 |
|
About professional training
The Alzheimer's Association is committed to helping professionals improve their knowledge and skills, build stronger teams and deliver better care to people with dementia and their families. Our training and education programs are geared to professionals working in both community-based and residential care settings.
Our programs and meetings have been attended by activity professionals, administrators, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, social workers and staff trainers.
Training programs
Dementia Specialist: Best Practices for Direct Care Staff
Recommended for direct-care staff, the Dementia Specialist Program offers the most up-to-date knowledge and techniques to those caring for persons with dementia. The program promotes state of the art person-centered care.
The two-day program offers creative and interactive learning with many opportunities for networking and team building. You will have an chance to:
- Experience the world from the view of someone with Alzheimer's disease
- Learn real-life practical skills and ways to use those skills
- Explore problem-solving techniques to assist with challenging behavior
- Tips and tools to increase success and make caregiving more satisfying
At the completion of the program, participants will receive a certificate designating 15 contact hours of continuing education. Dementia Specialist is a collaborative education program of the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Association Chapter Network and funded in part by a grant from the Administration on Aging. Contact Becky Rogers, Training Specialist at the South Central Wisconsin Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, at 608.661.0463 or 800.272.3900.
Educational opportunities for professional direct care staff
Effective in-services help direct care staff sharpen their skills. Better skills lead to better care, and better care is your best marketing tool. Both new and experienced professional caregivers benefit from our workshops by learning best practice approaches, having opportunities to practice specific skills, and learning how to apply those skills on the job.
In-Services: 60-90 minutes
- Introduction to Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia: Learn the basics of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, as well as key information on treatment options.
- Stages of Alzheimer's: Tips to Help Throughout the Disease: Learn about the changing needs and approaches to use as Alzheimer's disease progresses.
- Positive Communication: Learn the art of communicating to effectively accommodate dementia-related brain changes.
- Understanding Behavior Changes: Learn problem-solving steps and best approaches for common changes in behavior.
- Person-Centered Care in Late Stage Dementia: Learn the best approaches to provide quality care specific to late stage dementia.
- Meaningful Activities: Learn how to use a person's life story to provide simple, effective activities.
- Others by request
Workshops: These 2-3 hour workshops are in-depth, hands-on, and offer the opportunity to practice specific skills
- Dementia Basics: Improving communication and understanding behavior: This workshop provides a definition of dementia and its impact on a person's ability to function. Learn vital tools to understand and respond to challenges with communication and behaviors.
- Personal Care Success for People with Dementia: Learn to use a person's individual preferences, needs and abilities to most effectively help with common problems in bathing, eating, dressing and toileting. Practice these skills through interactive exercises.
- Reducing Pain in People With Dementia: Many people with dementia are unable to communicate their pain. This leads to unnecessary suffering and care challenges. Through real-life scenarios, learn how to recognize, prevent and reduce pain in persons with dementia.
The South Central WI Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association can also create presentations to fit your specific needs. To schedule a presentation, learn fees, or for more information, contact Becky Rogers, Training Specialist, at 608.661.0463 or 800.272.3900.
Activity Based Alzheimer Care (ABAC)
An interactive workshop for Activity Professionals working with individuals with dementia in all care settings on the basics of providing activity based Alzheimer’s care. Curriculum designed by the national Alzheimer’s Association. In it, you will learn to:
- Examine effective strategies for assessment and care planning
- Identify program design options and methods for implementation
- Discover ways to adapt activities and the environment to better meet individual needs
- Identify and discuss a variety of ways to evaluate new and current programs
- Understand and apply various lessons about teamwork
Seminars and conferences
Regional Dementia Education Conference
The South Central Wisconsin Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association presents a special conference each spring for health care professionals, except for every third year when the State Conference is held in Madison.
Annual State Conference
The three Wisconsin Chapters collaboratively sponsor an Annual State Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders which rotates between Chapter areas. The conference is one of the largest in the nation. This year's conference is at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Milwaukee, May 4-6, 2008. In the months leading up to the conference, you will find more details and an opportunity to register online at State Conference website. For more information, contact Kathy Davies, State Conference Planner, at 715.344.2457.
Web-based training programs
CARES: A Dementia Caregiving Approach
This affordable, Web-based program has six one-hour training modules that are geared primarily to direct care workers, particularly nursing assistants. Each module uses text and streaming video to illustrate how to best care for people with dementia living in residential care settings. Topics include:
- Clara Jones and her Care Team
- Introduction to Dementia
- Understanding Behavior as Communication
- Making a Connection with the Resident
- Eating Well
- Recognizing Pain
This program provides guidance for those who supervise others involved in the care of people with dementia: nurses, unit coordinators, administrators, activity directors or others in leadership positions. After this training you will be able to:
- Identify and implement methods to facilitate teamwork.
- Select and use improved communication and supervisory practices.
- Identify techniques and deliver meaningful feedback to members of your team.
- Recognize and create an environment that motivates staff.
