This webinar will outline some concrete steps that are available to all to help restore and heal the mind, body and spirit that are impacted by compassion fatigue, at any time, but particularly in this time of COVID-19.

This webinar is designed for individual members of Congregations as well as leadership and healthcare providers.

Webinar Description

This webinar discusses the differences between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia while exploring how depression and delirium also differentiate from dementia. It is broken down into two parts:

Is It Alzheimer's? 

There are multiple diseases that can cause dementia, which is an umbrella of symptoms that affect memory, thinking and can make daily life very complicated. Since more than one disease can cause dementia, it can be difficult to decipher what is actually causing the dementia. Alfred W. Norwood, BS, MBA, will describe:

• How Alzheimer's disease (the most common disorder that causes dementia) affects the brain
• Causes and effects of Alzheimer's disease
• How caregivers define resident quality of life 

The 3D's: Depression, Delirium, and Dementia

Depression, delirium and dementia can be difficult to differentiate. It is important that caregivers understand typical resident behaviors so that they accurately observe any changes. Understanding the resident ensures he or she is appropriately treated for depression, delirium or dementia. This provides valuable insight to the healthcare team on the differences between these three diagnoses. You will learn:

• About dementia and other common diseases of aging
• Depression and its causes and symptoms
• How depression differs from dementia and how to help
• Delirium and its causes and symptoms
• How delirium differs from dementia
• Improper medication use as a source of delirium

More Information

If you have any questions or concerns about this program, please contact us at info@avilainstitute.org. 

Registrants seeking continuing education will be asked to watch the live webinar in full, pass a post-test, and submit an evaluation form. 

• Administrators (NAB): This program has been approved for Continuing Education for 1.25 total participant hours by NAB/NCERS— Approval #20210421-1.25-A66823-DL.

• Catholic Chaplains: The National Association of Catholic Chaplains has approved this program for a total of 1.0 Continuing Education Hours.

• New York State Social Workers:  Avila Institute of Gerontology, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0265. Participants can earn 1.0 contact hours.

With over 43 million caregivers in the US, it is very likely that many of us will experience the joys and challenges of providing care for a loved one at some point in our lives. Caregivers consistently report that caregiving can be one of the most stressful, yet also the most meaningful roles they have ever undertaken. Approaching caregiving as a spiritual endeavor can increase the likelihood that the role will be fulfilling, nourishing, and possibly transformative. This webinar will look at the caregiving landscape in the US and then take a close look at one of the best spiritual guides for the transformative power of caregiving, author and Catholic priest Henri Nouwen. After exploring Nouwen’s unique vision for caregiving, we will focus on the necessity of self-compassion to avoid caregiver burnout. Webinar participants will learn a self-compassion practice for use in their own caregiving roles. 

This webinar is designed for individual members of Congregations as well as leadership and healthcare providers.

This webinar discusses the effects of dementia in moderate to advanced stages. It’s broken down into two parts:    

Understanding Moderate Dementia

It’s challenging to understand how life changes brought on by moderate dementia will affect a person. Some days will feel normal with the person having full ability to remember and carry on normal activities. Some days will be full of confusion and disorientation which affects communication and understanding. This can be extremely frustrating to persons with dementia as well as to their caregivers. Alfred W. Norwood, BS, MBA, addresses the knowledge necessary for providing excellent care through the middle stage of dementia.

Participants will learn:

• What it feels like to have moderate dementia: confusion, stress, and disorientation
• The five burdens of family caregivers
• Details of changes in thinking, emotions, personality, and physical ability
• Best communication strategies to use for moderate dementia
• Techniques to assist residents with ADLs
• How to master the three steps of any ADL: Approach, Gain cooperation, and Reward
 

Advanced Dementia 

Care staff work endlessly to provide quality care for residents with advanced dementia. It’s a very difficult but rewarding job. Residents with advanced dementia are unable to verbalize their wants and needs and are completely dependent during ADLs. Understanding the look and feel of advanced dementia is key when caring for these residents. Caregivers must be fluent in communicating with residents with dementia and recognize that behaviors are attempts at communication. It’s crucial that caregivers of residents with advanced dementia be educated in the fragile experience of the dying process for the resident, as well as the grieving process for the family.

This webinar will review many important topics, such as:

• The look and feel of advanced dementia
• End-stage dementia and dying
• Advanced dementia and memory
• Advanced dementia and cognition
• Behaviors
• Positive environment modifications
• Advanced dementia and pain
• Advanced dementia and spirituality
• General communication in severe dementia
• How not to communicate with a resident with advanced dementia
• ADLs (activities of daily living) communication in advanced dementia
• Grief and grieving

Registrants seeking continuing education will be asked to watch the live webinar in full, pass a post-test, and submit an evaluation form. 

• Administrators (NAB): This program has been approved for Continuing Education for 1.25 total participant hours by NAB/NCERS— APPROVAL # 20210421-1.25-A66848-DL

• Catholic Chaplains: The National Association of Catholic Chaplains has approved this program for a total of 1.00 Continuing Education Hours.

• New York State Social Workers:  Avila Institute of Gerontology, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0265. Participants can earn up to 1.0 contact hours.

