Gerontology And Aging CEU Courses for OTs

Wheelchair seating systems often include secondary supports including pelvic belts, anterior trunk supports, and ankle straps. This course will explore secondary supports and appropriate clinical applications, as well as what to do when secondary supports are required, and team members have restraint concerns. Case studies will be included.

Substance use disorders are a significant problem in the elderly population. Studies have shown that elderly patients with substance use disorders have very good outcomes when diagnosed and treatment is initiated using SBIRT, a technique incorporating Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral for Intervention.

Occupational therapy has a long significant history of contribution to persons leading independent and functional lives, which includes work. With injured soldiers returning to the US after WWI, reconstruction aides (later becoming occupational therapists) promoted work as a means and an ends to their rehabilitation. This remains the case over 105 years later. During this session, we will explore the history and the current state of work and industry, including ergonomics, as an area of practice for occupational therapy practitioners.

This course builds on the first part of the series and shares the perspectives of older adults regarding the use of smart technology and areas of concern within their homes. It will also discuss the categories of smart technology available at various price points to holistically support aging in place from a physical, cognitive, and social perspective.

Considerations around choosing the right smart technology for an older adult to age in place, including technology features, funding, and ethical considerations, will be discussed in this course. Assessment of client skills, technology adoption strategies, and other important factors related to ensuring appropriate choice and use of smart technologies will also be covered. The connection to social determinants of health will be discussed as well.

Becoming skilled in addressing cognition serves practitioners in all settings as it may be the key to patients reaching their maximum level of performance. This course aims to elevate OT practitioners' skillsets when working with patients with cognitive impairments.

Due to time and resource constraints, the full potential of SNF rehabilitation patients is not always realized. This presentation will give specific treatment strategies and interventions to improve treatment outcomes and, ultimately, the quality of life of SNF patients.

Part two of this series will cover hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), a group of connective tissue conditions (different than Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) that cause joint hypermobility, instability, and pain. This discussion provides the current research evidence on HSD classification, sub-types, diagnosis, sequela, clinical presentation, and occupational therapy management.

Master skills to implement in your practice immediately with continued Master Class. Aging in place is the goal of most elders, but it may require a great deal of support. The impact of normal aging on various systems and the differences between frail and well elders are described in this course. Information and interventions are discussed that allow interprofessional team members to support functional mobility, nutrition and hydration, and health management in their geriatric clients, in order to promote successful aging.

Part one of this series will cover Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a group of genetic conditions affecting the body’s connective tissue. This discussion provides the current research evidence on EDS classification, diagnosis, sequela, clinical presentation, and occupational therapy management.