Aging Course 4G - Assessment and Treatment of Cognitive and Behavioral Dysfunction in Aging Adults

$28.00 - [Want to watch the Aging COURSE DEMO? Click the Aging Course Preview here.] This 4 Credit-Hour course presents a STRUCTURED SKILLS-BASED TREATMENT APPROACH to assessing and treating specific functional difficulties of the elderly, in various settings.

This course is not only for geriatric treatment providers. It's also appropriate for those who are working with adults and youth who are coping with an elderly person's cognitive and behavioral disturbance on a day to day basis. This includes School Psychologists and counselors, day treatment and hospital administrators, and others who seek to prevent burnout and "melt down" of an elderly patient's family members and treatment staff.

The assessment and treatment interventions taught in this course address COGNITIVE CONFUSION AND IMPAIRMENT in aging individuals (which at times may mimic dementia) - oftentimes appearing concurrent with serious AFFECTIVE conditions (such as DEPRESSION with or without agitation) and BEHAVIORAL difficulties (such as angry or explosive behavior, aggression, refusal to perform essential activities, and other behaviors which may lead to inpatient care if not stabilized).

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS in this age group is crucial and oftentimes more difficult than with the non-elderly client population. The clinical picture presented by such clients is oftentimes confusing and misleading, i.e., what “looks like Alzheimer’s” isn’t always Alzheimer’s disease, and isn’t always a case of organically based dementia which can be unresponsive to non-medical treatment interventions.

In the non-Alzheimer’s client, what we frequently see is cognitive confusion and behavioral abnormality following medical trauma including strokes and major surgery, loss of health or home or independence, and other such disruptive events. These functional difficulties are oftentimes complicated by depression and anxiety, and perhaps by difficulty in communicating basic wants and needs. These issues may lead to withdrawal from the environment and from social interaction, which can mimic organically based dementia.

Oftentimes we must “back into a diagnosis” . . . interacting with the individual in the treatment environment for a period of time that exceeds that normally required with non-elderly clients, and then formulate a differential diagnosis based on our experiences with the individual.

Perhaps more than with any other age group, ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSIS with the elderly is a DYNAMIC process. We must observe changes in affect and functional response to treatment interventions for a period of time that extends beyond a formal “intake evaluation”. How best to approach these non-Alzheimer's AGING issues, therapeutically, in a variety of settings? That’s the focus of this course.

Details: The course presents a STRUCTURED SKILLS-BASED APPROACH to assessing, treating, and documenting cognitive and behavioral difficulties of the elderly, in various settings. We present information that will allow you to effectively ASSESS and PRIORITIZE the cognitive and behavioral issues at hand, and to develop creative INTERVENTIONS that work!

We may find our aging clients in an outpatient clinic, residing in nursing facilities or participating in Day Care Centers operated by churches or private individuals – or simply living at home with adult children or other relatives.

More details: The interventions are particularly helpful with COGNITIVE confusion or impairment and BEHAVIORAL difficulties associated with any one of a number of precipitating factors – e.g., a mild stroke resulting in cognitive disturbance (with sensory-motor issues, perhaps receptive or expressive aphasia, mental confusion, etc) .... or cognitive confusion resulting from grief, loss, dislocation, etc. (e.g., a move to a nursing home, the loss of one’s personal home and possessions, death of a spouse, loss of independence, etc.).

Such elderly individuals oftentimes present with agitated or angry behavior, along with confusion. Such behavior is oftentimes accompanied by depressed and anxious emotionality, which can mimic dementia. How best to approach these issues therapeutically? And how best to resurrect cognitive skills which have fallen into disuse or impaired due to a stroke or situational trauma? That’s the focus of this course.

More details: The interventions we describe can be employed in multiple settings, including mental health clinics, professionally operated church day care programs for aging individuals with mental health issues, nursing homes – and at home with family, under professional supervision.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF THIS COURSE:

1. Obtain an Overview of Cognitive and Behavioral (Functional) Deficits of the non-Alzheimer's Geriatric Population.

-- How is the cognitive and behavioral dysfunction of the AGING population different, compared to that of other people who have such issues? What factors contribute to the development of early cognitive confusion and decline? How to assess it?

