This course looks at depression, dementia and delirium in older adults. The goals of the course are to help you identify each of these diagnoses, detail specific tools to assist you with treatment ideas, and to help you understand the interplay between each in the older adult population.

Identifying the Symptoms of Depression, Dementia, and Delirium

This course has been designed to support those direct care workers providing treatment to clients that fall within the Older Adult category and may exhibit signs of Depression, Dementia, or Delirium. This course will cover each behavior individually and provide symptoms and explanations of differences between the three behaviors. 

Interventions, Strategies, and Treatment Plans

This course will provide the participants with evidence-based research about the three behaviors and includes examples of interventions for those clients exhibiting signs of these behavioral health problems. This course will also provide the participants with resources for the assessment and treatment of these behaviors. 

Delirium and depression are complex neuropsychiatric syndromes that are common in the elderly and associated with a variety of poor healthcare outcomes. Accurate detection is key to providing optimal care for these conditions.

• Participants will be able to identify 5 symptoms of dementia
• Participants will be able to state 5 interventions to try to alleviate challenging and disturbing symptoms that may occur within the course of the illness
• Participants will be able to describe where to find common dementia assessment tools
• Participants will be able to identify 3 symptoms of depression in older adults
• Participants will be able to state 3 interventions for depression presented in the course
• Participants will be able to describe where to find common depression assessment tools
• Participants will be able to identify 3 symptoms of delirium
• Participants will be able to identify/ describe the main difference between delirium and dementia
• Participants will be able to describe the first course of action when delirium is suspected