Courses

Course Aim:

To develop skills in delivering robust occupational therapy assessments and reports for occupational therapists working in acute, rehabilitation or community settings.  

Occupational Therapy Functional Assessments 

• Why observation of occupational performance is one of the key skills for occupational therapists

• Occupational analysis, task breakdown, skills assessment, task equivalence, 

• OT standardised assessments used in functional evaluations

• Hypothesising root causes impacting occupational performance at the person level, occupational level, social level, cultural level

• Occupational analysis of observed performance to predict functioning in the community re safety at home.

 Occupational Therapy and Cognitive Assessments 

• Covering the basics to ensure an accurate assessment

• Cultural bias in cognitive assessments

• Use of interpreters in cognitive assessments

•  List of common cognitive assessments used by occupational therapists 

The Allen’s Cognitive Disability Model 

• Introduction and core concepts to the Allen’s Cognitive Disability Model 

• Allen’s Cognitive Levels overview 1.0.- 6.0.

• Application to persons with a cognitive disability cohorts with dementia, and substance abuse disorders 

• Literature Review of the ACLS

• Signposting the ACLS 6 and Allen’s App

Administering and applying the Allen’s Cognitive Level Screen 

• Practice using the ACLS leather lacing tool (each person administers and is a ‘client’)

• Interpreting the scoring of the ACLS

• Using ACLS to support and educate caregivers

• How the Allen’s Cognitive levels can be used in intervention planning and assessing for safety to live alone

Reporting to Multi-Disciplinary Teams and Family Meetings

• Reporting OT assessments and treatment plans succinctly in meetings

• Developing confidence presenting in MDT and family meetings

• Different approaches to report occupational therapy assessments

• Detailed OT treatment plans

Completing Occupational Therapy Reports- Putting it all together 

• Triangulation of information between, clinical history, whanau/caregiver collateral information, cognitive assessments and functional assessments

• Summarising cognitive assessments and use of strength-based terms

• Using the Allen’s Cognitive Level results to link with assessment findings from observation of

  occupational performance and cognitive assessments

• Developing Analysis- extrapolating results of occupational therapy assessments to community living performance

• Reviewing Report Templates and report exemplars

Download a copy of the Course Outline here.

Clinical Cohorts in Older Person Mental Health

• Depression in older persons       

• Dementia Mild-moderate, dementia types: Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), Frontal Temporal Dementia (FTD)

• Severe Dementia with Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD)

• Differentiating between 3D’s in older persons: Delirium, Dementia, Depression

• Substance abuse 

• Anxiety (GAD)

• Medical & Physical Conditions, Mental Health and Wellbeing

• Bipolar Affective Disorder

• Schizophrenia in the older adult

• Older persons Suicide 

• Hoarding in Older Adults

Clinical approaches in Older Persons MH to support intervention planning 

• Lifestyle Redesign – overview of this OT evidence-based approach to improve patients’ mood and optimise community functioning

• Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) – how this group approach can optimise patients’ mood and cognition. Examples and resources for CST groups.

• Sensory Approaches – an introduction to supporting patients’ emotional regulation through sensory modulation and those with severe dementia through sensory interventions

• Non-Pharmacological Approaches for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD)- Reminiscence Therapy, Validation Therapy & Music Therapy 

• Pool Activity Levels – an assessment and intervention planning tool for patients with dementia and mild cognitive impairments

• Nature-based Practice and Social Prescribing 

• Activity planning–helping patients with mood disorders to plan and gain autonomy, and activity planning to support patients with mild-moderate dementia

• Talking therapies - OT role in older persons MH

Occupational Therapy Treatment Planning  

• Designing occupational therapy treatment plans for differing cohorts in older persons.

• Adapting approaches across levels of ability in task performance

• Goal setting – use of the interest checklist and role checklist to stimulate goal development

• Group Work- using an occupational focus and adapting the group for your clinical cohort. 

• Managing life transitions and decline in function

• Integrating social integration interventions into OT treatment

• OT role in medication management as front-line treatment

• Developing community resources and linkages

• Developing programmes for assistants and family members

• Discharge Planning

Conclusion – course review, applying knowledge, evaluation forms. 

If you’re interested in this course, please contact Michael at michael@seniorotcourses.com

Download a copy of the Course Outline here.