The Dementia Care Online Graduate Certificate program accepts students in the fall, spring and summer semesters. There are 4 courses in the program, for a total of 12 credits. Courses are delivered 100% online and in synchronous and asynchronous formats. Students can access the courses from anywhere in the world at anytime. There will be some live sessions, however, for those unable to participate in a live session other options will be available.
| Summer | Fall | Spring | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NURS 5105: Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Disease Trajectory & Management (3 cr.) | X | ||
| NURS 5106: Dementia Caregivers and Families (4 cr.) | X | ||
| NURS 5107: Dementia Behaviors, Communication, & Care Coordination (4 cr.) | X | ||
| NURS 5108: Contemporary Foundations of Dementia (1 cr.) |
X | X | X |
NURS 5105: Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Disease Trajectory & Management
The first course in the Dementia Certificate entitled Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Disease Trajectory and Management is designed to introduce the student to the disease process of several types of dementia and the public health priority dementia brings. This will be the first in a series of three courses. The course will describe the pathophysiology, diagnostic testing, current treatments according to the stage of disease for Alzheimer’s disease, Frontotemporal Lobe Dementia, Lewy Body/Parkinson’s Disease Dementia, Young Onset Dementia, Vascular Dementia, Down’s Syndrome and Dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Korsakoff Syndrome, Mixed Dementia, and Mild Cognitive Impairment. Students should be able to compare and contrast the pathophysiology, treatment, and symptom presentation of each dementia type. Includes designing activities for dementia patients and virtual simulations around communication and pain assessment.
NURS 5106: Dementia Caregivers & Families
The second course in the certificate is entitled Dementia Caregivers and Families. This course will follow the Alzheimer’s and Dementia course. In this course, students will be instructed on how to use the principles of the first course to identify opportunities to guide caregivers and families of persons with dementia using family centered care. This course will emphasize the critical thinking and problem solving needed to assess caregiver needs at each stage of the disease process, education needed by caregivers, legal and ethical issues, as well as palliative and end of life care. By the end of this course, students should feel confident in their ability to assess caregivers, refer them to appropriate resources and guide the family through the palliative/end of life process.
NURS 5107: Dementia Behaviors, Communication, & Care Coordination
The third course, Dementia Behaviors, Communication, and Care Coordination will introduce the student to common behaviors seen in dementias and will include designing activities for dementia patients, and use of complementary and alternative therapies. Students will participate in virtual simulations and case studies around effective communication with interprofessional teams and caregivers, effective communication as it relates to challenging behaviors, as well as pain assessment. Through this course, students will learn about quality care indicators for dementia care that apply across settings, practical skills for decreasing anxiety in persons with dementia that may lead to challenging behaviors as well as navigating legal, policy, and financial issues of dementia care.
NURS 5108: Contemporary Foundations of Dementia
The fourth course, Contemporary Foundations of Dementia introduces students to the disease process of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease. The course describes the pathophysiology, diagnostic testing, current treatments, risk factors, stages, and current clinical trials, as well as discusses this important public health crisis.Further, students compare and contrast the pathophysiology, treatment, and symptom presentation of each dementia type.
This 1-credit course is also available as a stand-alone course. Click HERE to learn more.