Lesson 1Cognitive screening tools: MMSE, MoCA, Mini-Cog — administration and interpretationGives practical advice on cognitive screening with 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 probesCovers drawing out advance care values and life goals using goal-based questions and spiritual or cultural probes, recording preferences, and fitting them into care plans and shared decision 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 mappingGuides checking social networks and loneliness with the UCLA Loneliness Scale (short) and social network mapping, looking at 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 observationFocuses on functional mobility and falls screening using Timed Up and Go, 30-second sit-to-stand, and gait and balance checks, with safety measures, scoring, and linking to fall prevention 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 hazardsOutlines structured home safety and environmental checks, focusing on stairs, lighting, rugs, bathroom dangers, and aids, showing how to prioritise changes that cut falls and keep 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 flagsTeaches nutrition and weight loss screening using MNA-SF and simple food recall, spotting red flags like unplanned weight loss, swallowing trouble, and appetite shifts, and planning referrals and follow-up.
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-7Covers mood and anxiety screening in older adults using GDS-5/15, PHQ-2/9, and GAD-7, including when to use, admin tips, reading scores, 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 main principles of person-centred gerontological assessment, stressing respect, self-rule, shared decisions, cultural humility, and trauma-aware talk, while bringing in 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 historyDetails pain checks in older adults using number scales, PAINAD, and full pain history, tackling talk barriers, long-term vs sudden pain, and records that guide safe, personal 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-centred history taking in elder care, covering health issues, medicines, pain, sleep, food, and daily tasks, modelling talk that respects 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
