Outline

How Changes in The Aging Patient Population Impact Your Work

• Musculoskeletal and postural changes
• Osteoporosis and osteoarthritis
• Cardiovascular changes
• Vision and hearing changes
• Joint replacement
• Aging and disease processes
• The impact of medications and the contraindications as indicated in the BEERs criteria as published by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS)

Geriatric Functional Testing and Assessment Toolbox for:

• Pain
• Gait
• Posture
• Mobility
• Strength
• Balance
• Range of motion
• Aerobic capacity
• Sensory-motor assessment
• Cognition
• Motivation

Fall Prevention Essentials

• Quick tips to fallers
• Reduce fall risk, minimize fall impact and injury
• Fall recovery
• Reduce environmental fall risks
• Strategies for home safety
• Impact comorbidities have on an individual’s fall risk, including arthritis, stroke, neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis
• Care after a fall and conduct a root cause analysis when a fall occurs to identify patient, environmental and systemic conditions that may have led to a fall
• Safe transfer techniques, wheelchair safety and evaluation of assistance devices

Physical Exercise Programs and Implementation:

• Safe and Effective Exercise for Aging Adults
• Precautions to exercise in the elderly
• Intensity and frequency considerations
• Exercises and accommodations for:
  • Pain management
  • Building strength and endurance
  • Improving balance
  • Increasing mobility
  • Aerobic conditioning
• Recognize red flags and contraindication to exercise
• Tips to optimize motivation and compliance

Working with Special Populations

• Frailty
• Obese
• Cardiovascular patients
• Limited mobility (chair bound)
• Diabetics
• Cardiovascular disease
• Parkinson’s dis
• CVA
• MS

Nutritional Screening and Requirements

• Specific needs for those with Parkinson’s disease, osteoporosis. diabetes

Optimize Documentation for Better Outcomes and Reimbursement 

• Use of skilled terminology, avoidance of red flags, and adequate, concise documentation.