Many leaders and members of US religious institutes are feeling anxious about potential cuts to Medicaid and other public programs. This webinar will focus on evolving changes in benefit programs during these uncertain times. We will discuss the latest (2026) projections for eligibility criteria and share recommended practices that a religious institute’s Benefits Eligibility Coordinator can use to implement benefit enrollments for members. 

Presented by Constance Neeson, LSW

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*This webinar is cosponsored by NRRO and is free to all members of a Religious Congregation. Please see registration instructions for details.

Please click the link below to view the webinar flyer and instructions for registration. 

This ready-to-teach in-service kit includes all the pieces needed to teach a 25-minute in-service.

In-Service Topic "Understanding Palliative Care and the Five Domains of Pain" In this in-service we are going to define palliative care, examine the differences between palliative care and hospice care, and consider common misconceptions about them.  We will also review the five domains of pain, how to assess and alleviate them, the connection between palliative care and trauma-informed care, and how to build the necessary communications skills.  

This in-service kit includes:

• A recorded video of the in-service (internet access required)
• Lesson Plan (PDF) Presentation slides and script (Microsoft PowerPoint File)
• Presentation handout as slides and notes (PDF)
• 4-page summary of presentation (PDF)
• Pre-test (PDF)
• 4 post-tests with 5 questions each and answer key (PDF)
• Follow-up (PDF)
• Certificate Template (PDF)

This ready-to-teach in-service kit includes all the pieces needed to teach a 25-minute in-service.

The following presentation is one of a series of in-services provided by the Avila Institute of Gerontology to keep member organizations knowledgeable on topics of aging and behavior. In this in-service, we will discuss Effective Strategies for Managing Activities of Daily Living in Challenging Resident Care.

This in-service kit includes:

• A recorded video of the in-service (internet access required)
• Lesson Plan (PDF) Presentation slides and script (Microsoft PowerPoint File)
• Presentation handout as slides and notes (PDF)
• 4-page summary of presentation (PDF)
• Pre-test (PDF)
• 4 post-tests with 5 questions each and answer key (PDF)
• Follow-up (PDF)
• Certificate Template (PDF)

This ready-to-teach in-service kit includes all the pieces needed to teach a 25-minute in-service.

In-Service Topic "Our Aging Appetite" What we eat is key to maintaining our health, and our needs change as we age. Sometimes it is difficult for the elderly to receive proper nutrition; incontinence, for example, may lead an elder to consume fewer fluids and become dehydrated. It is important to know what food groups and vitamins an elder needs and to understand how medications and factors of aging can affect taste and the ability to absorb nutrients. Caregivers will learn the following topics:

• Common dietary concerns for the elderly
• Why changes in appetite occur and how to aid an elder who experiences them
• Chronic diseases and how lifestyle choices, such as diet, can impact them
• Foods to delay or inhibit dementia and supporting dementia residents at mealtime
• Healthful foods and what they do

This in-service kit includes:

• A recorded video of the in-service (internet access required)
• Lesson Plan (PDF) Presentation slides and script (Microsoft PowerPoint File)
• Presentation handout as slides and notes (PDF)
• 4-page summary of presentation (PDF)
• Pre-test (PDF)
• 4 post-tests with 5 questions each and answer key (PDF)
• Follow-up (PDF)
• Certificate Template (PDF)

This ready-to-teach in-service kit includes all the pieces needed to teach a 25-minute in-service.

In-Service Topic "Behaviors: Wandering and Verbal Disruption" Unchecked verbal disruption will make the unit an unbearably stressful home for residents and workplace for caregivers. Wandering can pose health and safety risks, resulting in disastrous consequences if a resident elopes. Provide your residents and staff with a safer and more pleasant environment through proactive education. Staff will first learn to identify when wandering is or is not a problem and several interventions unique to wandering and verbal disruption. They will then gain a person-centered understanding of why residents exhibit these behaviors. Then, the following six interventions are presented in a step-by-step format:

• Increasing the structure of a resident’s schedule
• Cognitive bins/busy boxes
• Doll therapy
• Photo albums
• Simulated presence of a family member
• Massage therapy/aromatherapy

This in-service kit includes:

• A recorded video of the in-service (internet access required)
• Lesson Plan (PDF) Presentation slides and script (Microsoft PowerPoint File)
• Presentation handout as slides and notes (PDF)
• 4-page summary of presentation (PDF)
• Pre-test (PDF)
• 4 post-tests with 5 questions each and answer key (PDF)
• Follow-up (PDF)
• Certificate Template (PDF)

This ready-to-teach in-service kit includes all the pieces needed to teach a 25-minute in-service.