2. Learn Specific Techniques for Reconnecting and Reinforcing Cognitive Processes in AGING INDIVIDUALS.

3. Learn Behavioral Management Techniques Tailored To The Aging or Geriatric Patient.

4. See Examples of Designing and Implementing Individualized Treatment Plans for Cognitively and Behaviorally Impaired Aging Mental Health Consumers.

5. Understand the Elements of Effective Documentation of Such Treatment

How is the cognitive and behavioral dysfunction of the AGING population different, compared to that of other people who have such issues? What factors contribute to the development of early cognitive confusion and decline? How to assess it? 2. Specific Techniques for Reconnecting and Reinforcing Cognitive Processes in AGING INDIVIDUALS. 3. Behavioral Management Techniques Tailored To The Aging or Geriatric Patient. 4. Designing and Implementing Individualized Treatment Plans for Cognitively and Behaviorally Impaired Aging Mental Health Consumers. 5. Effective Documentation of Such Treatment

Ethics 2D - Advance Directives: Assisting with Plans for End of Life Care

$18 [2 Credit Hours] - This 2-credit hour ETHICS and COUNSELING INTERVENTION course is a 'QUIZ ONLY' course. Read and print the study material and the quiz for FREE, study off-line if you like, and take the quiz online. YOU PAY ONLY TO TAKE THE ONLINE QUIZ and to obtain your INSTANTLY DOWNLOADED 2 CEU CERTIFICATE.

The publication is accessed free of charge online, through a link to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) website.

This course - Advance Directives: Assisting with Plans for End of Life Care - awards 2 ETHICS credits, and is also a 2-credit COUNSELING INTERVENTION COURSE. The material is applicable for those who work with the elderly and all ages of seriously ill individuals and their families, in a variety of situations (e.g., burn units, pediatric critical care units, acute care facilities, nursing facilities serving Alzheimer's and stroke patients, outpatient settings which serve those with CHF, renal failure, cancer, AIDS, etc.). Also, those who work with HEALTHY individuals who might need to make End of Life decisions (perhaps due to work in life-threatening situations including MILITARY deployment to war zones or for other reasons).

The AHRQ is an agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services. This free internet-accessible publication is authored by Barbara L. Kass-Bartelmes, M.P.H., C.H.E.S., and Ronda Hughes, Ph.D.

NOTE: How is this course different from most of the courses available on the CEU By Net website? Most of the courses on our site are developed by CEU By Net, and you pay your fee to access the in-house course materials and the quiz. However, this is a 'QUIZ ONLY' course. The material for this course - and the quiz which we have developed to assess mastery of the materials - may be accessed FOR FREE on the internet, by clicking a link on our site. After reviewing the materials free of charge, you may pay the fee to take our online quiz and obtain your instant-download certificate. [We suggest that you print a copy of the quiz and mark your answers as you read through the materials. Then, click the 'SIGN UP NOW' button in the catalog, pay your fee, and take the online quiz. You can transfer your answers from the previously printed copy of the quiz, to the online quiz, if you like.]

For some additional information about the materials - and to READ the online article and to PREVIEW AND PRINT a copy of the online quiz - JUST CLICK THE + SIGN BELOW THIS SUMMARY.


GOALS OF THIS COURSE:

1. Learn terms that should be understood related to individuals' LEGAL RIGHT to make End of Life Care Decisions.

2. Awareness of the research-verified need for more effective Advance Directives (end of life care planning), and differentiation between the categories of individuals for whom Advance Directives are an issue.

3. Understanding of the BENEFITS of addressing end of life preferences with persons who are terminally ill or are in a life threatening situation, as well as with their surrogates (family or representatives).

4. Learn a five-part, research-supported PROCESS for structuring discussions about end-of-life preferences, which inherently supports our ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY for assuring the welfare and legal rights of the client.

5. Based upon research findings, understand the FACTORS which typically affect individuals' choices about End of Life Care in various situations - thus enhancing ability to ETHICALLY GUIDE DISCUSSIONS about end of life care.

