Aging CEU Courses for SLPs

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.

Motor variability refers to the natural variation that occurs in repeated task movements. Evidence for this task variability in swallowing, and how it can be influenced by age-related changes (presbyphagia), are described in this course. Discussion includes ways to improve diagnostic accuracy by using this information to differentiate typical variation from true impairment in swallowing performance.

A discussion of bullying in adult living communities and day centers, including definitions, characteristics, incidence, and causes, is presented in this course. The different types of bullies and their typical targets, as well as the impact of bullying on older adults, are described. Interventions for the organization, the bully, and the target are reviewed to help communities minimize and even prevent bullying.

Increasingly, SLPs are serving individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). MCI, cognitive reserve, and modifiable risk factors that can reduce the risk of dementia are defined and described in this course. An overview of cognitive/communicative deficits associated with MCI, as well as assessment and management considerations, is also provided.

A comprehensive, systematic clinical pathway to effectively assess and manage dysphagia in persons with dementia is described in this course. Common eating challenges and contraindications of enteral feeding for those with advanced stage dementia are addressed. Environmental modifications, swallow strategies and adaptive equipment that can enhance the safety and experience of oral intake are also discussed.

An overview of Spaced Retrieval Training (SRT), an evidence-based technique that can assist in the recall and retention of information, is described in this Fast Class, and the evidence supporting it is reviewed. Demonstrations of how to screen potential patients, set goals, and implement SRT are provided.

Master skills to implement in your practice immediately with continued Master Class. The complex symptomatology of Lewy body dementias (Parkinson’s disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies) along with evaluation and intervention approaches for PTs, OTs, and SLPs are examined in this Master Class. Case studies emphasize opportunities and approaches for interprofessional collaboration to provide comprehensive, person-centered care.

Patients who are losing weight or demonstrating behaviors that decrease oral intake are at high risk for adverse events, especially in the geriatric population. The impact of impaired cognition on feeding, and strategies to assess and treat patients who are struggling at mealtimes, are described in this course.

Interactions between frailty, sarcopenia, and an aging swallow can result in significant swallowing difficulties in geriatric clients. This course discusses the relationships between swallowing, frailty, and aging, as well as additional contributing factors, and describes interventions to manage and possibly prevent sarcopenic dysphagia.

Mental health issues concerning older adults are discussed in this course. Topics include the intersection between mental and physical health, symptoms of common mental health disorders in this population, and referral criteria.