Dr. Macie P. Smith

Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s related dementia. This brain-robbing disease has the potential to cripple families’ physical, emotional, and financial health. Therefore, quality dementia education is needed. While there is not a CURE, there is CARE.

Did you know? 10,000 baby boomers are turning age 65 every single day. The aging baby boomer generation could fuel a 75% increase in the number of Americans needing caregivers or requiring nursing home care. The demand for elder care will also be fueled by a steep rise in the number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, which by 2050 could reach 14 million (AARP 2020). Given these statistics, the need for presentations like Introduction to Caregiver Dementia Strategies is essential.

The pandemic has certainly challenged the way in which we provide care to those living with dementia. This training will provide practical person centered strategies for social workers to incorporate while engaging with their clients living with dementia to promote optimal outcomes.

Overview: By taking this course, participants will be afforded the following benefits:
- Participants will understand the importance of assessments.
- Participants will learn motivational interviewing techniques.
- Participants will better understand the role of the Care Coordinator in the Assessment and Care Planning process.

Overview: By taking this course, participants will be afforded the following benefits:
- Participants will better understand the meaning of resistance.
- Participant will understand the reasons behind resistance.
- Participants will identify strategies to address resistance.

Overview: By taking this course, participants will be afforded the following benefits:
- Participants will be able to articulate various forms of technology applications that are pertinent in their field to meet program objectives
- Participant will be able to Identify and discuss unique forms of software that are effective and efficient when meeting individualized clients’ needs
- Participants will be able to identify various Internet resources that are available to assist human services workers provide research to meet clients’ needs and/or requests
- Participants will be able to assess human services information on the Internet for authority, accountability, objectivity, and currency using a reliable evaluation tool when researching needed services for clients/families
- Participants will be able to identify and discuss various forms of technology

Overview: Participants will become better prepared to recognize and appropriately address the needs of persons living with dementia.
- Learn generational considerations of the older population
- Learn the differences between the two conditions
- Learn the signs and symptoms
- Identification of treatable causes of dementia
- Learn nonpharmacological strategies to address communication and behavioral challenges

Overview: Participants will better understand how streamlining healthcare promotes optimal healthcare outcomes for patients with multiple morbidities.
- Participants will better understand the benefits and challenges to integrating multidisciplinary teams into a care coordination model
- Participants will identify strategies to address barriers within multidisciplinary teams
- Participants will develop strategies to building and sustaining effective multidisciplinary teams