Geriatric Certification Course:
Dementia, Medication, Wound, Fall & Nutrition Updates

Jill Bolte Taylor, PhD, is a Harvard-trained neuroscientist who experienced a severe hemorrhage (AVM) in the left hemisphere of her brain, causing her to lose the ability to walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. Her memoir, My Stroke of Insight, documenting her experience with stroke and eight-year recovery, spent 63 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list and her 2008 TED Talk was the first ever to go viral. Dr. Jill was chosen as one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” and was the premiere guest on Oprah Winfrey’s “Soul Series” webcast. Her new book, Whole Brain Living – the Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life, is a #1 release on Amazon in categories ranging from Neuroscience to Nervous System Diseases and Stroke.

Debra Stern, PT, DPT, DBA, CLT, CEEAA, CFPS, is a professor in the Physical Therapy program at Nova Southeastern University. As co-author of two textbooks, Effective Documentation for Physical Therapy Professionals and Clinical Education in Physical Therapy, she will share her clinical experience in geriatric rehab with an emphasis on balance integrity and fall prevention.

• Magnitude and Impact of Falls
• Interdisciplinary Roles in Identifying Factors that Contribute to Fall Risk and Falls, throughout the continuum of care
• Strategies for Decreasing or Preventing Falls in Aging Adults
• Polypharmacy and its Impact on Balance and Fall Causation
• Integrating CDC STEADI – Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries, recommendations for fall prevention

Liz Friedrich, MPH, RDN, CSG, LDN, FAND, NWCC, has more than 25 years of experience as a hands-on clinician in long-term care facilities and as president of Friedrich Nutrition Consulting, she provides nutrition consulting services with a focus on gerontological nutrition.

• Current Issues with Nutritional Status of Older Adults
• Nutrition Assessment of Older Adults
• Nutrients Needed for Good Health
• Nutritional Controversies

Eric Christianson, PharmD, BCGP, BCPS, is a board certified PharmD, board certified in geriatrics and pharmacotherapy, an Amazon best-selling author, podcaster, and national speaker. Author of Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology, Perils of Polypharmacy, and Meded101 Guide to Drug Food Interactions, he is well known for his expertise and passion. He will take a deep dive into issues in geriatric pharmacology, preparing you to prescribe with confidence.

• Physiological Differences of the Older Adult
• Perils of Polypharmacy and the Prescription Cascade
• BEERS criteria
• Deprescribing
• Drug Interactions
• Over-the-counter medications
• High risk medications
• High risk drug-disease interactions

Kiplee Bell, MD, PA, earned board certification as a Physician Assistant, an additional master's degree in Gerontology, and finally her Doctorate in Medicine. Over the course of her career, Kiplee has worked in a variety of settings and currently, she treats geriatric patients for a wide variety of medical and behavioral symptoms. Join us as we revisit the Psycho-Social assessment. Come prepared to check your own pulse as we further examine how to “caregive” with intention. A closer look at the importance of drug-to-drug side effects and the impact of medical reconciliation in achieving positive outcomes.

• The Psychosocial Interview: Examination of the Components
• Strength and Support
• The Caregiver
• Pharmacological Management of Challenging Behaviors

Amy Siple, APRN, is a national expert on healthcare issues that impact older adults and the empowerment of healthcare providers. She has been serving the primary care needs of residents in long-term care as a nurse practitioner for over 23 years. She will explore the clinical evaluation of dementia, the cognitive assessment tools we use, and provide a review of realistic goals and meaningful interventions.

• Clinical Evaluation of Dementia
• Types of Dementia
• Nonpharmacologic Care Considerations
• Pharmacologic Care Considerations

Michael Chua, PT, DPT, CDP, CADDCT, CCI, SFS, clinical interest involves pain management, geriatrics, and dementia management. He enjoys treating geriatric patients and bringing out the best in them using positive treatment approaches. He is also the Chief Inspirational Officer for TN Therapy Outsource, LLC and GeriHab Physical Therapy and Wellness, and the author of MisUnderstanding Dementia, Time to Fly, 365 Daily Tips for Dementia Caregivers, Caregivers Freedom Journal and more.

The MENTOR Method to Improve Geriatric Influence and Impact:
M - Meet a Need/Niche
E - Educate, Empower and Equip
N - Network
T - Team of Winners
O - One-on-One Mentorship/Coaching
R - Repeat or Recurring Revenue

Jeanine Maguire, MPT, CWS^®, is a physical therapist, certified wound specialist, consultant, and scholar who is currently a candidate for PhD in Health Education and Promotion with a focus on interprofessional wound management. She will take a deep dive into wound care, including types of wounds, basic interventions, and treatment pathways within the lens of patient-centered care.

• State of Chronic Wounds today
• Healing- what it takes
• Team Collaboration
• Implementation and Behavior Change

Lores Vlaminck, MA, BSN, RN, CHPN, LALD, has been a leading provider of consulting, training, and mentoring for hospice, assisted living, home care, and related health care providers for the past 17 years. Within the framework of the National Consensus Project, she will cover issues related to both palliative care and hospice, including referrals, financial aspects, and barriers and benefits.

