UPCOMING AND ONGOING GROUPS!

"Breaking Through: Coping with Dementia in Someone You Love"

A Free workshop Series for Families

   Facing the issues involved when a family member has dementia can be an emotional morass of confusing and often contradictory alternatives.  When these concerns cannot be avoided any longer, it becomes necessary for family members to learn about this devastating condition, to develop new ways to sort through their emotional reaction to their loved one’s transition, and to feel the support of others who are going through or have gone through an experience like this before. 

   To help cope with this sweeping developmental milestone of family life, Dr. Kraus is delighted to announce an important and free family workshop series:  Breaking Through:  Coping with Dementia in Someone You Love.

   Based his award-winning book, At Wit’s End:  Plain Talk on Alzheimer’s for Families and Clinicians, and his extensive experience working with older adults, Dr. Kraus offers a powerful and engaging workshop for family members looking to cope better with this uninvited guest.

When:   Saturday mornings, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm, beginning Jan. 14th
Where:  3496 Buskirk Ave., Suite 102, Pleasant Hill, CA 94597
Size:  Limited to 12 participants
Enrollment:  Registration is requested

Contact:  Dr. Kraus - 925.238.6466 - joy@GeorgeKrausPhD.com
Attendance:  Families can come as often as they like
Fee:  As a gift to my new community, the group will be offered free of charge.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS!

"Caring for the Alzheimer's Patient:  
Plain Talk and Practical Tools"

     "I enjoyed the humor and little exercises to keep us alert."

      "Very personable, enthusiastic, organized, great slides, positive learning techniques."

     "Very informative, especially relating to new developments."

     "Appreciated the addition of fun demonstrations and games interspersed with the materials.  I have attended three other geriatric workshops.  Dr. Kraus's is the best!"

      "Case examples were very helpful.  Very responsive to questions. Dynamic style made it easy to stay engaged."

     "A wonderful down to earth presenter with a lot of knowledge."

     "Dr. Kraus took a difficult subject and kept it interesting. He brought it down to a lay person's understanding."

     "Very, very good!  I recommend this training for new workers as well as veteran workers with the aged.  I'd like to see this workshop available to families and caregivers in our community."

     "I thoroughly enjoyed this -- it applied to both my professional life as a medical social worker and to my personal life because my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's."

     "Absolutely outstanding!!!  Very helpful -- Thank you!"

"Judging Amy" Seminar Objectives and Topic Outline

     One of the most stressful events of family life is confronting the question of a parent's or sibling's or spouse's ability to make sound decisions.   By accepting a referral to assess decision-making abilities, you can provide essential answers to the person being assessed as well as to those who are close to them.   This interactive workshop has been designed   to assist all psychologists who are doing or wish to expand their practice by doing "competency evaluations."   Regardless of your specialty - whether it's geropsychology, neuropsychology, forensic psychology, clinical psychology, or if you are a general practice clinician who wishes to learn more about this valuable and rapidly growing area of practice - this workshop can provide you added tools to ply your trade in a more competent and enlightened way.   Conducting capacity evaluations assists the court in its task and almost always calms the family by filling the abyss of uncertainty with valuable information.   Surprisingly, very little is generally known in the legal, medical, psychiatric, and psychological communities about assessing, evaluating, and making judgments regarding the capacities of cognitively impaired older adults.   This workshop is designed to provide benchmark guidelines and protocols in assessing the cognitive, emotional, and functional capacities of this growing segment of our population.

     This interactive workshop will utilize didactic instruction, as well as mock assessments, case studies, and small and large group discussion.

* Workshop participants will learn the variety of conditions leading to
      decisional incapacity.

* Participants will learn standardized approaches in determining decision-
     making abilities.

* Workshop participants will learn about the utility of test instruments
     commonly used in assessing cognitive, emotional, and functional
     impairments in the older adult.

* Participants will learn how to better translate their findings into a form
     that the judicial system needs and appreciates.


Topic Outline for "Judging Amy"

* The Judge's Perspective
        * Historical Perspectives
        * Pitfalls in Assessing Decision-Making Capacity
        * Today's Standards of Practice
        * The Six Pillars of Assessment
        * The Judicial Analysis of Evidence
        * Problems with Clinician-Based Testimony
        * Limited Guardianships and Other Alternatives

* The Psychologist's Perspective
        * The Process of Engagement
        * The Myth of the "Capac-o-meter"
        * Professional Competence
        * Steps in the Capacity Evaluation
        * Ability Domains in Capacity Assessment
        * Diagnosis
        * Questions for the Clinical Interview
        * The Standard Medical Workup for Delirium and Dementia
        * Cognitive, Behavioral, Emotional Symptoms in Dementia
        * Differential Diagnosis of Depression, Delirium, and Dementia
        * Standardized Tests Used in Capacity Assessments
        * Issues in Test Selection
        * The Importance of Functional Assessments

* The Client's Perspective
        * When is an Evaluation Really Needed?
        * Possible Interventions Prior to an Evaluation
        * The Process of Engagement
        * Mirroring Responses
        * Deflecting Aggression
        * Weighing Probable Gains and Risks

* Applying the Principles
        * 6 Essential Cases
        * Drawing Effective Conclusions
        * Effective Documentation

* What is Alzheimer's Dementia?
        * The Natural Aging Process
        * Risk Factors and Your Odds of Getting Alzheimer's
        * Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral Symptoms                       
        * Anatomical , Microscopic, and Genetic Evidence                   

* What is Sundowner's? How do I Identify It?
        * What is Delirium?
        * Distinguishing Between Delirium and Alzheimer's

 * How is a Patient Evaluated for Dementia?
        * How to Take a Good History
        * Standardized Physician's Workup for Alzheimer's                  
        * The Mini-Mental State and Full Mental Status Exams
        * Psychological tests for Alzheimer's                                            
        * A Hierarchy of Functional Abilities in Alzheimer's                  
        * Guidelines for Conducting a Competency Evaluation

* How Can I Evaluate for Disturbances in Mood and Perception
        * A Profile of the Depressed Elderly
        * Scales to Measure Depression and Alzheimer's                              
        * Is It Dementia or Pseudodementia?
        * Psychotic Symptoms in Alzheimer's  

* How Does the Physician Treat Dementia, Sundowners, Depression,
      and Anxiety? What Can Caregivers Do to Treat Sundowners?
        * Acetylcholine and Cholinesterase Inhibitors
        * Alternative Medicines
        * The Role of Cholesterol in Alzheimer's
        * The Newest Medicines
        * Medicines Addressing Other Mental Health Symptoms             
        * 12 rules for Optimizing the Environment                                      

* How Can I Relate to Someone with Dementia?
         * The Relationship is Everything
         * The Unconscious in the Elderly
         * Listening in Metaphor
         * Reinforcement/Avoidance in the Depressed Alzheimer's Patient
         * Family Dynamics and Alzheimer's
         * Caregiver Burden and Stress
         * Dealing with Agitation in Alzheimer's

* What Activities Can Minimize the Risk and Progression of
      Alzheimer’s Dementia?