Antipsychotic Medications In Dementia Care

Course overview

Why Antipsychotic Medications are a ¿no-no¿: Providing Excellent Care for Dementia Patients in Long-Term Care Facilities Have you ever seen a continuing education course¿s title and thought that you already knew about that? Maybe it¿s the case when dementia or antipsychotic drugs are mentioned. But, have you heard the latest? Are you aware that antipsychotic medication use has been linked to a higher mortality rate in the elderly with dementia? This online continuing education course will provide you insight on several issues related to antipsychotic medication use in the elderly, including its truths and myths, current and future goals of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve care within the dementia community and healthcare¿s level of knowledge regarding the delivery of dementia care. The debate and struggle over the use of antipsychotic medications will also be discussed. An overview of dementia pathophysiology will be provided as a framework for the background to the information. Objectives The objectives of this continuing education course are: Identify the reasons why antipsychotic medications are a hazard when used to control behavioral symptoms in patients with dementia. Discuss non-pharmacologic approaches in an effort to control symptoms. Discuss drugs that are approved by the FDA in dementia. List CMS recommendations that will discourage antipsychotic medication use. Curriculum Chapter 1- The Problem Chapter 2- Dementia Spectrum- Overview, Stages & Diagnosis Chapter 3- Dementia- Pharmacologic and Non-Pharmacologic Treatment Chapter 4- CMS Goals for Long-Term Care Facilities Chapter 5- Resources