• National Consensus Project
• Pillars of Palliative Care
• Hospice
• Barriers and Benefits

Eric Wombwell, PharmD, BCIDP, is a board-certified infectious diseases pharmacist and Clinical Associate Professor. Published in peer journals on pharmacy and infectious diseases-related topics, you will walk away with greater insights on how to work as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide care to acutely ill patients.

• Penicillin allergies
• Community-acquired pneumonia
• MRSA and skin infections
• Solutions for clinical situations when antibiotics are overprescribed, unnecessarily used, inappropriately dosed, and underutilized in the treatment of infections

Edward G. Shaw, MD, MA, is dually trained as a physician and mental health counselor. He was the primary care partner for his late wife, Rebecca, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2008 at age 53 and died in 2016 after a 9-year journey. He will explain:

• Key Approaches to Geriatric/Dementia-Related Behaviors
• Solve Common Challenging Geriatric Behavioral Expressions
• Challenging Behaviors with Aging and Dementia

Tamatha Arms, PhD, DNP, PMHNP-BC, NP-C, is an Adult/Geriatric and Psych Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She has 25 years of clinical experience and 9 years in academia where she teaches psychopharmacology. She will cover:

• Ethnogeriatrics: Awareness of unique healthcare needs for diverse ethnic backgrounds
• Acculturation: Demographics of older adults
• Kleinman’s Explanatory Model: Application to culturally competent care
• Culturally competent care and cultural humility
• Ways culture affects healthcare: Beliefs and principles, meaning placed on values, actions and responses driven by values

Ebonye Green, MNSc, ACNPC-AG, CNRN, SCRN, APRN, FNCS, currently treats patients as a Neurosurgery Inpatient-Advanced Practice Nurse. She has honed her expertise working in the country’s top neurosurgical intensive care units and Gamma Knife, including Washington Hospital Center and Johns Hopkins Hospital. She will share:

• Conservative prescribing strategies to reduce adverse drug events and patient harm
• Personal formularies to compare among clinicians, practices, and institutions
• Available routes and refill requirements of neuro medications
• Current treatments for multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathy, Parkinson's disease, dystonia, muscular dystrophy, restless leg syndrome & more!

Susann Varano, MD, is a Yale University-trained physician certified in internal and geriatric medicine. Her expertise is sought currently as a geriatric consultant for medically complex residents/patients and as an adjunct professor teaching geriatric coursework to physician assistant students. She will discuss:

• Physical Assessment
• Assessment of Falls
• Assessing for Elder Mistreatment
• Rapid Screen for Cognitive Function
• Depression Assessment Tools

Debra Dermady-Ray, RN-BC, MS, ANP-BC, is a nurse practitioner who has worked in pain management for the last 15 years. She has been an Interventional Pain Specialist, treating many different chronic pain conditions and opioid management. Her specialty expertise has been recognized, as she holds certifications in Pain Management Nursing from the ANCC and Opioid Management from The American Association of Allied Interventional Pain Management Professionals. She will walk you through:

• Pharmacokinetics to Guide Medication Decisions
• Principles of Analgesia
• Medications for Pain Management
• Substance Use Disorder
• Standard of Care for Scheduled Pain Medications

Rachel Henderson, PhD, MS, RN, HCRM, is a Healthcare Risk Manager, practiced as an inpatient clinical nurse specialist, earned her PhD in Public Policy and Administration, and owns a legal consulting business, Medical Legal Concepts, LLC. She is an expert in the healthcare industry with 38 years of clinical, consulting, and testifying experience. She will explain:

• Medical Scribes
• Handling of Informed Consent
• Nurse Staffing Standards
• Polypharmacy Management
• Pain Assessment / Nutrition Screening / Frailty Screening
• Physical Findings in Injured Older Adults
• Ethical Issues in Long-Term Care

Peter Buch, MD, AGAF, FACP, is a clinical gastroenterologist with over 30 years of specialty experience to draw from. His current practice is in Manchester, Connecticut where he has assembled a team that treats all GI conditions. Dr. Buch will cover:

• Helicobacter Pylori
• Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)
• Clostridium Difficile
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Opioid Induced Constipation

Vanessa Ruiz, ND, RN-BSN, is a Naturopathic Physician and Registered Nurse, seeing patients through her Naturopathic medical practice. She is the founder of Nurses for Natural Health, an organization dedicated to educating and empowering healthcare professionals in Natural Health. Dr. Ruiz will highlight:

• Awareness of medication interactions/side effects with alternative therapies
• Herbal therapeutics with effectiveness for common illnesses (cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory, gastrointestinal, endocrine, pulmonary and immune support)

Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA,is one of the world's leading advocates and educators for anyone living with dementia or other forms of brain change. Teepa is an Occupational Therapist with over forty years of rich and varied clinical and academic experience. She will explain:

• Differences Between ‘Normal’ and ‘Not Normal’ Aging
• Brain Changes During Dementia
• Dementia and Depression/Anxiety

