Caring for Caregivers of People Living With Dementia
What You’ll Learn
Learn how to assess caregiver burden and connect caregivers with needed support systems.
Learning outcomes for this course include:
- Describe the population of caregivers of people living with dementia, their many responsibilities, and the impact of caregiving on caregivers.
- Identify tools that professionals use to assess caregiver well-being.
- Identify caregiving support sources, such as respite care, support groups, caregiver education, and safe return programs.
What You’ll Earn
After completing the course, you’ll earn a Verification of Attendance certificate.
Only CAPC members who are logged in can earn the following free Continuing Education Credits:
- 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
- Case Management: 0.75 CE
- Nursing: 0.75 CNE
- Social Work: 1.00 CE (NYSED)
Social work credits are approved by the New York State Education Department. Social workers licensed outside of New York should contact their regulatory board to determine course approval for continuing education credits.
This course is open-to-all at no cost.
StartTake the course
Download your certificate
Tools & Resources
Key Takeaways for Course 5 of the Best Practices in Dementia Care and Caregiver Support Unit.
Print or email this handout of caregiver resources for education and support.
CaringKind's flyer informing of their new guide: Finding Comfort: LIving with Advanced Dementia in Residential Care
Validated tools for assessing caregiver health and well-being.
Community-based resource locators and support services.
Fill out this worksheet with contact information for community-based services in your area, and supply to clinical staff or patients and families.
Online Resource of Evidence-Based Dementia Caregiving Programs. Partnership between the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging and the Family Caregiver Alliance. Presentation to the Dementia Care Alliance, June 2, 2021.
Course citations. Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2024.
Single source of detailed information to learn about and compare more than 40 evidence-based programs to support caregivers of people with dementia. For use by healthcare and community service organizations, providers, funders and policy makers.
Resource locator, education, and support for caregivers, including disease-specific information.
Medicare locator of home health agencies.
Guidance from the Alzheimer's Association on utilizing CPT code 99483.
PDF resources can be printed or emailed. Some resources also available in Spanish.
A storytelling podcast about Alzheimer's and dementia caregiving.
Shared by Caring.com
Shared by Caring.com
A journal article about a study of the effects of a nonpharmacologic intervention, Music and Memory (M&M), on residents with dementia and/or behavioral problems living in nursing homes.
From the Alzheimer's Association.
Training clinicians to support people with dementia and their caregivers, and guidance for quality improvement initiatives.
Accreditations and Disclosures
Physicians
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
CME Released: 7/15/2024; Valid for credit through 2/15/2026
Estimated Time of Completion for CME: 45 minutes
ABIM MOC Recognition Statement
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn 0.75 MOC credit in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC credits equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for this activity. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
Physician Assistants
The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai designates this enduring material with 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ as specified, which can be applied to the continuing education of Physician Assistants. Physician Assistants should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nurses (Registered Nurses, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Licensed Nurses)
This nursing continuing professional development activity was approved by Connecticut Nurses’ Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
CNE Released: 7/15/2024; Valid for credit through 7/15/2026.
Estimated Time of Completion / CNE Contact Hours: 45 minutes / Contact Hours 0.75
Social Workers
Center to Advance Palliative Care SW CPE #0257 is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers effective 7/31/2024 - 7/31/2027. This program has been approved for 1.0 continuing education contact hours.
Members who complete courses for social work contact hours will receive a certificate from NYSED that may be submitted to their licensing institution for continuing education credit consideration. Social workers licensed outside of NY should contact their regulatory board to determine course approval for continuing education credits for courses without national social work accreditation
Certified Case Managers
This program is approved by The Commission for Case Manager Certification (Approval # 240002073) to provide 0.75 continuing education credit(s) to CCM® board certified case managers, effective 7/15/2024 - 7/15/2025.
Verification of Attendance (VOA)
All users that are not eligible for continuing education will receive a Verification of Attendance certificate upon completion of the course.
Faculty Disclosure Policy
It is the policy of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) to ensure objectivity, balance, independence, transparency, and scientific rigor in all CME-accredited educational activities. All faculty participating in the planning or implementation of an activity accredited by ISMMS are expected to disclose all of their financial relationships with ineligible companies existing within the prior 24 months. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated and disclosed to learners before the activity takes place. Presenters must also make a meaningful disclosure to the audience of their discussion of unlabeled or unapproved drugs or devices. This information will be available as part of the course material.
Course Media Instructions
Software Requirements: CAPC’s online curriculum, tools and technical assistance are designed to be fully compatible through multiple platforms: computer, smartphone (iOS or Android) or tablet running the following web browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.
Content: Each course is comprised of interactive learning components (articles, tools, or supporting materials), video and audio. The learner will be expected to complete various interactive processes such as matching, simulated clinical decision-making, fill in the blanks, and highlighting content.
To successfully earn credit, participants must complete the activity online, receive a minimum score of 80% on the post-test, and complete the course evaluation. A printable certificate of completion or a continuing award document specific to the discipline will be awarded.
Target Audience: Each program is developed for chaplains/spiritual counselors, nurses, physicians, physician assistants, social workers, case managers, palliative care program leaders, and healthcare leaders (hospital, health system and community care).
Activity Description/Statement of Needs: CAPC’s online curriculum provides training in two critical areas. Technical assistance courses are designed to help palliative care program leaders address key challenges such as implementing palliative care in community health care settings. Clinical coursework provides fundamental training in pain and symptom management, communication, and other key skills needed to work with patients with serious illness.
Disclaimers: The opinions expressed in the courses are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the sponsor, the educational partner, or the supporter. Please review complete prescribing information of specific drugs or combination of drugs, including indications, contraindications, warnings, and adverse effects before administering pharmacologic therapy to patients.
Activities do not contain information on commercial products/devices that are unlabeled for use or investigational uses of products not yet approved.
Copyright Information: All rights reserved by the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). No materials may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews.
Privacy Information: To read CAPC’s privacy policy, click here.
Course Faculty
Dave Carper, MDiv, BCC. Counseling Resource Officer, Bluegrass Care Navigators
Constance Dahlin, MSN, ANP-BC, ACHPN, FPCN, FAAN. Consultant, Center to Advance Palliative Care
Maribeth Gallagher, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FAAN. Dementia Program Director, Hospice of the Valley
Macie P. Smith, Ed.D, LBSW, SW-G. Diversified Training Consultants Group
Eric Widera, MD, Professor of Medicine, University of California San Francisco
Peer Reviewers
Margaret Colbert, LMSW, Inpatient Social Worker, Mount Sinai West
Kesha Graham, LISW-CP, ACM-SW. Palliative Care Clinical Social Worker, Medical University of South Carolina
Sherika Newman, DO. Founding CEO, Doctor in the Family, LLC*
Caroline Taverna, LMSW, Palliative Care Social Work Fellow, Mount Sinai Beth Israel
*indicates ABIM Peer Reviewer
Contact information: For answers to frequently asked questions about CAPC courses, read the Online Course FAQ. For technical questions about course activity, email [email protected]. For questions about continuing education credits, contact 201-957-0077.
Provided by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Course 1 of 8
Gain an overview of the experience of living with dementia and learn how to relieve distress for patients with dementia, and their caregivers.
Course 2 of 8
Learn how to discuss a dementia diagnosis with patients and caregivers in a way that is sensitive, clear, and supportive.
Course 3 of 8
Learn techniques for supportive communication with people living with dementia, and their caregivers, to help them prepare for the challenges they may face as dementia progresses.