"Understand the care and counseling of older people – for anyone who cares for older people professionally and personally."
Ageing is the process of growing old. It is a gradual biological impairment of usual functioning. Mobility can gradually decrease, the need for medical interventions may increase and old habits may need to be modified
There is more to aging than just the physical changes though. Many other things happen as a person ages, which can (and does) impact on their state of mind. These changes generally require adjustments in both outlook and lifestyle. They may include a reduction in disposable income; change in residence, loss of peers (friends, colleagues) and loved ones.
Course Content
There are nine lessons in this course, with an assignment to be completed and submitted at the end of each of those lessons.
The lessons are as follows:
1. Understanding Ageing
Gerontology, What do we mean by Ageing? Population Ageing, The Effects of the Ageing Population, Theories of Human Development, Erikson’s Theory of Development, Levinson , Theories of Retirement, Disengagement Theory, Activity Theory, Atchley’s Model of Retirement
2. Lifestyle Changes
Relationships, Relationships with Children, Relationships with Partners (Husband/wife), Relationships with Grandchildren, Friendships, Sexuality and Older People, Cognitive Changes, Intelligence, Depression, Determining Type of Depression, Unipolar Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Causes of Depression, Risk factors for Depression, Men and Depression, Depression in Older People, Symptoms
3. Deterioration of Health
Physical Changes –Skin, Hair, Height, Senses, Reflexes, Sex, Eyes,Chronic Health Problems, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Gout, etc. Exercise, Diet, Nutrition, Eating habits, etc. Pain relief, Medication, Stress.
4. Support Services
Preventative Services, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Complimentary Practitioners, Counselling Professionals, Other Support Services (eg. Meals on Wheels, Funeral Services)
5. Enablement Techniques
Common Risks for Elderly: Risk of Falling, Vision, Hearing, Nutrition, Sexuality. Techniques to maintain Quality of Life: Driving a car, banking, shopping, house cleaning, Gardening, Socialising, Pets, Exercise, Sport
6. Grief and Loss Counselling
What is grief, Psychological aspects of Long Term Grief: Family, Work, Financial, Loneliness, Morality after bereavement, Counsellors Response and Intervention, Practical Intervention, Depression
7. Debilitating and Terminal Illness
Dementia, Kinds of Dementia (Alzhaimers, Vascular Dementia); Stratewgies for Counselling the Demented Client; Communication, Daily Activities, Sleeping Difficulties, Hallucinations and Delusions, Wandering, Depression, Terminal Illness: Patients Response, Anxiety, Depression, Guilt & Anger, Defense Mechanisms. Preparing for Approaching Death; Practical Preparations, Emotional Responses, Responses of Friends and Family
8. Losing a Loved One
Importance of Loss, Assessment, Role of the Deceased, Death of a Child, Stigmatised Death, Co-Morbidity. Counselling Strategies: Bibliotherapy, Use of Rituals, Bereavement Support Groups. Special Therapeutic Situations: Traumatic, Sudden, and Stigmatised Loss, Ongoing Support, Social Stigmas of Suicide
9. Ethics and Intervention
Barriers to Aged Care Counselling, Addressing the Client’s Needs, COMMON LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN AGED CARE: Decision Making Capacity, Competence, Informed Consent, Confidentiality, Euthanasia, etc
Aims
- To discuss theories of ageing, and to develop an understanding of the different stages of human development.
- To describe the psychological impact of changes which occur as a person reaches old age
- To understand the effect of physical health problems on older people.
- Describe the nature and scope of support services, including counselling, for the elderly.
- Describe a range of solutions that can enable an elderly person to adapt to changed circumstances in order to continue performing tasks or pursuing interests that are becoming increasingly difficult for them.
- Explain how a variety of counselling techniques can be applied to specific Grief and loss situations for counselling elderly persons.
- Develop a strategy for counselling an elderly person who has been diagnosed with a debilitating or terminal illness.
- Develop a strategy for counselling an elderly person who has lost a loved one.
