Course Description:

Staying up to date on all the parameters of ethics within the healthcare setting seems to be more complicated each year. As clinical professionals, we are first responsible to upholding our respective code of ethics and standards of practice. But we are also held accountable to our organizations policies and procedures which are often federally mandated, to include additional ethical requirements and responsibilities to work within the given guidelines.

Course Description:

Therapists often find that interdisciplinary co-treatments between Physical Therapists (PT), Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) are helpful for their client. However, unless the reasons to support the co-treat are clearly documented, medical reviewers may see co-treatments as a negative factor, especially if they think this service delivery method is used to accommodate the therapists’ schedules, so therefore does not meet the person-centered...

Course Description:

Healthcare therapists may often see the rehab department director position as a great opportunity for advancing their career, but the full expectations of the job could also be overwhelming.

This course offers research based evidence and practical applications to equip therapists with effective leadership tools to help optimize their success in the rehab director role.  The resources shared may assist therapists in a variety of leadership department...

Course Description:

The Long Term Care Requirements for Participation were released in October 2016 with subsequent phase-in dates of November 2017 and November 2019.  The changes were intensive and included many new and revised codes of federal regulation with key principals being person-centered care, resident preferences care planning & staff training.  Of the 23 revised or new codes of federal regulations, 11 of them relate either directly or indirectly to care...

Course Description:

The “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Emergency Preparedness (EP) Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers” Final Rule establishes national emergency preparedness requirements for participating providers and certified suppliers to plan adequately for both natural and man-made disasters, and coordinate with Federal, state, tribal, regional and local emergency preparedness systems.  Seventeen  provider types are impacted by the EP Rule to include hospitals, home health agencies,  hospices, long-term care facilities...

Course Description:

Providing quality healthcare services can be difficult for any medical professional when their patient has suffered a stroke, due the resulting communication deficits.  Yet the healthcare provider needs to effectively communicate with their patients regarding critical areas such as pain levels, symptoms experienced, what to expect from upcoming procedures, directions for taking medications, positioning strategies and many other areas of importance.

The communication breakdowns resulting from stroke...

Course release date: 12/11/2024

Course Overview

This course is designed to educate the healthcare professional in understanding the basic theories and approaches to ethical decision making.

This course meets the ethics requirement for Tennessee based on the guidelines established by the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy. This course is approved by the AOTA, as HomeCeuConnection.com is an AOTA approved provider.

“Ethics for the Oklahoma Physical Therapy Professional” was written by Lisa Milliken. “Ethics for the Oklahoma Physical Therapy Professional” was designed to educate the healthcare professional in understanding the basic theories and approaches to ethical decision making. This online home study continuing education course meets the ethics requirement for Oklahoma and has been approved by the Oklahoma Board of Physical Therapy.  

“Ethics for the California Physical Therapy Professional” was written by Lisa Milliken. “Ethics for the California Physical Therapy Professional” was designed to educate the healthcare professional in understanding the basic theories and approaches to ethical decision making. This online home study continuing education course meets the ethics requirement for California and has been approved by the California Board of Physical Therapy.

“Practical Applications of Ethics in Physical Therapy” was designed to educate the healthcare professional in understanding the basic theories and approaches to ethical decision making. This online home study continuing education course meets the ethics requirement for Physical Therapists.

Course Description:

As clinical professionals, we are responsible for upholding the code of ethics and standards of practice from our national associations of ASHA, AOTA and APTA, as well as those of our respective state associations.  In addition, we are held accountable to our work setting organizations’ policies and procedures which are often federally mandated, to include additional ethical requirements and responsibilities to work within the given guidelines.  When all these...

Course Description:

Effective Nov. 28, 2017, all Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes must have an antibiotic stewardship program that includes antibiotic-use protocols and a system to monitor antibiotic use as part of their infection prevention and control program (IPCP), according to §483.80 (Infection Control) of the Code of Federal Regulations. Therefore, surveyors are now assessing compliance with this new requirement of participation under F-tag 881 during the Infection Control Facility Task,...

Course Description:

It is the responsibility of all healthcare professionals to be able to know and identify the code of ethics of their respective national association, their state board and their corporate policies and protocols.  Our ethical responsibilities as clinical professionals range from providing the optimal care for each client’s best interest to maintaining their confidentiality and assuring accurate billing practices.  In addition, we are held accountable to our organizations policies...

Course Description: 

For the last 15-20 years, most healthcare facilities have followed some version of the National Dysphagia Diet (NDD) while working with patients’ diet levels.  The specific version has depended on each dietary department’s policies and interpretations of the NDD.  Yet despite even the best of team efforts, we have continued to see significant texture variations and risks with the different dietary standards.  So in 2012 an international group of...

Course Description:

Treatment for the functional deficits associated with dementia should address the specific needs and interests of the individual.  Such treatments can be most effective when utilizing a strength-based approach and incorporating evidence-based strategies to compensate for losses of explicit (declarative) memory.  Research has supported the fact that procedural (non-declarative) memory may remain relatively intact until the late stages of dementia.  Therapists have subsequently found errorless learning and other related...

