Lesson 1Cognitive screening tools: MMSE, MoCA, Mini-Cog — administration and interpretationOffers hands-on advice for using MMSE, MoCA, and Mini-Cog to screen thinking skills, covering setup, proper use, scoring, local cultural and schooling factors, and sharing results kindly with elders and their families.
Preparing the environment for testingStandardized MMSE administration and scoringMoCA domains and cutoff interpretationMini-Cog clock drawing and recall stepsCommunicating cognitive results sensitivelyLesson 2Advance care values and life goals elicitation: goal-based questions, spiritual and cultural preference probesTeaches how to draw out elders' care wishes and life aims using targeted questions and respectful probes into spiritual or cultural beliefs, recording them to shape care plans and joint decisions.
Introducing values and goals conversationsExploring hopes, fears, and trade-offsSpiritual and cultural preference probesDocumenting preferences and proxiesRevisiting goals as health status changesLesson 3Social network and loneliness assessment tools: UCLA Loneliness Scale (short), social network mappingShows how to check social ties and loneliness with the short UCLA Loneliness Scale and mapping methods, looking at support strength, isolation dangers, and ways to build strong community bonds.
Exploring living situation and supportsAdministering the short UCLA scaleCreating a visual social network mapIdentifying isolation and caregiver strainPlanning social and community interventionsLesson 4Functional mobility and falls screening: Timed Up and Go, 30-second sit-to-stand, gait and balance observationCovers checking movement and fall risks with Timed Up and Go, 30-second sit-to-stand, and watching walking and balance, including safety steps, scoring, and connecting results to fall prevention.
Key fall risk factors in older adultsAdministering the Timed Up and Go test30-second sit-to-stand protocol and normsObserving gait, posture, and balanceTranslating findings into fall preventionLesson 5Home safety and environmental assessment checklist: stairs, lighting, rugs, bathroom hazardsProvides a clear checklist for home and surroundings safety, targeting stairs, lights, rugs, bathroom risks, and aids, helping prioritize changes to cut falls and keep elders independent.
Preparing for a home safety walkthroughAssessing stairs, railings, and entrancesEvaluating lighting, cords, and loose rugsIdentifying bathroom and toileting hazardsRecommending aids and home modificationsLesson 6Nutrition and weight loss screening: MNA-SF, simple dietary recall, identifying red flagsGuides screening for eating and weight issues using MNA-SF and easy food recall, spotting warnings like unplanned weight drop, swallowing trouble, and hunger shifts, with referral plans.
Risk factors for malnutrition in agingAdministering and scoring the MNA-SFConducting a brief dietary recall interviewIdentifying red flags and urgent concernsCoordinating dietitian and medical referralsLesson 7Mood and anxiety screening in older adults: GDS-5/15, PHQ-2/9, GAD-7Explains screening mood and worry in elders with GDS-5/15, PHQ-2/9, GAD-7, covering when to use, tips, results meaning, suicide checks, and sharing with care and clear words.
Recognizing mood and anxiety red flagsAdministering GDS-5 and GDS-15Using PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 stepwiseScreening with GAD-7 for anxietyResponding to positive or high-risk screensLesson 8Principles of person-centered gerontological assessmentOutlines key ideas for elder-focused assessments, stressing respect, self-choice, joint decisions, cultural sensitivity, and kind talk shaped by past hurts, while including family wisely.
Building rapport and psychological safetySupporting autonomy and shared decisionsCultural and spiritual humility in assessmentTrauma-informed questioning and pacingBalancing family input with patient voiceLesson 9Pain assessment in older adults: numeric scales, PAINAD, multi-dimensional pain historyCovers checking pain in elders with number scales, PAINAD, and full histories, tackling talk barriers, ongoing vs sudden pain, and notes for safe, personal pain care plans.
Choosing and explaining numeric rating scalesUsing PAINAD in advanced dementiaCharacter, onset, location, duration, intensityImpact of pain on sleep, mood, and functionDocumenting pain findings for the care teamLesson 10Structured history elements: medical, medications, pain, sleep, nutrition, ADLs/IADLsDetails organized history-taking for elder care, including health issues, medicines, pain, rest, food, and daily tasks, using talk that honors choice, culture, and thinking limits.
Organizing the initial geriatric interviewEliciting past medical and surgical historySystematic medication and supplement reviewAssessing sleep quality and common disturbancesExploring ADLs and IADLs with concrete examples
