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Training Products
Training manuals, products,
modules and links to other sites that offer high quality
educational products and services are continuously added
to our site. This page currently offers information under
the following main headings.
Training
and Educational Manuals
A variety of products created by faculty
at the College of Nursing, Univerisity of Iowa, are provided
here.
- "Gatekeeper Training Manual, Mental
Health of the Rural Elderly Outreach Program, Part I Introduction
to the Gatekeeper Role."
This manual was developed and used extensively
during a mental health services demonstration project funded
by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Administration
on Aging, and Iowa Department of Human Services between
1986 and 1989. The manual provides information needed to
train community "gatekeepers" to identify people
in need of mental health services and to make referrals.
Developed by Prinicipal Investigator Kathleen C. Buckwalter
and her associates, the manual continues to offer key information
related to training gatekeepers.
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Training Modules
A number of additional training modules
based in best practice that have been developed and taught
by Hartford Scholars and Faculty are provided here. Each
follows a similar format to those developed and provided
in the GMHTS, and includes:
- Statement of Purpose, Objectives and
Content Outline
- PowerPoint: Slides with the accompanying
lecturer’s script in Notes View is provided. Slides
only are offered in PDF format.
- Lecturer’s Script: Narrative
to accompany the slides is offered both as a Word document
and PDF file.
- Bibliography: References used to develop
the module and that are relevant to the topic are provided.
By title, author and description, the
additional training modules provided here include the following
topics.
Behavioral symptoms, including
aggression, are most likely to emerge in a person with
dementia during the provision of personal cares like bathing.
A combination of stressors, from feeling one’s privacy
has been invaded to being too cold, increases the likelihood
that person with dementia will “resist,” if
not flatly refuse, to bathe. The program emphasizes the
importance of understanding the experience from the person’s
perspective and adjusting routines to best use the person’s
retained abilities
- Deciding “Together:”
When to Push, Pause and Pray
Decision-making at the end of life
can be complicated – by cognitive impairments
that interfere with making “good” decisions
AND by family who either want to “protect”
their loved one OR who fail to grasp the level of their
loved one’s disability. This program looks at
family decision-making from the perspectives of values,
competence, and independence. Losses associated with
dementia, and the important role of early discussion,
advanced discussion, decision-making and directives,
and the potential value of the “hospice approach”
in dementia care are reviewed.
- Lullaby & Goodnight . . .
or Not!
Nighttime wakefulness is a common
problem for both the person with dementia and the person
providing care. Whether at home or in a nursing care
facility, inability to sleep at night increases the
risk of disrupting daytime routines, keeping others
awake at night, and causing stress and fatigue for everyone.
This program examines common causes and possible solutions
to sleep disturbances among older adults with dementia.
- Flowers, Candles and Table Cloths…Who
Would Have Dreamed? Meal-time Management
Problems and challenges during meal
times are common among those with dementia. Loss of
ability to understand and follow even simple eating
routines is often further complicated by overstimulation,
resulting in withdrawal and refusal to eat. Common antecedents
to meal-time problems are examined and strategies to
simplify routines are offered. Research supporting use
of soothing stimuli during meals is reviewed.
- “But your father is dead,”
She Said. And He Cried: The Role of Validation Therapy
in Dementia Care
The misbeliefs and misperceptions
that are so common in Alzheimer’s Disease and
other dementias are particularly challenging for family
and professional caregivers alike. Reality orientation,
which guided our practice for years, has now been replaced
with “Validation Therapy” (VT). Principles
of VT suggest that confronting the “confused”
person with “the truth” only adds to their
distress and discomfort. This program helps caregivers
learn WHY and HOW to use validation principles in communicating
and caring for a person with dementia.
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Links to
Alternative Sites
A number of excellent educational and
training programs are available from diverse vendors and
providers. The following list of possible sources of assistance
is provided to help you find other resources that may be
helpful in either developing high quality geriatric care
programs or in training staff to provide care based on best
practices.
The Wayne State University Institute of
Gerontology has developed a series of training modules on
managing difficult behaviors in persons with dementia. Each
of the six training modules consists of a Microsoft PowerPoint
slide show Word documents. Modules may be obtained at no
cost by filling out an online application form.
A number of affordable products and publications
are available through the Alzheimer's Disease Education
& Referral Center (ADEAR), which is a service of the
National Institute on Aging.
The National Institute on Aging
(NIA) offers a wide variety of free publications related
to diverse aspects of aging. For example, the “Age
Page” series covers an array of topics ranging from
incontinence, to “what to do about the flu”
to health care quackery. Videos are also available at this
site, along with resource directories for older people,
and other helpful information. |
