisites Required
Caring for Dementia Patients

Item: physi-VIDEOGTDEAE12CREDIT

Description

Dementia is a broad term for a decline in mental ability that is significant enough to interfere with a person's daily life. Over 5 million Americans are living with dementia; someone in the United States develops Alzheimer's disease every 65seconds. This number is expected to double by 2030, and triple by 2050. Since there is no cure for dementia, this disease results in a progressive decline of cognitive and functional skills. Many individuals with dementia also experience behavioral changes, decreased safety awareness, difficulty eating/swallowing, and decreased independence completing activities of daily living (ADLs). This course is designed for therapists and healthcare professionals so that they may improve outcomes, safety, and quality of life for individuals and their caregivers living with dementia.

This course will teach functional and evidence-based techniques, interventions, and education/training strategies. Participants will learn about assessments and screening tools which may be used at all stages of progressive cognitive decline, and how to use those tools to develop individualized treatment plans. Emphasis will be placed on interdisciplinary treatment, documentation challenges, improving patient safety, and caregiver education.

Highlights

  • Improve your knowledge of the physical and cognitive implications of dementia in order to more effectively implement evidence-based treatment approaches
  • Use evidence-based treatment approaches to increase participation in daily routines and therapy activities to improve patient safety and prevent functional decline
  • Acquire knowledge of the effects of dementia on families and caregivers, and discover practical ways to provide training and education to family and caregivers

Learning Objectives

  1. Examine the neuroanatomy and neuroscience involved with various types of dementia and other cognitive changes.
  2. Compare and Contrast the appropriate screening and assessment tools to assess levels of cognitive functioning; more accurately determine the difference between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.
  3. Apply knowledge of the functional and cognitive effects of dementia to design interdisciplinary treatment approaches.

Course Content

Caring for Dementia Patients
SCORM Package
Next Steps
Module
  1. Neuroscience and Neuroanatomy
    1. Review of typical cognitive functions
    2. The aging brain, MCI, and dementia
    3. Types of dementia
  2. Screening and Assessment Tools
    1. Screening tools/functional assessments
    2. Cognitive assessments
    3. Global deterioration scale
  3. Interventions
    1. Treatment techniques for improving/maintaining functional cognition
    2. Utilizing neuroplasticity to achieve functional treatment objectives
    3. Examples of cognitive interventions
    4. Functional goal writing
  4. Improving Safety and Completion of Activities of DailyLiving (ADLs) Through Effective Treatment Plans
    1. Fall prevention and increased mobility
    2. Activities of daily living
    3. Management of decreased safety awareness
    4. Promoting functional communication
  5. Promoting Long-Term Safety and Quality of Life
    1. Targeting cognitive goals in PT and OT
    2. Family/caregiver/staff education
    3. Discharge plans: Providing safety when patients are at home
Anysia Ensslen-Boggs, Ed.D., M.S., CCC-SLP, is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with extensive experience in a variety of clinical settings, including acute care, outpatient, inpatient rehab, home care, skilled nursing, and the public-school setting. In all these settings she has had the opportunity to serve as a graduate student supervisor, and a clinical fellowship year supervisor. In addition, she has significant experience working with adults with strokes in an outpatient work and community re-entry program. She is currently employed part-time at a skilled nursing facility in central Pennsylvania. Primarily, she is employed by a public-school system in northern Maryland where she manages a school- age caseload, serves as a graduate student supervisor, and provides continuing education. Dr. Ensslen-Boggs has also served as an adjunct professor for Western Kentucky University, and as an instructor for Project IMPRESS (school- based SLP graduate program) at Bloomsburg University. She earned her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Her dissertation research focused on the clinical training and supervision of speech-language pathology graduate students. Dr. Ensslen-Boggs' SNF caseload consists primarily of geriatric patients with cognitivelinguistic deficits.

DISCLOSURES

FINANCIAL: Anysia Ensslen-Boggs is compensated by Summit as an instructor. She is employed by Luther Acres as a PRN SLP, and by Harford County Public Schools in Maryland where she manages a school-age caseload, serves as a graduate student supervisor, and provides continuing education.

NONFINANCIAL: Anysia Ensslen-Boggs has no nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Summit receives financial support for this course from Physitrack

Click here to check accreditation for this course.

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