Note: This course contains a link to study material available on the internet, rather than study guides on this web site. You may STUDY THIS COURSE and the quiz AT NO CHARGE. When you have studied the material and reviewed the quiz, you can come back to this site to take the quiz ONLINE and instantly receive your course completion certificate! For more information on this course - and to see a PREVIEW of the online quiz - click the '+' symbols, below:

Ethics 2D - Advance Directives: Assisting with Plans for End of Life Care

The AHRQ includes this document in its search list of publications which deal with the ETHICS of healthcare, and states that, "This research can help providers offer end-of-life care based on preferences held by the majority of patients under similar circumstances." CEU By Net has included this material in our ETHICS section because helping patients and families to make choices regarding END OF LIFE CARE is a potentially vulnerable area of PROFESSIONAL ETHICALITY. Such activity falls within the area of Professional Ethics generally referred to as CLIENT WELFARE .... including the elements of 'Acting in the Best Interest of the Client' and 'Informed Consent'. These activities also involve PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES, in terms of differentiating between our desires for a client at the end of life, and the client's own preferences. Materials such as this study published by the AHRQ also serve to enhance and support Professional Competence and SCOPE OF PRACTICE, for those who have responsibilities involving Advance Directives. The information contained herein serves as a ‘KNOWLEDGE FRAMEWORK’ for behavioral health practitioners in the area of assisting their clients/patients with ADVANCE DIRECTIVES or LIVING WILLS. Such research-based knowledge is important to ensure that we understand ETHICALLY APPROPRIATE ways to assist clients and family members or representatives with this important activity. Such knowledge also helps to protect practitioners from being the focus of disciplinary action and legal complications. This research study and resulting clinical guidelines focus upon how health care professionals can assess the preferences of their clients/patients for end of life care, and can assist them THROUGH GUIDED DISCUSSIONS to make their desires and plans known through a Living Will or Advance Directive. Clients/Patients may be residents of nursing facilities, hospitals, hospice, or any other location where end of life is an issue - including those still living at home who have chronic diseases such as cancer and AIDS, where there is considerable uncertainty about when death is likely to occur. The materials help to differentiate between the categories of individuals for whom Advance Directives are an issue, and the differences in approach depending upon the situation, e.g., AIDS vs Cancer vs Stroke vs. Alzheimer's, etc.. EDITORIAL COMMENTS: CEU By Net believes that Advance Directives are logically a subject of discussion with individuals who are members of the armed services, in high risk battlefield situations. We also know from our own experiences, that many or most of the discussion-related tasks that are mentioned in this research study as being "performed by the physician", are IN FACT PERFORMED BY a Social Worker, a Substance Abuse Professional (particularly working with AIDS patients), Chaplin, Pastoral Counselor or other Professional Counselor. And indeed, the authors state that the physician may wish to refer the patient to a social worker or clergy or other educational sources, to discuss his or her concerns and questions. REVIEW OF THE FOCUS AND GOALS FOR STUDY OF THIS MATERIAL: 1. Learn terms that should be understood related to individuals' LEGAL RIGHT to make End of Life Care Decisions. 2. Awareness of the research-verified need for more effective Advance Directives (end of life care planning), and differentiation between the categories of individuals for whom Advance Directives are an issue. 3. Understanding of the BENEFITS of addressing end of life preferences with persons who are terminally ill or are in a life threatening situation, as well as with their surrogates (family or representatives). 4. Learn a five-part, research-supported PROCESS for structuring discussions about end-of-life preferences, which inherently supports our ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY for assuring the welfare and legal rights of the client. 5. Based upon research findings, understand the FACTORS which typically affect individuals' choices about End of Life Care in various situations - thus enhancing ability to ETHICALLY GUIDE DISCUSSIONS of end of life care. This publication is dated 2003. However, the AHRQ considers this document to be nevertheless highly relevant to the subject at hand, when compared to other documents available within their research library and available elsewhere on the internet. This article is listed 3rd on the list of 261 AHRQ publications on this topic, and the last date that it was reviewed and cataloged was on May 6, 2010. Click here to view this study material. Click here to view and print the quiz you will take for this material.

