Aged Care and Counselling

Develop your counselling and eldercare skills.

With the help of this excellent distance learning course, become prepared to assist seniors with their physical and emotional health requirements. “This course considers the different issues that are faced by older people, such as – retirement, lifestyle changes, bereavement, chronic illness, terminal illness and death – and how to provide these individuals with appropriate support.” ACS Tutor: Tracey Jones, B.Sc (hons) (Psychology), M.Soc.Sc (social work), DipSW (social work), PGCE (Education), PGD (Learning Disability Studies).

• Discover how to look after the elderly.
• Recognize the impact that depression can have on the elderly.
• Understand the effects of the physical, emotional, and lifestyle changes that people experience as they age.
• Know how to comfort others who are grieving.
• Discover methods that can be used to assist the elderly in their daily activities.

Things change in a person’s life as they age, including their lifestyle, health, and capacity for action, as well as the activities they choose to engage in. Ageing is the biological process that gradually impairs normal functioning. The ability of biological systems like the reproductive and digestive systems as well as organs like the heart, kidney, and lungs to function is directly impacted by these changes. As we get older, our hearing and vision decline, our memories frequently deteriorate, and our reflexes may slow down. The person as a whole is impacted by all of these changes.In recent years, there have also been changes in what is deemed to be “ancient.” People often live longer thanks to improvements in sanitation, hygiene, and medicine. During the 1880s, the average life expectancy in developed nations has increased from roughly 50 to over 80 years of age. The country we reside in, our health, access to resources, and other factors all affect how long we live. For instance, life expectancy will be lower in nations with high infant mortality rates than in nations with low infant mortality rates. As more developed nations are able to extend the average life expectancy of their citizens, this naturally results in an ever-increasing population of elderly individuals who at some point frequently need aged care services.Although many counselling techniques are directly relevant to people of all ages, working with older clients necessitates a unique set of abilities and knowledge to guarantee that they receive the right care. Younger people frequently find it difficult to imagine what it could be like to be elderly, but if they can get an understanding of how individuals age, they are far more able to understand their requirements.

Lesson Structure

There are 9 lessons in this course:

1. Understanding Ageing
   • Gerontology, What do we mean by Ageing? Population Ageing, The Effects of the Ageing Population, Theories of Human Development, Erikson’s Theory of Development, Levinson Theories of Retirement, Disengagement Theory, Activity Theory, Atchley’s Model of Retirement
2. Lifestyle Changes
   • Relationships, Relationships with Children, Relationships with Partners (Husband/wife), Relationships with Grandchildren, Friendships, Sexuality and Older People, Cognitive Changes, Intelligence, Depression, Determining Type of Depression, Unipolar Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Causes of Depression, Risk factors for Depression, Men and Depression, Depression in Older People, Symptoms
3. Deterioration of Health
   • Physical Changes Skin, Hair, Height, Senses, Reflexes, Sex, Eyes,Chronic Health Problems, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Gout, etc. Exercise, Diet, Nutrition, Eating habits, etc. Pain relief, Medication, Stress.
4. Support Services
   • Preventative Services, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Complimentary Practitioners, Counselling Professionals, Other Support Services (eg. Meals on Wheels, Funeral Services)
5. Enablement Techniques
   • Common Risks for Elderly: Risk of Falling, Vision, Hearing, Nutrition, Sexuality. Techniques to maintain Quality of Life: Driving a car, banking, shopping, house cleaning, Gardening, Socialising, Pets, Exercise, Sport
6. Grief and Loss Counselling
   • What is grief, Psychological aspects of Long Term Grief: Family, Work, Financial, Loneliness, Morality after bereavement, Counselors Response and Intervention, Practical Intervention, Depression
7. Debilitating and Terminal Illness
   • Dementia, Kinds of Dementia (Alzheimer’s, Vascular Dementia); Strategies for Counselling the Demented Client; Communication, Daily Activities, Sleeping Difficulties, Hallucinations and Delusions, Wandering, Depression, Terminal Illness: Patients Response, Anxiety, Depression, Guilt & Anger, Defense Mechanisms. Preparing for Approaching Death; Practical Preparations, Emotional Responses, Responses of Friends and Family
8. Losing a Loved One
   • Importance of Loss, Assessment, Role of the Deceased, Death of a Child, Stigmatised Death, Co-Morbidity. Counseling Strategies: Bibliotherapy, Use of Rituals, Bereavement Support Groups. Special Therapeutic Situations: Traumatic, Sudden, and Stigmatised Loss, Ongoing Support, Social Stigmas of Suicide
9. Ethics and Intervention
   • Barriers to Aged Care Counseling, Addressing the Client’s Needs, Common Legal and Ethical Issues In Aged Care: Decision Making Capacity, Competence, Informed Consent, Confidentiality, Euthanasia, etc

