Continuing Education: A Palliative Approach to Dementia Care

Dementia, as an umbrella term for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, presents unique opportunities for health social workers. Challenges with advance care planning, personhood, caregiver dynamics, persistent myths, and symptom management will be understood through the lens of best practice in palliative care and across the trajectory of illness. This lens is useful for any health social worker.

In this workshop, a primary palliative approach to assessing and intervening in the care of people with dementia and their caregivers will be provided, including an exploration of the relationship between ambiguous loss and the needs of dementia caregivers in bereavement. The impacts of intersectional identities on the caregiving triad will also be integrated.

Completion of this class will result in the receipt of four continuing education hours.