Dementia 360: Seeing It from All Directions

Description:This session will provide mental health professionals and caregivers with a wide variety of perspectives on DEMENTIA. It will help social workers and nurses develop programming and services that meet the needs or all those affected by the disease. It will address dementia-related issues from the point of view of the individuals with dementia, individuals without dementia, family members, caregiving staff including mental health professionals, nurses, social workers, food service and housekeeping staff, maintenance and reception staff, as well as friends and visitors, regulators, and marketing. By the end of this session, mental health professionals and other learners will be able to discuss the impact of dementia on each of these 'players', describe some of the key strategies to meet the needs each has, and begin to develop therapeutic programming and services that have a high probability of making a positive difference in the lives of all concerned.

OBJECTIVES / CONTENT (Topics) / TIME FRAME / PRESENTER / METHODS
  1. Social workers and nurses will be able to compare normal aging changes and changes that happen with dementia related to behaviors, language skills, memory and learning, thinking and reasoning, motor skills, and sensory processing
/ Review common changes that occur when we age related to:
Memory, language, reasoning, physical abilities, sensory skills
Compare these same areas of function in cases of dementia
Highlight how dementia modifies abilities and results in altered performance / Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA / Lecture, role play, handouts
  1. Mental health professionals, nurses and social workers will be able to discuss the impact of dementia changes on family relationships and expectations
/ Provide information on normal social relationships in aging – among and between generations and family groups
Provide information on changes that happen in family dynamics and relationships when a person within the system has dementia
Discuss how the differences frequently result in stress and distress among and between family members and care providers / Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA / Lecture; discussion
Demonstration; group discussion
3Mental health professionals, social workers and nurses will be able to discuss the impact of dementia on expectations, roles, relationships, and interactions of staff and care providers / Provide information about relationships between various care provider roles and an older adult
Give examples of the same situations when the person has some form of dementia
Discuss and reflect on the differences and how they affect both parties / Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA / Demonstration; lecture, handout; DVD
  1. Social workers and nurses will be able to describe multiple strategies that can be used to improve interactions and outcomes between he person living with dementia and those around them
/ Highlight the key points in differences for:
- family relationships and expectations
- professional caregiving relationships and expectations
Introduce and practice selected techniques that can promote more positive interactions and outcomes
- supportive communication
- ‘go with the flow’ & ‘so what’
- environmental support
- employee education & skill development / Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA / Lecture,discussion
role play, partnered practice