Activity Professional & Aging & Society

Hours: 265 / Access Length: 12 Months / Delivery: Open, Mentor Supported
Retail Price: $0.00

Course Overview:

There are many types of facilities where Activity Professionals work. Activity Professionals can work in long-term care facilities, assisted living communities or adult day care programs. The Activity Professional provides activities for residents in these facilities and may play many diverse roles within the each community. The goal of the Activity Professional is to create a homelike environment where the residents have control of their lives. There are also administrative responsibilities and resident care duties as well as plenty of other tasks that keep the work interesting.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Comprehend the role of the activity professional in adult care
• Identify methods for person-centered activity programming
• Identify the steps to assess, document, and prepare treatment plans
• Define methods for quality assurance and time management
• Identify the steps in planning and implementing a successful exercise program

Aging & Society introduces you to gerontology in a compassionate way that helps you understand seniors and know how to work with them. This course combines sound academics with an empathetic view of the lives of older people. Beginning with a comprehensive look at aging in America, this course then delves into more specific theories and topics, such as the role of friends, family, and community. You will explore a number of contemporary issues in aging, such as long-term care, public policy affecting the elderly, and the aging populations’ impact on society.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Comprehend the role of the activity professional in adult care
• Comprehend the process of aging in the America and surrounding theories
• Identify chronic and acute conditions of aging
• Comprehend the elements related to different types of caregiving
• Identify methods for coping with death and dying

Course Outline:

Activity Professional Module 1
The Activity Professional’s Role

• Introduction to the Field of Activity Professionals
• Culture Change and Growth in Long-Term Care
• Industry Terminology
• Myths & Realities of Aging 2000
• Older Americans Act
• Imagine Yourself at 84
• Reactions to Illness
• Their Families
• Diagnosis and Chronic Disorders
• Neurological Disorders
• Psychiatric Disorders
• The Wellness Tree of Life
• Sensory Loss
• Death & Dying
• Professionalism in this Field
• Physical Environment
• Personal Environment
• Cultural Environment
• Working Environment

Activity Professional Module 2
Person-Centered Activity Programming

• Person-Centered Programs
• Physical Activity & Exercise with Older Adults
• Activity Review Forms
• OBRA Interpretive Guidelines Tips
• Challenges and Techniques of Group work
• Activity Consolation
• Activity Suggestions
• Leisure, Leisure, Leisure
• Activity Supplies
• Activity Analysis
• One-to-One Programming
• Multi-Sensory, Multi-Level theme Activities
• Programming for Severe Cognitive Impairments
• Sensory Integration & Stimulation
• Programming for Mild to Moderate Cognitive Impairments
• Validating Activities
• Remotivating / Reminiscing Activities
• Resocializing Activities
• Resocializing Activities

Activity Professional Module 3
Assessment, Documentation & Treatment Plans

• Short-Term Stays Rehab Activities
• Cognitive Stimulation & Retraining Activities
• Community Integration Activities
• Documentation Principles
• Introduction to Required Documentation
• Activity Documentation
• The Initial Assessment
• Activity Assessment
• Standardized Scales & Assessment Tools
• Discharge from the Nursing Home
• Resident Assessment Instruments
• The RAI Process
• Filing out the MDS
• Resident Assessment Protocols
• Care Planning
• Monitoring the Treatment Plan
• Quarterly Review
• Annual Review
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Activity Professional Module 4
Quality Assurance & Management Roles

• Resident Council
• Family Council
• Activity Department Volunteers
• One-on-One Volunteer Friendship Programs
• Quality Assurance
• Infection Control
• Risk Management
• Immediate Jeopardy
• Resident’s Rights
• Restraints
• Behavior Management
• Time Management
• Budgets
• Policies and Procedures
• OBRA Regulations
• Surveys & Survey Groups
• Medications in the Elderly

Activity Professional Module 5
Planning a Successful Exercise Program

• Defining Frail Elders & Special Needs
• Common Medical Disorders in the Elderly
• The Exercise Program
• Make It Motivating, Safe and Effective
• Creating a Sense of Fun and community
• Setting UP a Group Exercise Class
• Helpful Tips for Starting the Exerciser Class
• Safety Precautions for Warm-Ups
• Guidelines for Warm-Up Exercises
• Basic Seated Warm-Up Exercises
• Basic Standing Warm-Up Exercises
• Variations and Progression
• Range-of-Motion Instruction