National Guideline Clearinghouse Course 2E - The Treatment and Management of Depression in Adults

$18 - 2 Credit Hours. THIS IS A 'QUIZ ONLY' COURSE! Read and print the study material and the quiz for FREE, study off-line if you like, and take the quiz online. YOU PAY ONLY TO TAKE THE ONLINE QUIZ and to obtain your INSTANTLY DOWNLOADED 2 CEU CERTIFICATE.

This 2-credit hour Treatment Intervention course is accessed free of charge through an internet link to the National Guideline Clearinghouse, a project of the US Dept of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

This guideline for treatment of adults with varying levels of depression presents the 'Stepped-Care Model' - a structured framework for identifying and accessing the most effective treatment interventions. In stepped care, the least intrusive, most effective intervention is provided first; if a person does not benefit from the intervention initially offered, or declines an intervention, they are offered an appropriate intervention from the next step.

This NGC publication is not intended to teach specific therapeutic techniques or schools of thought regarding the treatment of depression. Rather, it presents a structured 4 STEP approach to EFFECTIVELY MATCHING treatment modalities to the specific characteristics of the individual, i.e., the severity of his depression, his previous response to treatment, and his preferences or rejection of specific modalities. The recommendations of the NGC are based upon an international collaborative sharing of clinical data bases.

NOTE: How is this course different from most of the courses available on the CEU By Net website? Most of the courses on our site are developed by CEU By Net, and you pay your fee to access the in-house course materials and the quiz. However, this is a 'QUIZ ONLY' course. The material for this course - and the quiz which we have developed to assess mastery of the materials - may be accessed FOR FREE on the internet, by clicking a link on our site. After reviewing the materials free of charge, you may pay the fee to take our online quiz and obtain your instant-download certificate. [We suggest that you print a copy of the quiz and mark your answers as you read through the materials. Then, click the 'SIGN UP NOW' button in the catalog, pay your fee, and take the online quiz. You can transfer your answers from the previously printed copy of the quiz, to the online quiz, if you like.]

GOALS OF THIS COURSE:

1. Know the principles for assessment, coordination of care and choosing treatments for adults with varying levels of depression.

2. Know the essentials for effective delivery of interventions for depression.

3. Understand the range of depressive severity, from persistent subthreshold depressive symptoms to severe and complex depression, and the differences in the treatment approach to each.

4. Understand the nature and use of the five interventions in the Stepped-Care Model, recommended by the National Guidelines Clearinghouse (NGC) for treatment of adults with various levels of depression.

Note: This course contains a link to study material available on the internet, rather than study guides on this web site. You may STUDY THIS COURSE and the quiz AT NO CHARGE. When you have studied the material and reviewed the quiz, you can come back to this site to take the quiz ONLINE and instantly receive your course completion certificate! For more information on this course - and to see a PREVIEW of the online quiz - click the '+' symbols, below:

Course 2E - The Treatment and Management of Depression in Adults

This is a QUIZ ONLY course, i.e., the online document and the quiz may be viewed and printed for FREE. You pay only if you decide to take the quiz and obtain a CE certificate from CEU By Net. You can also SAVE this online document as a PDF document for FREE .... and you can print it and read the course off-line if you so desire. This online document [accessed through the link at the end of this description] is the most recent guideline published by the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) for treatment of adults with various levels of depression. This study material uses a 4 STEP classification of depression severity, with corresponding response steps. Using the 4 STEP approach, the National Guidelines Clearinghouse recommends a step-wise set of interventions beginning with low intensity psychosocial interventions with a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach, to Group CBT and use of prescription drugs, to high-intensity psychological interventions which may include CBT, Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), and couples therapy ... and on to more intensive interventions if need be. The study material describes the recommended approach to delivery of the step-wise interventions, as well as approaches to relapse prevention. The options, benefits and cautions for use of pharmacology are also addressed. The NGC is a database of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and related documents, published as a resource for treatment professionals in the United States, by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). AHRQ is a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The material - selected for publication in the United States by AHRQ - is jointly authored by an international group of distinguished individuals working with the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the UK. This material is within the public domain, and intended for education and training purposes. Click here to view this study material. Click here to view and print the quiz you will take for this material.