Dynamic Learning Online

DESCRIPTION

1.5 Contact Hour Course

Are you constantly battling patient malnutrition, dehydration and unsafe feeding techniques at your facility? Think you could make significant improvements in patients' lives if only you could better train nursing assistants, dining assistants and others?

Meal Time Matters is ideally suited for long-term care facilities to build skills relating to swallowing disorders, dining and feeding assistance. This introductory course is designed for nursing and therapy assistants as well as rehab aides, caregivers and care professionals

This course has significant benefits for caregivers and care recipients alike. It has been field tested with proven results for skill building in caregivers. Benefits to care recipients include improvement in safety during meals, increased intake, reduction in dehydration, and improved mealtime interactions.

Topics covered include: normal swallowing, signs and symptoms of disordered swallowing, diets and liquid consistencies, assistive eating devices, and safe meal time guidelines.

Course Goal: Learners who take this course will gain a basic understanding of the issues of managing mealtime for dysphagia patients.

OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to

• Identify three indicators that patient has a swallowing disorder
• Explain techniques that can be used to facilitate feeding and nutrition for older adults
• Implement changes that are necessary to increase safety for individuals during meals

ACCREDITATIONS

This course is AOTA approved for 0.15 CEU

NBCOT 1.875 PDU (course includes assessment component)

AOTA Classification Codes:

• Category 2: OT Process: Intervention and Outcome.

State of Illinois Physical Therapy Continuing Education Sponsor License No: 216.000127

Dynamic Learning Online is approved by New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions as a sponsor of Continuing Education for Physical Therapists & Physical Therapy Assistants

Dynamic Learning Online is a Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (TPTA) Accredited Provider. The assignment of Texas PT CCU does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by TPTA or TBPTE.

This course is also approved by:

• Arkansas State Board of Physical Therapy
• Center for Guardianship Certification
• Florida Board of Occupational Therapy for 1.5 Content Hours
• Florida Statewide Public Guardianship Office
• Texas Guardianship Certification Board

Author and Instructor

Jennifer A. Brush, MA, CCC/SLP is a nationally recognized speech-language pathologist known for her work in the areas of memory and swallowing interventions for people with dementia. She has served as the Principal Investigator on applied research grants that have examined issues pertaining to HIV/AIDS dementia, hearing impairment, dining, dysphagia, and the long-term care environment.

Ms. Brush offers interactive and educational online courses and presentations that help audiences bridge the gap between current research findings and the care needs of their clients. Ms. Brush is the author of Meal Time Matters and Meal Time Matters at Home, training programs that builds nursing assistants’ and home caregivers’ skills related to dining, swallowing disorders, and safe feeding assistance. In addition, she is the co-author of A Therapy Technique for Improving Memory: Spaced Retrieval.

Ms. Brush has served as Chair of the Professional Development Committee of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association Gerontology Special Interest Division and on the Editorial Review Board of SpeechPathology.com.

Ms. Brush is also the co-author of The Communication Toolkit: Environmental Interventions for Dementia, a unique resource for health professionals who work with individuals with dementia.

Teaching MethodS

Teaching methods: This course is provided using instructor lecture via web-based text, pictures and diagrams. References and resources are provided as well. There is one final exam, with the expectation of an 80% score to receive credit for the course.