This teaching note delineates seven lessons learned when designing and implementing a graduate-level dementia caregiving service-learning course. The course was designed during a 1-year faculty service-learning fellowship and implemented during the summer of 2015. The course used a person-in-environment framework to explain social work practice…

Arts & Minds programs aim to promote well-being for people with dementia and their care partners. Educators must balance the needs of participants with the given conditions of display in the museum. While connection to the art historical canon is a consideration for program planning, the choice of artworks for contemplation and dialogue…

The need for evidence-based non-pharmacological community programs to improve care of older adults with dementia is self-evident, considering the sheer numbers of affected individuals; the emotional, physical, and financial toll on affected individuals and their caregivers; the impact on our health care system; and the growing availability of…

This article offers reflection on the validity of relational data such as used in social network analysis. Ongoing research on the transformation of the support network of caregivers of persons with an Alzheimer-type disease provides the data to fuel the debate on the validity of participant report. More specifically, we sought to understand the…

The Functional Transitions Model (FTM) integrates the theoretical notions of progressive functional decline associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), excess disability, and transitions occurring intermittently along the trajectory of functional decline. Application of the Functional Transitions Model to clinical practice encompasses the paradox of…

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive condition that results in brain wasting and eventual death. With its increasing diagnosis rate, counselors will likely acquire clients with Alzheimer's disease or their caregivers. Important background information and several practical counseling methods are provided that may assist counselors working with this…

It is estimated that 13 million to 15 million adults in the United States have chronic conditions that impair cognitive function, such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, Parkinson's disease, and traumatic brain injury. The growing number of people with chronic conditions that include cognitive impairment and the family members who assist them face…

The home is clearly the major setting in which care is provided to individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The Caring Home Program was a multi-disciplinary program designed to complement existing efforts to assist caregivers (N=12) with the in-home care of Alzheimer's disease patients. The program components consisted of an assessment of…

Accessible support programs can improve health outcomes for family caregivers of older relatives with a chronic condition. Over the course of 6 months, 27 experienced family caregivers provided weekly support via the telephone to 66 individuals, either new family caregivers of seniors recently diagnosed with stroke or newly vulnerable family…

This paper presents a needs analysis conducted to obtain information concerning online dementia care training of healthcare workers in long-term care (LTC) facilities. The resulting information was used to guide the development of an online dementia care training program designed to facilitate the acquisition of skills and knowledge necessary for…

Caregiver education and support programs help decrease the stress and burden on family caregivers of the elderly. This directory profiles 72 programs for caregivers of elders. Programs are grouped into the categories of education, respite, and support. Education programs address skills and techniques for caregiving and include program…

This book discusses what is known about the brain and memory storage and how people can improve their recall of information. There are 10 parts with 37 chapters. Part 1, "Forming a Foundation: The Context for Using Your Owner's Manual," includes topics like brain basics and brain imaging. Part 2, "Wellness: Getting the Most Out of…