Activity Professional Module 6
Implementing an Exercise Program

• Aerobic Training for Cardiovascular Endurance
• Safety Precautions for Aerobic Training
• Guidelines for Aerobic Training
• Aerobics Instruction
• Resistance Training for Muscular Strength
• Myths About Resistance Training
• Safety Precautions for Resistance Training
• Guidelines for Resistance Training
• Resistance Training Instruction
• Stretching and Relaxation Exercises
• Safety Precautions for Cool-Down Exercises
• Guidelines for Cool-Down Exercises
• Stretching Instruction
• Putting Your Exercise Program Together
• Designing Your Exercise Program
• Scheduling Your Exercise Classes
• Modifying the Exercises
• Maintaining Fitness Results
• Monitoring Attendance and Progress

Aging & Society Module 1
Aging, Stereotypes & Developmental Theories

• Aging in America
• Person-environment and Social issues
• No Golden Age of Aging
• Personal and Social Definitions of Age
• Ageism
• Demographics of Aging
• Global Aging
• Stereotypes of Aging
• The Social Construction of Aging
• Explaining Stereotypes
• Breaking negative Stereotypes
• Early Developmental Models of Aging
• Developmental Patterns
• Activity theory
• Disengagement Theory
• Gerotranscendence
• Continuity Theory
• Theoretical Roles of Individuals & Society

Aging & Society Module 2
Physical, Mental & Social Well Being

• The Aging Body
• Normal Aging
• Health Status
• Chronic and Acute Conditions of Aging
• Major Health Problems
• Theories of Why We Age
• Understanding Longevity
• Social & Environmental Factors
• The Psychology of Aging
• Cognitive Processes
• Basic Cognitive functions
• Learning and Memory
• Psychopathology & the Myth of Senility
• Functional Disorders
• Organic Mental Disorders
• Family Development in Later Life
• Kin Structure & Relations
• Social Networks
• Religion and Spirituality

Aging & Society Module 3
Intimacy, Work, Leisure & Finances

• The Need for Intimacy
• Marital Status
• Sexual Relationships & Sexuality
• Research on Sexuality
• Improving Attitudes About Aging & Sexuality
• The Concept of Retirement
• Age Discrimination in Employment
• Adjustment to Retirement
• Work and Leisure Values
• Expanding Work & Leisure Opportunities
• Financial Status
• Social Security
• Medical Expense in Old Age
• Private Pensions
• Lifestyles of the Poor
• A Piece of the Good Life

Aging & Society Module 4
Living Environments, Caregiving & Special Problems

• The Oldest-Old
• Informal Caregiving
• Obligations of Adult Children to Parents
• Spousal Caregiving
• The Childless Elder
• Elder Caregiving to Grandchildren
• Solving Caregiving Problems
• Stress & Stress Management
• The Home Care Crisis
• Suicide & the Elderly
• Crimes Against Older People
• Aging Criminals
• Elder Abuse
• Defrauding the Elderly
• Medical and Health Care Fraud
• Drug Abuse
• Promoting Consumer Education

Aging & Society Module 5
Ethnic Groups, Death & Dying, and Policies & Programs

• Women and Aging
• African Americans and Aging
• Hispanic Americans and Aging
• Asian Americans and Aging
• Native Americans and Aging
• Improving the Status of Ethnic Elders
• Death and Dying
• Fear of Death
• Living fully Until Death
• Care of the dying in Hospitals
• A Matter of Choice
• Informed Consent to Treatment
• Funerals
• Facing & Preparing for Death
• Bereavement
• Senior Power Today
• The Older Americans Act
• Eldercare Programs
• Activism and Advocacy

All necessary materials are included.

System Requirements:

• Cable and DSL internet connections are recommended for the best experience.

• CPU: 1 GHz or higher
• RAM: 2 GB or higher
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 or higher
• Speakers / Headphones
• Microphone (Webinar / Live Online sessions)

• Microsoft Windows 7 or 10 (Home, Pro)
• Mac OSX 10 or higher.
• Latest Chrome OS
• Latest Linux Distributions

NOTE: While we understand that our courses can be viewed on Android and iPhone devices, we do not recommend the use of these devices for our courses. The size of these devices do not provide a good learning environment for students taking online or live online based courses.

• Latest Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience.
• Latest Mozilla FireFox
• Latest Microsoft Edge
• Latest Apple Safari

• Office suite software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice)
• PDF reader program (Adobe Reader, FoxIt)
• Courses may require other software that is denoted in the above course outline.