Webinar Description

This webinar discusses the stages of dementia while describing actions to take once it becomes more advanced. It's broken down into two parts:

Stages of Dementia

Dementia is a collection of symptoms that progressively worsen. It’s essential that care staff understand how to interact with residents with dementia. The better the care, the better the quality (and often length) of life. Caregivers searching to improve their methods for residents with dementia will find information in this webinar valuable, as Alfred W. Norwood, BS, MBA, presents:

• Why dementia is a diagnosis and not a disease
• Understanding dementia’s progressive stages
• How to get to know the residents to improve quality of life
• Adjusting activities depending on the stage of dementia
• Age-associated memory impairment
• Risk factors for memory impairment
• Early signs of possible dementia

 
Strategies to Promote Independence for People with Dementia

Since dementia is a combination of symptoms that worsen over time, residents’ coordination and mobility progressively deteriorate, leading to difficulty walking and even swallowing. The cumulative loss of independence leads to eventual dependence on caregivers, with resident behavior ever less predictable and more difficult to manage. In this webinar we will discuss strategies to help promote residents’ independence even as dementia worsens.  

Participants will learn:

• How dementia, stress and dependence are linked  
• How to use procedural memory to help residents improve memory ability, language, and everyday function  
• How to use errorless learning and rituals
• How to build rituals and use errorless learning to promote independence   
• How to provide control and social support to residents to alleviate behaviors

More Information

If you have any questions or concerns about this program, please contact us at info@avilainstitute.org. 

Registrants seeking continuing education will be asked to watch the live webinar in full, pass a post-test, and submit an evaluation form. 

• Administrators (NAB): This program has been approved for Continuing Education for 1.00 total participant hours by NAB/NCERS— APPROVAL # 20210421-1.00-A66847-DL.

• Catholic Chaplains: The National Association of Catholic Chaplains has approved this program for a total of .75 Continuing Education Hours.

• New York State Social Workers:  Avila Institute of Gerontology, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0265. Participants can earn .75 contact hours.

This webinar discusses the ways caregivers can identify stress in a dementia resident and how to effectively communicate with that person. It’s broken down into two parts:

Is the Person with Dementia Stressed?

There is no doubt that loss of ability, memory, and increased disorientation lead to stress, behaviors, and dependence. In this webinar, Alfred W. Norwood, BS, MBA, will discuss how and why stress originates for residents with dementia and how to reduce stress in their dementia experience.

Participants will learn:

• Key dementia facts and stages
• How changes in dementia affect the ability to predict events, thereby causing stress
• The body’s reaction to stress: fight, flight, or freeze
• How constant stress impacts long-term health
• The 3 causes of stress and how caregivers can minimize each cause
• What psychotropic drugs are useful for and when they are inappropriately prescribed
• Psychosocial interventions for caregivers that are more effective than drugs to reduce stress

Communicating in Dementia

Memory loss accumulates for the person with dementia, and they may have difficulty responding to questions, remembering details, or keeping pace with a conversation. This poses unique communication challenges that require empathy, patience, and knowledge. This session will discuss an array of practical skills for communicating with those with dementia.

Participants will learn:

• A breakdown of each step necessary in naming and communicating an idea in a healthy brain and how dementia impairs those steps
• Symptoms of memory loss on communication
• The impact of dementia, memory loss, and stress on communication
• The 3 major causes of stress and how it impacts behavior for someone with dementia
• 4 Rules for improving communication
• How to build your listening skills
• Person-centered, practical tools for effective communication with the person with dementia
• How to negotiate challenging behavioral situations
• How to cultivate the right environment for making communication successful

Registrants seeking continuing education will be asked to watch the live webinar in full, pass a post-test, and submit an evaluation form. 

• Administrators (NAB): This program has been approved for Continuing Education for 1.0 total participant hours by NAB/NCERS— APPROVAL # 20210421-1.00-A66849-DL

• Catholic Chaplains: The National Association of Catholic Chaplains has approved this program for a total of .75 Continuing Education Hours.

• New York State Social Workers:  Avila Institute of Gerontology, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0265. Participants can earn up to .75 contact hours.

Most Communities spend an enormous amount of time trying to determine the right staffing levels for each department for each new budget year. And what is it that ties these staffing budgets to the real employees who are working in the departments? Is there a relationship between staffing and census? Join us and learn how to evaluate your staffing budget. We’ll also address staffing concerns in times of crisis, which is especially relevant in the current COVID-19 situation. Staffing is not just about creating department budgets once a year; it is an ongoing process that is shared between department directors and leadership each month. 

This webinar is designed for individual members of Congregations as well as leadership and healthcare providers.

This 1-hour webinar, presented by Sr. Ginger Downey, OLVM, will look at the many different Catholic practices that are important to men and women religious and how staff can assist in their living their religious life, no matter their mental or physical circumstance.

This webinar is designed for individual members of Congregations as well as leadership and healthcare providers.

During this presentation Mr. Owen will discuss the pattern of the progression of Dementia and the five basic psychological and spiritual needs of people with dementia. Additionally, he will discuss the essential components of person-centered care, along with the utilization of visual and experiential arts in facilitating a sense of well-being in the person with dementia.

All Americans, including members of religious institutes, are living longer due to medical advances, better nutritional habits, and improved living conditions generally. People who reached age 65 in 2011 had an average remaining life expectancy of 17.8 years for males and 20.4 years for females. As a consequence, there are more people attaining ages that have historically been characterized as “old.” According to NRRO, in the year 2018, the median age of sixty-eight percent of religious in the US was 70 or greater. 

This presentation with Sister Sharon Euart, RSM, Executive Director of the Resource Center for Religious Institutes, and Associate Director Christopher J. Fusco, Esq., will briefly explore some canon and civil law issues that might accompany religious during these years: guardianship and its alternatives, such as durable powers of attorney; health care decision making; the role of the institute and leadership; member issues - psychological and behavioral; financial considerations; and, considerations surrounding operation of a motor vehicle. Sister Sharon and Chris will be available for questions following the presentation.

This webinar is designed for individual members of Congregations as well as leadership and healthcare providers.