How many times have you heard anyone say, “Boy, I can’t wait until I am 85 and have to go to a nursing home”? In this in-service we will look at how our residents are affected by moving into a nursing home. We will examine why being depressed and appearing to be lost is, unfortunately, a standard reaction. We will discuss how residents who feel lost in an unfamiliar building, who have little control over what they do or what is done to them, and who feel isolated from those they love can suffer from severe and chronic stress. We will also look at what we can do, as caregivers, to reduce these negative feelings by individualizing care. We have much to offer to our residents that will reduce new resident depression and behaviors.

This in-service kit includes:

• A recorded video of the in-service (internet access required)
• Lesson Plan (PDF) Presentation slides and script (Microsoft PowerPoint File)
• Presentation handout as slides and notes (PDF)
• 4-page summary of presentation (PDF)
• Pre-test (PDF)
• 4 post-tests with 5 questions each and answer key (PDF)
• Follow-up (PDF)
• Certificate Template (PDF)

This ready-to-teach in-service kit includes all the pieces needed to teach a 25-minute in-service.

The following presentation is one of a series of in-services provided by the Avila Institute of Gerontology to keep member organizations knowledgeable on topics of aging and behavior. In this in-service, we will discuss dementia, how it affects the brain, and the different stages of dementia.

This in-service kit includes:

• A recorded video of the in-service (internet access required)
• Lesson Plan (PDF) Presentation slides and script (Microsoft PowerPoint File)
• Presentation handout as slides and notes (PDF)
• 4-page summary of presentation (PDF)
• Pre-test (PDF)
• 4 post-tests with 5 questions each and answer key (PDF)
• Follow-up (PDF)
• Certificate Template (PDF)

This ready-to-teach in-service kit includes all the pieces needed to teach a 25-minute in-service.

In-Service Topic "Managing Mood and Behavior with Music" Music is the most effective tool available to assist residents in managing their moods and behaviors. We will provide you with background on and use of 10 interventions any caregiver can use to help residents avoid or reduce unwanted behaviors such as resisting care, anxiety, depression, and even reducing aggression. We will talk about why music works… how to set it up, and how to observe and adjust it for maximum support. We must remember… that just like any interventions we do to adjust behavior… getting maximum benefit may require some trial and error to adjust the intervention for maximum efficacy.

This in-service kit includes:

• A recorded video of the in-service (internet access required)
• Lesson Plan (PDF) Presentation slides and script (Microsoft PowerPoint File)
• Presentation handout as slides and notes (PDF)
• 4-page summary of presentation (PDF)
• Pre-test (PDF)
• 4 post-tests with 5 questions each and answer key (PDF)
• Follow-up (PDF)
• Certificate Template (PDF)

Webinar Description

In this session, Dr. Comfort will discuss when to refer residents to end of life care. He will review rate of decline—especially for those who have cancer—and address topics such as pain management, delirium, nausea and vomiting, dyspnea, and nutritional issues. Dr. Comfort will also review patient decisions at the end of life, such as DNR (do not resuscitate), cognitive screening, palliative sedation and care.

This archived version is recorded from our live long-term care conference, "Compassion, Comfort, and Compliance in Long-Term Care." The video features footage of the speaker and the presentation slides.

More Information

Webinar Description

Palliative Care is developing into a specialized area of medicine as interdisciplinary teams are created with the primary focus of symptom management, while utilizing the patient and family as a unit of care. Dr. Comfort will discuss types of pain and how to evaluate them for pain management recourses. The use of opioids will be explored

This archived version is recorded from our live long-term care conference, "Compassion, Comfort, and Compliance in Long-Term Care." The video features footage of the speaker and the presentation slides.