Course Description:

Malnutrition is a major contributor to decreased function, decreased quality of life, increased readmission and length of hospital stay, decreased wound healing, increased surgical recovery time, increased complications and increased morbidity and mortality.  Consequently, Registered Dietitians and their interprofessional team members are faced with multiple challenges to identify and address the complex needs of patients and residents who have signs and symptoms of malnutrition.

This course will...

Course Description:

Changes associated with normal aging may often have an impact on food texture choices for normal healthy elders. Subsequent disease processes and effects of medications for those disorders often add even further complications and risks.  Dietary departments are thus presented with a range of challenges, given each elder’s preferences and choices; such factors often do not align with the given clinical recommendations. 

This course will address the...

Course Description:

Clinicians often assume supervisory roles for a variety of reasons, which may range from their desire to serve as a role model and mentor to the fact that supervising is a job requirement.  Yet despite the therapist’s own clinical expertise, supervising can be a challenging endeavor.  Whether their role includes mentoring a student, a new hire who has just completed their academic requirements, an assistant or other team members,...

Course Description:

Despite the multiple resources and complex electronic software systems to guide us through the required screens and dropdowns, it can still be quite difficult to keep up with the required components to assure reimbursement for covered therapy services for the different payor sources. Rules and policies may frequently be changing, which might then result in a therapist’s services not being reimbursed.

This course will update therapists on...

Course Description:

As healthcare professionals, we frequently work with pediatric clients who may require presription medications for a range of conditions. The chldren we treat might range from the high risk neonates to older chidren with cardiovascular disease, ADHD or epilepsy. Or they may have a range of other clinical conditions, which require medicatons such as antibiotics, corticosteroids or analgesics. As a result, we must be empowered with information regarding the...

Course Description:

How to prevent burnout in healthcare and why are healthcare professionals so stressed out??? Burnout syndrome and compassion fatigue are known to be highly prevalent in healthcare professionals due to factors closely correlated with an individual’s commitment level as well as the challenges associated with day-to-day responsibilities. The resulting burnout causes chronic depletion of coping resources from prolonged exposure to the variety of stressors encountered. Healthcare professionals do not...

Course Description:

Addressing the comprehensive care and person-centered needs of people with dementia can be difficult and full of challenges. Moreover, healthcare professionals who work in the long-term care environment report further frustrations to ensure the complex list of compliance requirements with state and federal surveys are followed as stated in the latest updates to the Consolidated Medicare and Medicaid requirements for participation. This course equips the entire interprofessional team with...

Course Description:

Therapists, nurses, and healthcare team members in long-term care and other related settings have most likely provided treatment for dementia in the elderly.  They may have also participated in various forms of dementia programs, to include screening, evaluating, and addressing the functional needs of people with dementia. This course expounds on the steps to implement a dementia program at a whole new level, including the expertise and experience of...

Course Description:

A high percentage of people living with a neurocognitive disorder such as dementia will experience what some professionals refer to as Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) to include agitation and aggression. This can lead to catastrophic reactions, placing the patient and those around him or her in danger. The results of such high levels of agitation can lead to accelerated disease progression, increased mortality, and increased caregiver...

Course Description:

While many prescriptions and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs may have few side effects when taken alone, the risks of an adverse drug event increases when a person is taking several different medications at the same time. These risks are even greater for older adults due to their decreased kidney and liver function as well as changes in body composition. This course reviews the risks of polypharmacy in older adults. Examples...

Course Description:

What is the significance or oral care? The mouth has often been referred to as "The window to overall health", and thus, an assessment and subsequent analysis of the oral structures and function is paramount for nurses, dietitians, therapists, and other health practitioners. Poor oral hygiene increases the risk of several disease processes. Many medications contribute to the xerostomia (dry mouth) which leads to increased oral bacteria, malnutrition and...

Course Description:

Healthcare professionals who work with dementia patients often face unique challenges with adverse events from the dementia process. One frequently reported challenge is "sundowning syndrome", which can lead to escalated behaviors and clinical symptoms in the afternoons or evenings. This course explains the pathophysiology of sundowning syndrome to include the neurobiological, medical, pharmacological, psychosocial, and environmental factors which contribute to the signs and symptoms of this disorder. Furthermore, this...

Course Description:

Clinical staff who work in the Long-Term Care (LTC) setting are often required to teach in-services on a variety of topics to assure compliance needs are met as well as assure the clinical competencies are achieved for all nursing home staff. Beyond LTC, staff training tools are needed in healthcare settings such as Assisted Living Facilities, Home Health companies, and other clinical settings.

With such training...

Course Description:

This course is intended to offer advice, training, and resources to therapists in skilled nursing facilities(SNF), whether they be a new grad or a seasoned therapist transferring from another practice setting. Additionally, this course expounds on helpful tips for current therapists in the SNF setting as well as therapy managers seeking materials to help train and orient their new staff as this process can be quite overwhelming to incoming...

