Alzheimer's Disease 101

Empowering Minds, Understanding Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's Disease 101

Empowering Minds, Understanding Alzheimer's

Unlock the transformative power within you with "Alzheimer's Disease 101," where compassion meets knowledge. Immerse yourself in a journey that demystifies Alzheimer's, equipping you with crucial understanding to navigate its complexities. This isn't just a course; it's a lifeline of empathy and wisdom. Dive into the essence of caregiving, gain insights into creating safe havens, and master strategies for maintaining dignity and autonomy for those you care about. Discover how every lesson enriches your ability to provide solace and support while nurturing resilience and foresight. Experience the unique blend of practical advice and heartfelt guidance designed to empower you and those around you. Enroll today--because the journey to empathetic care and understanding begins here.

Self Paced • Online Class • 7 Hours

$120

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"Extraordinarily Helpful"

2,486 Students have taken this course

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OVERVIEW

CURRICULUM

Alzheimer's Disease 101

CRN: 8900163

Lesson 1. Alzheimer's Disease: Breaking Down the Myths and Realities

Debunking common myths, Alzheimer's is indeed terminal and can manifest in younger adults, challenging misconceptions about aging and disease. Educating communities fosters empathy and understanding of the nuanced differences between normal aging and neurodegenerative disorders.

Lesson 2. Decoding Alzheimer's and Aging

Alzheimer's disease introduces significant cognitive and behavioral shifts, like losing track of time or unusual placement of items, beyond what normal aging entails. Recognizing these changes, alongside understanding risk influencers and current research insights, empowers families and caregivers to provide knowledgeable and empathetic care.

Lesson 3. The Seven Stages of Alzheimer's: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding the Progression

The progression of Alzheimer's through seven stages from no symptoms to severe cognitive decline highlights the importance of recognizing subtle changes early to plan care effectively. Families facing this journey can find solace in focused strategies, like creating structured routines and maintaining open communication, to enhance the quality of life for loved ones.

Lesson 4. Alzheimer's Home Adaptations

Securing living environments from ingestion hazards and electrical dangers through childproofing principles ensures a safe space, addressing the unique challenges posed by Alzheimer's. Proactively adapting home spaces--both indoor and outdoor--helps maintain safety and minimizes risk.

Lesson 5. Navigating Alzheimer's: Strategies for Maintaining Independence

Alzheimer's invites a necessary reevaluation of future plans, emphasizing legal, medical, and financial preparations for peace of mind. By establishing living arrangements and support networks, patients can focus on living purposefully and forging connections.

Lesson 6. Comprehensive Planning for Peace of Mind in Alzheimer's Journey

Navigating the complexities of Alzheimer's requires early legal and financial planning to secure autonomy and peace of mind. By establishing critical documents like a living will and power of attorney, you ensure healthcare and asset management decisions reflect your wishes, easing the burden on loved ones.

Lesson 7. The Art of Compassionate Care in Alzheimer's

Caregivers face significant challenges when dealing with Alzheimer's patients' difficult behaviors, yet non-verbal communication and empathy serve as powerful tools to maintain peace and emotional well-being. Adjusting communication styles and maintaining environmental safety can support both caregivers and patients.

Lesson 8. Strategies for Effective Caregiving: Balancing Stress and Empathy

Anger and resentment may arise from the caregiving journey, often due to perceived lack of support from family. Recognizing and expressing these emotions through healthy outlets like therapy or creative pursuits can foster emotional relief and resilience.

Lesson 9. Cultural Nuances in Healthcare

Culture-centered care demands systemic changes within healthcare settings, such as creating culturally sensitive environments and empowering patients with autonomy over personal choices. By fostering community-like spaces and personalized engagements, care facilities enhance residents' sense of belonging and social well-being.

Lesson 10. Late-Stage Alzheimer's: Prioritizing Comfort and Dignity

Caregivers for late-stage Alzheimer's patients face challenges such as bedsores, incontinence, and loss of mobility, requiring compassionate, informed daily care routines. Recognizing and responding to nonverbal cues of discomfort ensures the patient's physical and emotional well-being.

Lesson 11. Guiding Compassion: Understanding Alzheimer's in Caregiving

Meaningfully reintroducing oneself during interactions with Alzheimer's patients emphasizes love and safety, alleviating disorientation. Allowing adequate time for daily tasks reinforces comfort and participation, transforming routines into cherished rituals.

