Online workshop

Thursday, November 7, 2024
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

What time is this for me?

Many persons with dementia express responsive behaviours, which “refer to behaviours exhibited by a person with dementia as a way of responding to something negative, frustrating or confusing in their environment” (Alzheimer Society of Canada, 2017) and these behaviours have a negative impact on the person with dementia and their care partners (e.g., Marx et al., 2019). The Triadic Model (Gitlin & Corcoran, 2005) highlights that people with dementia may be triggered by their care partner, their environment, or within themselves and that this may result in behaviours such as agitation, aggression, or wandering. Many people with dementia also experience toileting difficulties, which are also caused by factors related to the person with dementia, their environment, or their care partners (Murphy et al., 2021). Using a holistic approach, occupational therapists can suggest strategies to minimize responsive behaviours and toileting difficulties. Occupational therapists can also provide education to care partners on how to identify appropriate activities and how to modify them based on the context and the person with dementia’s abilities, and this increased participation in meaningful activities can reduce responsive behaviours (Marx et al., 2019).

This workshop will provide occupational therapists with a greater understanding why people with dementia experience responsive behaviours, toileting difficulties, and decreased participation in activity, and how to facilitate positive behaviours and activity participation. Several models for understanding the causes and triggers of responsive behaviours will be explored. Participants will learn how to develop and tailor strategies needed to minimize responsive behaviours and manage toileting difficulties based on the unique needs of the individual, care partner, and environment. Strategies to promote activity participation through task and environmental adaptations and communication strategies will be explored. Common barriers to strategy implementation will also be discussed. Small group discussions will be utilized throughout the workshop to assist participants in applying the information to various practice settings.

Workshop topics

Learning objectives

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

1. Apply models of dementia care to determine causes and triggers of responsive behaviours and dementia-related toileting challenges.
2. Identify triggers to guide clinical decision making.
3. Formulate strategies for managing responsive behaviours and toileting challenges based on activity participation.
4. Formulate strategies for managing responsive behaviours and toileting challenges based on environmental modification.
5. Formulate strategies for managing responsive behaviours and toileting challenges based on communication strategies.
6. Formulate strategies for managing responsive behaviours and toileting challenges based on task adaptation.
7. Tailor strategies to address the unique needs of the person with dementia, their care partner, and the environment.

Target audience

Occupational therapists who wish to further their knowledge and skills when working with people with dementia and their care partners in the community, on family health teams, in long-term care, or in the hospital. Participants are expected to have a basic understanding of dementia and disease process.

Please note: Each participant is responsible to ensure they apply the information within the context of their licensure, provincial/territorial legislations, institution regulations, scope of practice, etc.

Presenter

Rachel Wiley, MS, OTR/L, CDP

Rachel Wiley is an occupational therapist and the founder and owner of Day By Day Home Therapy and the Dementia Collaborative LLC. Rachel is certified in Skills2Care® for caregivers of individuals with dementia, and she is a Certified Dementia Practitioner. Rachel is also a certified master trainer of Skills2Care® through Jefferson Elder Care and trains occupational therapists from around the country in the Skills2Care® program. She is also currently an advisory council member for Dementia Society of America. Previously, Rachel was an adjunct faculty member in the occupational therapy departments at Thomas Jefferson University and Temple University. She also worked as the occupational therapist and Dementia Service Coordinator for the Pew Charitable Trust Grant with Jefferson Elder Care. Rachel attended Penn State University for her Bachelor's in Rehabilitation and Human Services and minor in Psychology and attended Thomas Jefferson University for her Master's in Occupational Therapy. She previously served as the Gerontology Chair for the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association's (POTA) District V Board and was the recipient of the "OT Award of Recognition" for "Innovator in Specialized Dementia Care" from POTA in 2019. Rachel has been working with individuals with dementia for over 10 years.

Registration fees

Early bird rates: Registration and payment completed by September 11, 2024

Regular rates: Registration and payment completed after September 11, 2024

Registration deadline: November 7, 2024 at 9:59 a.m. (Eastern Time)

Please note that CAOT does not offer group registration fees. 

*It may be more cost effective to become a CAOT Member or Associate rather than pay the non-member rate. See “Can a non-member register for a Workshop?” in our Professional Development FAQs to know which membership category you are eligible for.  

Included in your registration fee:

Online workshop, access to the recording for a period of 14 days following the workshop, electronic copy of presentation slide handouts, opportunity to network and make connections with other occupational therapists interested in this topic, electronic certificate of attendance.

Cancellation/refund policy

All cancellation/refund requests must be sent in writing to  education@caot.ca. All cancellation requests received by October 23, 2024 will be given a full refund minus a $50.00 administrative fee. No refunds will be given after October 23, 2024. Substitutions and transfers requests received by October 30, 2024 are permitted and are subject to a $50.00 administrative fee.

If you are exceptionally unable to complete the workshop, please reach out to  education@caot.ca by 25 days following the end of the workshop for extended access to the recording (up to one month after the end of the workshop) or a one-time transfer to another offering of the same workshop if currently open for registration. 

CAOT reserves the right to modify the workshop title, description, registration dates and information on the workshop webpage. CAOT will notify participants on or before September 27, 2024 if there is insufficient registration by that date and reserves the right to cancel a Workshop due to insufficient registration up until October 11, 2024. CAOT reserves the right to modify the offering, interrupt Workshops, change the timing of a Workshop, cancel a Workshop or change the technology for the Workshop due to the presenter no longer being able to present the Workshop, severe weather, power failure, building closures or other special circumstances that are beyond the control of CAOT by notifying participants as soon as possible. If the Workshop is cancelled by CAOT, registrants will receive a full refund of the registration fee. CAOT will not be responsible for other costs or expenses incurred by registrants as a result of any such changes.

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