New Safety Course from the National Certification Board for Alzheimer’s and Aging Care Focuses on Quality Care for Seniors


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“We have always been dedicated to providing caregivers and loved ones with the resources they need to provide the best care possible,” says Dr. Donna Surges Tatum, Ph.D., CAE, CAEd, Founder of NCBAC.

How to care for an elderly loved one has always been a tough decision for families. Especially now, when care facilities are facing new challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the safety of the senior community in America is a bigger issue than ever before. This is why the National Certification Board for Alzheimer’s and Aging created the new online course, “Keeping Seniors Safe – A Primer for Caregivers” available May 20, 2021, online at NCBAC.net. The course is open to caregiver professionals, family members, and anyone who needs to know the latest information available for providing quality care to the elderly.

“We have always been dedicated to providing caregivers and loved ones with the resources they need to provide the best care possible. Safety is an important issue and with new threats like COVID-19, we all need to be more vigilant than ever before,” says Dr. Donna Surges Tatum, Ph.D., CAE, CAEd, Founder of NCBAC.

The course helps caregivers focus on prevention and how to anticipate circumstances that lead to a lack of safety. These issues range from the predictable changes associated with aging to intentional abuse sometimes perpetrated by others. This course leads the student through a broad range of aging issues including physical, mental, and psychological changes that can be experienced as someone grows older. The advent of a global pandemic has heightened our need to understand the increased vulnerability seniors have to disease and how caregivers can best protect them through rigorous infection control programs. The course is organized into seven modules and each module leads the student through a different aspect of how caregivers can understand vulnerabilities and stop safety issues before they occur.

Module 1 outlines over 50 changes brought on by aging and how to address them safely. Module 2 addresses safety and the living environment.

Module 3 educates the student on infection control – starting with the chain of infection. It further addresses aspects to protect the elderly and caregivers during a pandemic outbreak.

Module 4 discusses the safe use of medications. Most adults over 45 take at least one prescription medication and many seniors take several more. This module focuses on the necessity to understand all the medications a person is taking, the importance of schedules, recognizing adverse reactions, and more.

Module 5 focuses on falls – which are responsible for broken hips and can cause Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Module 6 is on dementia-related safety issues like agitation, wandering, and sundowning. Module 7 describes the importance of recognizing and reporting abuse and neglect; two issues of great concern. Fifteen different types of abuse are described. The module goes over the guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and laws related to various types of abuse and neglect set up by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).

Each module is presented with voice-over narration as well as thought-provoking scenarios and quiz questions. Students can register at http://www.NCBAC.net and begin immediately. A Certificate and an electronic badge is presented upon Completion.

The National Certification Board for Alzheimer Care (NCBAC™) is an allied healthcare board certification organization, which confers three national credentials and maintains a Registry for Certified Alzheimer Caregiver™ (CAC™), Certified Alzheimer Educator™ (CAEd™), and Certified Relocation Transition Specialists™ (CRTS™). It provides a national certification program that promotes the public good by providing credentialing and registry services for those who care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. It also grants support and educational resources as well as acknowledgment and recognition to those who dedicate their lives to caring for others. For more information, visit NCBAC.net.

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