In this video, the presenter the Rev. Dr. Helen Appelberg reaches out to communities and welcomes both seniors and caregivers challenged by physical concerns and other health issues. Highlighting “The Servant Song,” this prayer for caregivers reminds us that we are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.

As they age, it is common for older adults to stop maintaining daily oral care. In addition, many seniors suffer dry mouth due to medications, collect bacteria, and have chronic inflammation of their teeth. On top of this there are often contributing factors of soft-food, high-carb diets, along with aging fillings, crowns, and root canals. In this video, Dr. Dirks describes geriatric dentistry, basic oral care techniques, and some basic tips for how to get elderly to brush.

Presenter: Dr. Thomas Weiss
Caring for someone who is sometimes hateful or difficult is a common situation. Oftentimes, the person being care for may have issues related to frustration, anger, confusion, pain, fear, or even medications. Whether you are a professional caregiver or caring for a loved one, this situation is unrewarding and can take a toll on your own health and wellbeing. Here, Dr. Weiss explains what’s involved in caring for the hateful patient while providing appropriate and compassionate care.

Latinos are the largest ethnic minority and the fastest growing elderly group. In providing caregiver training online regarding care for Latinos, the presenter shares her findings of how Latinos perceive the caregiving experience, including how it has consequences, fulfills a duty, and is satisfying. 

Caregiver stress is the all-too-common outcome of caring for a person with dementia. The challenges of caring for someone on top of other responsibilities can feel overwhelming. In the long run, allowing caregiver stress to build up will hurt physically and emotionally. In this video, Dr. Oakes provides guidance for answering the important question, “What do I do to get rid of caregiver stress?” 

Brain fitness is similar to physical fitness. Just as physical activity can improve physical health, brain exercises can improve cognitive ability and prevent the decline in cognitive health as we age. Brain fitness is defined as the brain’s ability to perform at normal or above normal levels. This video provides an overview of the latest research in cognitive health in older adults and provides insights on how to keep the brain engaged as we age and encourage the all important brain plasticity.

Presenter: Dr. Thomas Weiss
If you’re taking care of someone with dementia, you know there are issues regarding behavior that can be challenging to understand and manage. In this video on behavior management dementia, Dr. Weiss walks viewers through the care and management of patients with dementia, helping caregivers understand the symptoms, epidemiology, and assessments involved. The video also offers strategies and therapies, both non-pharmacologic and pharmacotherapy, for managing the complex behaviors seen in patients with dementia.

A common reason seniors are placed in nursing homes is due to behavior or functional loss, and not memory impairment. This video helps caregivers understand the dementia behaviors and other behavioral disturbances in seniors living in long-term care facilities, including hallucinations, delusions, irritability, agitation, sleep changes, and appetite changes. Viewers will gain a greater understanding of the emotions that often drive the actions of their loved ones.

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In Module 1 of this series on dementia behaviors, viewers learn the eight possible etiologies of dementia and their masquerading conditions and the 12 most common “problem behaviors” when working with elderly residents with dementia or mental illness. This video also discusses the common identifiers of aggressive behavior and predictors of violence. 

In Module 4 of this series on dementia behaviors, viewers review a “Survival Guide” for using history forms and psychological tests with elderly residents with dementia or mental illness. The video outlines the importance of coding tests appropriately, documenting time between visits, and following up to evaluate drug titrations, efficacy, and side effects. 

In Module 3 of this series on dementia behaviors, viewers learn how dementia affects residents’ mental capacity for personal, medical, and financial decision making. Viewers learn about testamentary capacity and the capacity to stand trial. 

In Module 2 of this series on dementia behaviors, viewers learn the sources of pain perception in elderly residents with dementia or mental illness. They learn how pain, along with long-term medications and the use of restraints, can affect residents’ behavior and how caregivers can alter care to address these issues.