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school’s tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• to talk about ideas of ageing and learn about the various stages of human development.
• to explain the psychological effects of the changes that come with ageing.
• to comprehend the impact on older persons of physical health issues.
• Explain the type and extent of the support services available to seniors, including counselling.
• Explain a variety of approaches that can help an aged person adjust to new conditions so they can continue doing things or pursuing hobbies that are getting harder for them.
• Provide examples of how various counselling strategies might be used to address particular Grief and loss scenarios while working with older clients.
• Create a plan for counselling a senior who has been told they have a terminal or disabling illness.
• Create a plan for offering counselling to a senior who has lost a loved one.
• Decide when and how to enter an elderly person’s life.

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Dementia

A person with dementia gradually loses their mental abilities, such as their capacity for thought, memory, and reasoning. Memory, judgement, problem-solving, learning, and self-care abilities may all be impacted. After the dementia has progressed to a severe state, the patient eventually loses the ability to carry out basic everyday duties.A illness in and of itself, dementia is not. It is a collection of signs brought on by various brain disorders or illnesses. Some of these factors, such brain tumours, depression, and alcoholism, are “treatable” and “reversible.” There are other factors that are “irreversible” and incurable.Daily activities are progressively restricted by dementia, a progressive brain impairment. The decline in intellectual functioning that occurs before social and professional functions are hampered is what the general public refers to as senility. Alzheimer’s disease is the form of dementia that is most well-known.As people age, dementia is more common. According to estimates, 1% of persons 65 to 74, 4% of adults 75 to 84, and 10% of those over 84 have dementia. Due to the fact that some dementia sufferers will pass away, these numbers may be underestimated. There are numerous brain disorders that can lead to dementia. There are some dementia causes that can be treated and some that cannot. Memory loss, confusion, disorientation, and a decline in intellectual functioning are the main warning indications. Dementia can develop gradually over years, causing subtle changes. For example, one of the main symptoms of dementia is trouble remembering things, especially recent occurrences.

• I turn on the faucet and walk out of the room.
• not being able to recall their child’s or son’s name.

Also, they can start to practise improper hygiene, neglect to take a bath, or wear inappropriate clothing. Their judgement could deteriorate, and they would struggle to make plans or judgements. They might also become impulsive and do things like steal from stores, make crude, inappropriate remarks, or make sexual advances towards total strangers. Sometimes they may exhibit depressive symptoms including emotional outbursts and lack of affect. Hallucinations and delusions may occur in about 50% of patients. Dementia patients sometimes have linguistic problems, such as hazy speech patterns. People can have trouble identifying familiar situations. Delirium fits could also happen.Depending on the source of the dementia, the course can be progressive, static, or remitting. Individuals who have advanced dementia eventually retreat and lose interest in life. Their personality starts to lose its lustre and integrity during the final stages of dementia.The person’s family and friends can claim that they are no longer the same person. Social interaction with others will progressively become increasingly limited. They will finally be unaware of their surroundings.High fevers, dehydration, vitamin deficiencies, poor nutrition, adverse drug reactions, thyroid gland issues, minor brain injuries, and tumours are all treatable disorders that might result in dementia. These kinds of medical disorders can be very serious and need to be treated by a specialist right now.The most prevalent type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Medical conditions (such as thyroid disease, drug toxicity, thiamine deficiency in alcoholism, and others), brain injuries, strokes, multiple sclerosis, brain infections (including meningitis and syphilis), HIV infection, hydrocephalus, Pick’s disease, and brain tumours are a few other potential causes.The four primary kinds of dementia are as follows:

