Dementia Special: Delirium, Alzheimer's, Dementia Care, and Supporting Caregivers

Course overview

The onset of Alzheimers disease or other type of dementia is one of the most complex and troubling changes faced by individuals and their families. It's also a difficult issue for healthcare providers and professional caregivers, many of whom have received little or no training in how to address the physiological and psychological problems associated with dementia. Helping healthcare providers and caregivers better serve patients and families who are experiencing these difficult realities is one of the most important services we can provide. We offer this 15-unit combination of four courses covering many aspects of dementia: brain physiology, behavioral issues, distinguishing dementia from delirium and depression, and the critical role we can play in educating ourselves about dementia while providing support to the army of people caring for loved ones with dementia. The course begins with a discussion of delirium and how it differs from dementia. It continues with a thorough explanation of Alzheimer's disease and common related dementias, including the parts of the brain affected by dementia and the types of changes you may see as a result. We conclude with commonsense guidelines for those working with people with dementia and a discussion of how healthcare providers and professional caregivers can support families and friends caring for a person with dementia.