Lesson 1Cognitive screening tools: MMSE, MoCA, Mini-Cog — administration and interpretationOffers hands-on advice on cognitive screening using MMSE, MoCA, and Mini-Cog, covering preparation, standard administration, scoring, cultural and education factors, and discussing results 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 probesTeaches how to draw out advance care values and life goals using goal-focused questions and spiritual or cultural probes, recording preferences, and weaving them into care plans and joint decision-making 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 mappingDirects assessment of social networks and loneliness with the UCLA Loneliness Scale (short) and social network mapping, looking into support quality, isolation dangers, and ways to build strong 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 observationCenters on functional mobility and falls screening with Timed Up and Go, 30-second sit-to-stand, and gait and balance checks, including safety measures, scoring, and connecting findings to fall prevention strategies.
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 hazardsLays out structured home safety and environmental checks, focusing on stairs, lighting, rugs, bathroom risks, and aids, and demonstrates prioritising changes to cut falls and boost independence.
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 flagsShows how to screen for nutrition and weight loss using MNA-SF and basic dietary recall, spotting warning signs like unplanned weight loss, swallowing issues, and appetite shifts, plus planning referrals and follow-ups.
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-7Handles mood and anxiety screening for older people using GDS-5/15, PHQ-2/9, and GAD-7, covering when to use, administration tips, interpretation, suicide risk checks, and sharing results with care and clarity.
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 assessmentIntroduces key principles of person-centered gerontological assessment, stressing respect, self-rule, joint decisions, cultural humility, and trauma-aware talk, while including family views without sidelining the older person.
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 historyExplains pain assessment for older adults using number scales, PAINAD, and full pain history, tackling communication hurdles, chronic vs sudden pain, and records that guide safe, tailored pain 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/IADLsLooks at structured, person-focused history taking in elderly care, covering health issues, drugs, pain, sleep, food, and daily tasks, modelling talk that honours self-rule, 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