Steven Atkinson, PA-C, MS, is a Board-Certified Physician Assistant specializing in Geriatric Internal Medicine. In addition to his private practice in the greater Minneapolis area, he has been on the faculty at the University of Utah since 1994 and has been involved in medicine for over 30 years. He will walk you through:

• Pathogenesis of Pain
• Assessing the Geriatric Adult for Pain
• Multimodal Approaches to Pain Management

JeanAnne Johnson Talbert, DHA, APRN-BC, FNP, PMHNP, has over 25 years of experience in the medical field as both a family practice and psychiatric nurse practitioner. She is board certified in family practice, oncology, substance abuse/addiction treatment, and psychiatric/mental health. JeanAnne currently owns her own clinical practice and is the medical director for three substance use disorder rehab centers comprised of residential, outpatient, and sober living programs. She will highlight:

• Diagnostic Criteria
• Neurochemical Changes that Occur in Depression
• Prescribing Best Practices
• New Agents for the Treatment of Unipolar Depression

Jerome Quellier, MS, CCC-SLP, is a specialist in traumatic brain injury and communication disorders at a 500+ bed Level 1 Trauma hospital in Saint Paul, MN. He will cover:

• Brain Pathophysiology & Lesion Sites
• Lobes of the Cerebral and Cerebellar Hemispheres
• Deep Dive: Exploring Hidden Realms of the Brain’s Internal Processing Units

Rachel Henderson, PhD, MS, RN, HCRM, is a healthcare risk manager and owns a legal consulting business, Medical Legal Concepts, LLC. As an expert in the healthcare industry with 38 years of clinical, consulting, and testifying experience, she has shared her knowledge with over 75,000 healthcare professionals. She will explain:

• Prescriptive authority
• Medication errors
• Adverse events
• Deviations from standards of practice

Sherrie All, PhD, is a licensed clinical neuropsychologist who has specialized in treating people with dementia, Parkinson's disease, TBI, MS, and other neurological disorders for over a decade. She will walk you through:

• The Looming Dementia Epidemic
• Prevention and Early Intervention is Key
• Evidence-based Cognitive Rehabilitation Toolbox for MCI & Early-Stage Dementia

Steven Atkinson, PA-C, MS, is a Board-Certified Physician Assistant specializing in Geriatric Internal Medicine. In addition to his private practice in the greater Minneapolis area, he has been on the faculty at the University of Utah since 1994 and has been involved in medicine for over 30 years. He will highlight:

• Generalities of Physiological Aging
• Avoiding Dangerous Geriatric Drugs
• Dose Adjust Medications Safely in Chronic Kidney Disease
• Prevent Critical Pharmacology Errors
• Deprescribing in the Elderly

Paul Langlois, APN, PhD, CCRN, CCNS, is a critical care clinical specialist in the surgical, medical, neurologic, burn, CCU, and trauma ICUs of Cook County Hospital, Chicago. As a bedside clinical nurse specialist, he has developed several institution-wide protocols for the multidisciplinary assessment and management of the cardiac, neurologic, septic, and multi-system organ failure patient. He will cover:

• Asthma – Not Just Bronchodilators Anymore
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) – Long-Term Pharmacologic Therapies
• SARS-CoV2, COVID-19
• Tuberculosis (TB): Still Prevalent and Highly Contagious
• Pulmonary Hypertension
• Pneumonia

Tracey Long, PhD, MS, MSN, RN, APRN-BC, CDCE, CCRN, CNE, COI, has worked in endocrinology, critical care, and primary care, earning degrees from Brigham Young University, Purdue University, and UNLV. Dr. Long is a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, (previously called CDE), has developed diabetes education programs, and teaches a diabetes educator certification course. She will share the latest information on:

• 9 classes of diabetes medications
• ADA and AACE practice guidelines
• Treatment technologies and inhaled insulin
• Multidrug combination therapies

Jamie Miner, PT, DPT, GCS, provides specialized services to many skilled nursing facilities and earned geriatric clinical specialist designation through the American Physical Therapy Association. She has experience in home health, acute care, outpatient vestibular rehab and fall prevention, acute rehab, sub-acute rehab, and long-term care. She will highlight:

• Transitions of Care
• Patient Involvement
• Patient Empowerment
• A Facilitating Environment

Esther Ellis, MS, RDN, LDN, is a writer and registered dietitian nutritionist. In her virtual private practice, Esther specializes in palliative nutrition, helping people living with serious illness, including neurodegenerative disorders, plus families and caregivers. She helps her clients improve their quality of life and manage their symptoms through nutrition and lifestyle choices.

• Malnutrition
• Nutrition Strategies for Symptom Management
• Bone Health
• Dysphagia
• Medications
• End-of-Life Care

Julia L. Rogers, DNP, APRN, CNS, FNP-BC, FAANP, is a critical care and pulmonary nurse practitioner and an assistant professor of nursing at Purdue University. She is the editor of Pathophysiology: The biologic basis for disease in adults and children (9th ed.). She will walk you through:

• Diagnosis and Overview of COPD and Exacerbation
• Managing Acute Exacerbations
• Pharmacotherapy Options
• Nonpharmacological Options
• Discharge Criteria