This course will provide practitioners with a detailed understanding of the differences between palliative care and hospice and how they benefit our patients when utilized as partners.

In this session, we will explore how grief changes for dementia caregivers at each stage of the disease—from anticipatory grief to bereavement. Identifying the caregiver’s greatest area of stress will also be a part of the discussion. This workshop is part of our Caregiver Confidence Education Series for family caregivers. CE not available.

This program will provide clinicians with an understanding of the changes that occur in care needs and symptom burden in the last days, weeks, and months of life. Participants will be able to identify which interventions to provide to ease those burdens on both the patient and the family.

Complex Care Conversations is a day-long interactive, small-group program for clinicians who treat individuals dealing with serious, progressive illnesses. Participants will learn how to navigate goals-of-care conversations to elicit patients’ values and preferences in a mutually transformative way for clinicians and patients when time matters most.

Effective communication is key to enhancing the quality of life for patients living with dementia. Despite memory and language challenges, they retain emotional awareness and respond to cues. This course explores patient-identified best practices, emphasizing nonverbal techniques and practical tools to improve interactions. Participants will gain strategies to navigate communication challenges, enhance emotional well-being, and create a more positive healthcare experience for patients living with dementia.

This course reviews best practices for identifying and managing pain. Utilizing case scenarios participants will learn to formulate an effective plan of care. Discussions will explore barriers to adequate pain management including the myths and facts about morphine.

In this program participants will learn how to identify charac­teristics of late-stage dementia, tips for communicating more effectively and for making a connection with a client living with dementia. In addition, we will review six types of services available in the community and discuss when your client with dementia will be eligible for each service.

This session of our Caregiver Confidence education series will focus on the physical, emotional, and social challenges often experienced by those who have served in the military. We’ll explore how military service can impact a veteran’s health and well-being, and offer guidance to help caregivers better understand and respond to these unique needs with compassion and confidence. This workshop is part of our Caregiver Confidence Education Series for family caregivers. CE credits not available.

When your loved one has been in military service, they often carry unique physical, emotional, and spiritual needs that may differ from those you’ve encountered before. In this session we’ll explore how you can adjust your caregiving knowledge to fit the needs of the veteran in your life with compassion and understanding. This workshop is part of our Caregiver Confidence Education Series for family caregivers. CE credits not available.

Caring for a veteran at the end of life often brings a complex mix of emotions for caregivers and loved ones. As they face the anticipated loss of someone with a terminal illness or declining health, feelings of grief may emerge long before death. This anticipatory grief can show up in many ways—emotionally, physically, and behaviorally. In this session, we’ll explore how recognizing and addressing these emotions is essential to the caregiver’s well-being and the veteran’s comfort. This workshop is part of our Caregiver Confidence Education Series for family caregivers. CE credits not available.