Lesson 1Cognitive screening tools: MMSE, MoCA, Mini-Cog — administration and interpretationHands-on tips for using MMSE, MoCA, and Mini-Cog to screen thinking skills, covering prep, standard steps, scoring, local culture and schooling factors, and sharing results kindly with patients and 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 probesLearn to draw out future care wishes and life aims using goal-focused questions and probes on spiritual or cultural likes, noting them down and weaving into care plans and joint talks.
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 mappingStep-by-step on checking social circles and loneliness with short UCLA scale and mapping, looking at support strength, isolation dangers, and ways to build real connections.
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 observationKey focus on movement checks and fall risks using Timed Up and Go, 30-second chair stands, and watching walking and steadiness, with safety tips, scores, and links to stop-falls plans.
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 hazardsClear home safety checks for stairs, lights, mats, bathroom risks, and aids, prioritising changes to cut falls and keep independence in Namibian homes.
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 flagsSkills for nutrition checks and weight drop using MNA-SF and food recall, spotting warnings like unplanned loss, swallowing issues, poor appetite, and setting referrals.
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-7Screening for low mood and worry in elders with GDS-5/15, PHQ-2/9, GAD-7, covering when to use, tips, reading scores, suicide checks, and clear, caring talks.
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 assessmentCore ideas for person-first checks in elder care, stressing respect, self-choice, joint decisions, cultural care, trauma-aware talk, and family views without sidelining the elder.
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 historyFull guide to pain checks using numbers, PAINAD, and broad histories for elders, tackling talk barriers, ongoing vs sudden pain, and notes for safe personal 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/IADLsPerson-focused history taking covering health issues, meds, pain, rest, food, daily tasks, with talk styles honouring 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
