Full course description
This self-paced, 20-hour online course equips nursing students, CNA students, and healthcare professionals with the skills needed to implement person-directed living in long-term care communities. The course introduces the Person-Directed Care (PDC) Framework, incorporating the Validation Method™, Social Determinants of Health, Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms, and more. Learners will develop communication techniques and intuitive skills to address unmet needs while fostering meaningful relationships with older adults.
Each module features a warm, engaging format, starting with a "Personal Coach" who guides learners through video lectures, unfolding case studies, real-life clinical vignettes, and concise reading handouts. Assessment quizzes solidify learning, leading to a digital badge upon completion. Flexible and free, this non-credit course supports both individual learning and professional training. By the end, participants will be prepared to create compassionate, person-directed living environments that prioritize validation and understanding, individualized support and autonomy, and meaning and purpose.
Course Objectives:
- Implement Person-Directed Living: Apply person-directed living principles to shift from traditional institutional models to individualized, empathetic support for older adults.
- Utilize the Person-Directed Care (PDC) Framework: Master the PDC Framework, incorporating the Validation Method™, Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms, Social Determinants of Health, Person, Environment, Caregiver Triangle, and D.I.C.E. to enhance care and communication.
- Enhance Communication: Use validation techniques to connect with older adults, understanding their deeper needs and fostering meaningful relationships.
- Apply Preventative and De-Escalation Approaches: Recognize aggression as a sign of stress and unmet needs. Use preventative strategies and de-escalation techniques to address these needs.
- Recognize and Support Individualized Care Needs Throughout Aging: Use restorative and person-directed approaches to address declining self-care, declining to receive care, and end-of-life care needs.
- Promote Mental Health and Wellbeing: Identify symptoms of anxiety and depression in older adults and apply appropriate interventions to address unmet needs.