BrightStar Care of Richmond focuses on Dementia at CEU Event

BrightStar Care of Richmond held it’s most recent CEU event on March 16, 2016, and focused on the management of challenging behaviors in people with dementia. The program was presented by Courtney Petley, LCSW, of GeroPartners. Ms. Petley is a Geriatric Care Manager and Partner of GeroPartners, a Metro Richmond-based private group practice offering a range of behavioral health and geriatric care management services for older adults living in the community. In her presentation Ms. Petley discussed potential causes of challenging behaviors in older adults, with a focus on an understanding of various ways to reduce the occurrence and extent of challenging behaviors, including the development of interventions to address such behaviors. In addition, Ms. Petley went into a determination of both when to intervene and when intervention may not be necessary. Also included in the presentation was a discussion of the impact such behaviors can have on those caring for the individuals with dementia, including the professional health care provider, and a discussion of various other medical or physical factors that may cause or influence behavioral problems. After the presentation, a vibrant discussion was held with the presenter and the 25 case managers and social workers. As everyone in the room, including Mark Grasser, President of BrightStar Care of Richmond, are aware, dementia, and the many related challenges that people with dementia and caring for those with dementia, is something that virtually all of us involved in the care of seniors face on a daily basis. BrightStar Care of Richmond, in realizing both the prevalence of dementia in its clients, and the importance of providing excellent care for those and all of its clients, has recently initiated a new program focused specifically on person-centered Alzheimer’s and dementia care. Focusing largely on the training BrightStar Care of Richmond provides to its caregivers in this program, and following the best-practice standards of The Joint Commission, this program is already proving to be the solution families need for early, middle and late stage dementia care. In future weeks we will discuss this program in even greater detail.