Overview

Covering assessment to plan of care and discharge, Here’s How to Treat Dementia is the only comprehensive field manual speech-language pathologists need while working with individuals with dementia. With this timely resource, therapists can readily access the information needed to assess, treat, and document care. Far from a cookbook approach to dementia care, this manual offers valuable information on staging of dementia, goal setting (including documentation), and treatment trends. The authors provide functional tips and intervention strategies that encourage clinicians to utilize critical thinking to formulate personalized care plans specific to a patient’s strengths and weaknesses. This user-friendly manual also includes reproducible forms and handouts for patient/family education, documentation, and data collection.

Audience

Primary Subject: Speech and Language Pathology / Neurogenics
Audience Level: Professional

Foreword
Preface

• Part I: Understanding Dementia
  • Chapter 1: How Memory Works
  • Chapter 2: What Causes Dementia
  • Chapter 3: Demographics of Dementia
  • Chapter 4: Common Symptoms of Dementia
  • Chapter 5: Physical considerations
• Part II: Effective Therapeutic Interventions
  • Chapter 6: Dementia Staging
  • Chapter 7: Evaluation Tools and Techniques
  • Chapter 8: Goal Setting
  • Chapter 9: Treatment Trends
• Part III: Additional Considerations in Treatment of Dementia
  • Chapter 10: Patient/family education
  • Chapter 11: Documentation and reimbursement
  • Chapter 12: Behavioral Issues
  • Chapter 13: Pharmacological intervention
  • Chapter 14: The Holistic Approach
  • Chapter 15: Special considerations for the Home Health Therapist

Glossary
Appendices: Reproducible forms, handouts, and resource information
Index

About The Authors

Jennifer Loehr, MA, CCC-SLP

Jennifer L. Loehr M.A. CCC-SLP has been practicing speech pathology since 1989. Her career focus has always been in geriatrics and she has spent the past ten years focused on working with the dementia population. Jennifer has served as a corporate consultant for several large healthcare agencies offering advisement and staff training in dementia care. She has presented regularly at the national American Speech-Language-Hearing conferences as well as various state and local conferences and workshops. Jennifer specializes in developing dementia programs that focus on functional goals that will enhance the quality of life for her patients, caregivers and family members. Jennifer currently works in home health care, providing dementia programs and speech therapy services to home bound patients in independent living, assisted living, and Alzheimer’s assisted living facilities.

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Megan Malone, MA, CCC-SLP

Megan L. Malone, M.A. CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist working in home health care and private practice. Her specialty areas include developing functional intervention strategies for patients living with cognitive impairments and their families, and training facility staff and caregivers in understanding and working effectively with the dementia population. She previously worked for 9 years as a senior research associate and lead trainer at Myers Research Institute, in Cleveland, Ohio, where she oversaw federally and privately funded grants focused on implementing non-pharmacologic interventions with older adults with dementia. She has spoken numerous times at the annual conventions of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Gerontological Society of America, American Society on Aging, and the Alzheimer’s Association, along with several state speech and hearing conventions. She has published articles in the Journal of Communication Disorders, Alzheimer’s Care Quarterly, The Gerontologist, and Dementia.

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