Working with Dementia: Understanding Changes in Movement and Sensation

Presented by Teepa Snow

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Video Runtime: 80 Minutes; Learning Assessment Time: 33 Minutes

There are many changes in behavior, communication, and interactive ability that take place when someone is living with Dementia. Behaviors observed may appear strange, unusual, dangerous, or frustrating to others. This course is designed to help professionals better understand “why” things they see are happening and “how” behaviors are connected to an individual’s change in sensation, sensory processing, and motor skill abilities due to the onset, then worsening, of various Dementias. The goal of the course is to provide learners with explanation of behavioral response to what someone might ‘see, hear, smell, taste, or feel’ as well as helpful strategies for the purpose of applying this knowledge and modifying environments, cues, tasks, props, routines, or expectations for better outcomes and interactions for all involved.

Meet your instructor

Teepa Snow

Teepa Snow is an advocate for those living with dementia and has made it her personal mission to help families and professionals better understand how it feels to be living with such challenges and seeks to change and improve life for everyone involved. Her practice has included everything from neuro-intensive care units in…

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Chapters & learning objectives

Introduction - Why Do People Move?

1. Introduction - Why Do People Move?

Compare and contrast the sensory input and abilities possible in a normally aging brain versus the common changes in visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory perception and processing that take place during the course of most Dementias.

Sensation, Mobility, and the Therapist

2. Sensation, Mobility, and the Therapist

Compare and contrast motor abilities and performance between normal aging and common changes that occur when dementing illness progresses. Relate these changes to typical observable behaviors during care and rehabilitation service delivery attempts.

Using What You Have

3. Using What You Have

Explore the helpful impact of modification of environments, interactional support and cueing, task-related and programming changes that can be implemented to foster optimal engagement and reduce stress and distress for the person with dementia, care providers and others in the environment.