Course Description:

Following the pandemic period of COVID-19, interprofessional practitioners are now treating even greater numbers of clients with the post-acute effects of compromised lung function and multiple other adverse effects to organs and systems. As a result, healthcare professionals must be prepared to provide effective treatment interventions for their clients with respiratory and other subsequent deficits. Consequently, our clients and patients may...

Course Description:

There is a high risk of dysphagia with both cardiac and pulmonary patients which may often not be anticipated in healthcare facilities. Furthermore, the management of swallowing disorders with this population is often delegated to one team member, which may not include or allow the team approach to address all the related issues.

Dysphagia with cardiopulmonary patients may often significantly affect...

Course Description:

Addressing a patient's needs are challenging and complex when dementia is one of their diagnoses. The traditional approaches to their care have historically included each clinical team member developing their own plan of care and proceeding with such goals from their silo perspective. However, the rules of reimbursement and regulations from different settings now suggest that we collaborate and approach each patient's needs from a team...

Course Description:

According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally. Common comorbidities, such as pulmonary disease, renal insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, and sleep disorders are also significant to understand and manage, for the optimal functional outcomes of each person living with cardiac disease. Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented and or optimally managed by addressing behavioral risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity,...

Course Description:

Dining programs in the long-term care setting are critical for many reasons to include assuring all residents receive the clinical attention to address their variety of deficits, preventing further declines in function, assuring residents' nutritional needs are met, providing the levels of customer service that was promised and meeting the multiple compliance requirements from a regulatory standpoint. Yet even when the team works to develop a rehab dining program,...

Course Description:

This course addresses the types and ranges of such deficits, to include swallowing disorders and the common post-stroke communication deficits. Content will include signs and symptoms of each type of disorder, potential treatment types determined by the speech language pathologist based on the specific prognostic factors and unique needs/abilities of the clients and tips for the client and their friends/family members. Following this course, the attendee will better understand...

Course Description:

Communication following a stroke can be difficult for many reasons, depending on the location, type and severity of the cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Aphasia is the most common of such communication impairments, affecting about 2,000,000 people in the United States, which is about 25-40% of all stroke survivors. While other communication deficits following stroke have a varied range of prevalence.  This course briefly covers the range of communication deficits which may follow...

Course Description:

Healthcare professionals who work with adults in the acute and post-acute settings may frequently work with patients who have Aspiration Pneumonia.  Similarly, healthcare professionals who work with older patients or those with dysphagia, may implement significant measures to prevent aspiration, to therefore prevent the resulting infection of aspiration pneumonia.  

This course reviews the evidence of the actual risk factors so that one can better understand the holistic...

Course release date: 1/6/2025

Course Overview

This course is designed to provide healthcare team members with comprehensive information on the assessment, monitoring, and management of malnutrition in older adults. The course aims to equip participants with the skills to identify etiology-based nutrition diagnoses, understand the prevalence and impact of malnutrition, recognize signs and symptoms of nutritionally at-risk adults, and implement effective nutritional assessments and interventions. The course also covers the...

Course release date: 3/5/2025

Course Overview

It is the responsibility of all healthcare professionals to be able to know and identify the code of ethics of their respective national association, that of their state board, and their corporate policies and protocols. Our ethical responsibilities as clinical professionals range from providing the optimal care for each client’s best interest to maintaining their confidentiality and ensuring accurate billing practices. In addition,...

Course release date: 4/7/2025

Course Overview

This course is intended to equip healthcare team members with information about the evidence and application of current effective interprofessional approaches for people with dementia to optimize their function and quality of life. Initially, diagnostic and staging factors of dementia will be shared to recognize the unique differences in each person living with dementia. Then types of memory will be described so that participants...

Course Overview

It is the responsibility of all healthcare professionals to be able to know and identify the code of ethics of their respective national association, that of their state board, and their corporate policies and protocols. Our ethical responsibilities as clinical professionals range from providing the optimal care for each client’s best interest to maintaining their confidentiality and ensuring accurate billing practices. In addition, we are held accountable to our...

Course Overview

This course is designed to provide healthcare team members with comprehensive information on the assessment, monitoring, and management of malnutrition in older adults. The course aims to equip participants with the skills to identify etiology-based nutrition diagnoses, understand the prevalence and impact of malnutrition, recognize signs and symptoms of nutritionally at-risk adults, and implement effective nutritional assessments and interventions. The course also covers the adverse effects of common medications...

Course Overview

It is the responsibility of all healthcare professionals to be able to know and identify the code of ethics of their respective national association, that of their state board, and their corporate policies and protocols. Our ethical responsibilities as clinical professionals range from providing the optimal care for each client’s best interest to maintaining their confidentiality and ensuring accurate billing practices. In addition, we are held accountable to our...