• The most typical case is Alzheimer’s disease.
• The most afflicted region of the brain is called frontal-temporal dementia.
• Once more, the term for the most afflicted part of the brain is frontal-subcortical dementia.
• Stroke-related vascular dementias.

Conditions or diseases that cause irreversible dementia, especially in older people, include Alzheimer’s disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies, and multi-infarct dementia (MID), also called vascular dementia.

What is Ageing?

Becoming older is the process of ageing. It is a biological disruption of regular function that happens gradually. These modifications directly alter the capacity of biological systems like the reproductive and digestive systems as well as organs like the heart, kidney, and lungs to effect the organism as a whole.In the UK, men typically live to be 77.2 years old and women to reach 81.5. The impact on society will be clear. There will be more retirees and people who are no longer working as a result of people living longer. The economy is clearly impacted by this. Despite medical advancements, the ageing process still has an impact on people’s bodies and minds as they get older.In terms of the economy, an ageing population may result in adjustments to spending in the following areas:

• The cost of health care will rise as the population gets older. As a result, taxes may rise to cover the rising expense of healthcare.
• Education costs will decrease when the number of youths declines. Pensions: The longer lifespan of the population will have an impact on state pensions.

Physical deterioration is another inevitable side effect of ageing. Several of the physical changes involved can be caused by factors other than sickness or the ageing process, such as:However, they will go through a number of bodily changes that are related to ageing, including:As a result, our bodies’ cells suffer harm as we get older. Yet, a person’s view on life, as well as their unique experiences and circumstances, will influence how quickly they age. It will therefore differ from person to person. But, becoming older need not be a bad thing. A person may gain in certain areas while losing in others. For instance, they might expend some energy, but they might also develop the capacity for energy conservation. Regardless of any bodily changes, they might learn how to better utilise their life experiences and develop virtues like patience, understanding, and wisdom.

• This course gives you an understanding of ageing and the elderly and lays the groundwork for working with the old as a caretaker, counsellor, or in any other support role.

What You Can Expect From This Course

Aged care research is extremely valuable to society. In addition to the world’s population growth, the fraction of the population that is considered elderly is also rising, especially in wealthy nations. There aren’t enough qualified personnel to care for the needs of the elderly, who face unique obstacles. Students who complete this course will have a better grasp of the ageing process and will be encouraged to develop plans to assist the elderly with a variety of age-related changes.This course can be taken independently or as a component of a certificate programme or higher level credential. The following professions are targeted by the course:

• Aged care
• Counselling the elderly
• Counselling
• Psychology
• Caring roles
• Health professions

What our students taking this course are saying: 

“[Work marked] promptly and with comments that show detailed reading of my work. I have been impressed by the quick turn-around time and the feedback Having the course structured into 9 lessons has been helpful for me in approaching the course and fitting it into a busy schedule. I have been learning a great deal and receiving constructive feedback.” Deana Efraemson, Australia “Yes it was [a valuable learning experience]. I have been a nurse for over 25 years and my knowledge regarding ageing and in particular, healthy ageing was practically non-existent. I enjoyed some aspects of the counselling.” Sue Payne, Australia

The ideal course for you?

This course might be right for you if you want to learn how to counsel seniors or those who have dementia or other age-related conditions.

• This course can be studied at home on your own schedule.
• Online or traditional correspondence courses are both available.
• This course is open to anybody who wants to learn how to assist an ageing parent, relative, neighbour, or friend without having to work in the helping professions.

Enroll in this course to gain knowledge and skills for professional development or to learn how a counsellor, carer, or anyone else might interact with and support an older person. 

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