- Determine when and how to intervene in the life of an elderly person
SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT
- State three common physical health problems which can affect people as they age. One sentence for each.
- For each of the three health problems mentioned in question one, write one paragraph outlining ways in which an elderly person can learn to cope with the physical aspect of the problem.
- What strategies could a counsellor use to help an elderly person deal with each of the following: failing eyesight, decreasing mobility, and physical pain? Write a paragraph for each.
- Submit a brief report (up to one page) on your research from the set task.
SAMPLE COURSE NOTES
Dementia
Dementia is a condition in which a person progressively loses mental ability, including the ability to remember, think and reason. It can affect memory, decision-making, problem-solving, learning, and the ability to care for oneself. Eventually, when the dementia has reached a severe stage, the person is no longer able to perform the tasks of daily living.
Dementia is not a disease in itself. It is a group of symptoms caused by a number of diseases or conditions that affect the brain. Some of these causes are 'reversible' and can be treated, for example brain tumours, depression and alcohol dependence. Other causes are 'irreversible' and cannot be cured.
Dementia, a progressive brain dysfunction, leads to a gradually increasing restriction of daily activities. It is what is called senility by the layperson, the deterioration of intellectual functioning until social and occupational functions are impaired. The most well-known type of dementia is Alzheimer's disease.
The prevalence of dementia increases with age. IT is estimated that around 1% of people aged 65 – 74 have dementia, 4% of those aged 75 to 84, and 10% of those over 84. These figures may be underestimates, as some people will die from some causes of dementia. Dementia is caused by many conditions that affect the brain. Some causes of dementia can be reversed, and others cannot. The major signs are memory loss, confusion, disorientation and lessening of intellectual functioning. Dementia can come on slowly over a period of years, subtle changes can occur, such as difficulty remembering things, especially recent events is a prominent symptom of dementia.
Examples include –
Starting to run the tap then leaving the room.
Being unable to remember the name of their son or daughter.
They may also develop poor hygiene, forget to bath or dress adequately. Their judgement may become faulty and may have difficulties making plans or decisions. They may also lose control of their impulses, for example, tell coarse, inappropriate jokes, make sexual advances to strangers, shoplift etc. Other times, they may have symptoms of depression, such as flatness of affect, emotional outbursts. Around 50% of patients may experience hallucinations and delusions. Some people with dementia may have disturbances with language, such as vague patterns of speech. They may have difficulties recognising familiar surroundings. Episodes of delirium may also occur.
The course of dementia can be progressive, static or remitting, depending on the cause of the dementia. People with progressive dementia will eventually become withdrawn and apathetic. In the terminal phase of the dementia, their personality loses its sparkle and integrity.
Relatives and friends may say that the person is not themselves anymore. Social involvement with others will become more and more narrow. Finally, they will be oblivious to their surroundings.
Treatable conditions that can cause dementia include a high fever, dehydration, vitamin deficiency and poor nutrition, bad reactions to medicines, problems with the thyroid gland, or a minor head injury or tumour. Medical conditions like these can be serious and should be treated by a doctor as soon as possible.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. Among other causes are medical conditions (thyroid disease, drug toxicity, thiamine deficiency with alcoholism, and others), brain injury, strokes, multiple sclerosis, infection of the brain (such as meningitis and syphilis), HIV infection, hydrocephalus, Pick's disease, and brain tumours.
There are four main types of dementia –
Alzheimer’s Disease – the most common.
Frontal-temporal Dementia – this describes the area of the brain that is most affected.
Frontal-subcortical Dementia – again describes the area of the brain most affected.
Vascular Dementias – caused by stroke.
Conditions or diseases that cause irreversible dementia, especially in older people, include Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies, and multi-infarct dementia (MID), also called vascular dementia.
"Understand the care and counselling of older people – for anyone who cares for older people professionally and personally."
This course aims to develop your understanding of the ageing process, and your ability to help others cope more effectively with their grief. It is designed to be useful for counselling and other care professions or anyone involved with elderly people in any other way, formally or informally.