In This Course

7 Hours average completion time
0.7 CEUs
11 Lessons
17 Exams & Assignments
41 Discussions
11 Videos
12 Reference Files
84 Articles
Mobile Friendly
Last Updated June 2026

Description

Welcome to this introductory course on Alzheimer's disease. As one of the most feared and misunderstood types of dementia affecting the elderly today, understanding Alzheimer's and how it affects the brain is important not only for every individual, but for those diagnosed with the disease, and their caregivers. In this course, students will learn about some of the risk factors and perceived causes of Alzheimer's disease. Students will learn the most common warning signs of Alzheimer's and differentiating between Alzheimer's symptoms and normal aging processes.

By the end of this course, students will also understand how Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed and classified or staged, with differing symptoms affecting the lifestyle, environment and challenges placed on caregivers. Home safety and the security of loved ones is of primary importance for someone with Alzheimer's disease, and this course covers the basics of how you can adapt the home to create a safe environment for a loved one. Future considerations regarding care, legal and financial planning are also introduced in this course, as are tips and suggestions on dealing with certain behaviors common to Alzheimer's disease including anxiety, confusion and aggression.

No course on Alzheimer's would be complete without addressing caregivers. Caregiving is an extremely rewarding experience, but may also precipitate a number of challenges and stress. Taking care of the caregivers, and different approaches and expectations of care based on culture will be discussed.

Knowing what to expect during the latter stages of the Alzheimer's disease process and suggestions of things to remember when providing care for someone diagnosed with Alzheimer's will round out this course. We hope this course will alleviate some of the fear and uncertainty regarding Alzheimer's and provide guidance, understanding and suggestions for compassionate approaches to caregiving and support that you can offer to loved ones or friends diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Skills You'll Develop

Managing stress in caregiving
Communicating non-verbally with Alzheimer's patients
Recognizing Alzheimer's versus normal aging
Developing compassionate caregiving techniques
Embracing cultural competencies in caregiving
Implementing home safety adaptations
Navigating late-stage Alzheimer's care needs
Understanding Alzheimer's progression and diagnosis
Planning legal and financial affairs

Skills You'll Develop

Managing stress in caregiving
Communicating non-verbally with Alzheimer's patients
Recognizing Alzheimer's versus normal aging
Developing compassionate caregiving techniques
Embracing cultural competencies in caregiving
Implementing home safety adaptations
Navigating late-stage Alzheimer's care needs
Understanding Alzheimer's progression and diagnosis
Planning legal and financial affairs

More About This Course

Understanding Alzheimer's: Gain insights into disease progression.
Cultural Sensitivity: Embrace diversity in healthcare practices.
Home Safety: Adapt living spaces for Alzheimer's patients.
Building Empathy: Foster understanding among families and caregivers.
Legal Planning: Secure future with essential legal documents.
Effective Caregiving: Learn compassionate caregiving techniques.
Managing Stress: Find healthy outlets for caregiver stress.
Recognizing Symptoms: Differentiate between aging and Alzheimer's signs.
Late-Stage Care: Prioritize comfort in advanced Alzheimer's stages.

What You'll Achieve

Identify and describe the key protein structures involved in Alzheimer's disease and their impact on neuronal communication.
Demonstrate effective strategies for caregivers to enhance quality of life for individuals living with Alzheimer's disease.
Demonstrate the ability to differentiate between normal age-related memory changes and Alzheimer's disease symptoms by identifying three specific signs unique to Alzheimer's.
Describe three lifestyle changes that can potentially reduce the risk of Alzheimer's, including dietary, physical, and social factors.
Define the seven stages of Alzheimer's disease by identifying key symptoms and cognitive changes associated with each stage.
Describe strategies to support individuals with Alzheimer's in maintaining quality of life, such as promoting a safe environment and using communication techniques.
Recognize and implement key safety measures in home environments to support individuals with Alzheimer's, including secure installations and adaptive strategies to mitigate risk.
Identify and describe adjustments necessary for maintaining dignity and independence in people with Alzheimer's, while ensuring a safe living environment.
Define Alzheimer's disease and describe its impact on individuals and families by the end of the lesson.
Identify and demonstrate memory management techniques for maintaining independence in daily tasks by the end of the session.
Define and explain the significance of key legal documents such as living will, living trust, and power of attorney in the context of Alzheimer's planning.
Demonstrate the ability to identify and select appropriate legal and financial professionals to assist with Alzheimer's-related planning and decision-making.
Describe strategies for identifying and managing triggers of aggressive behavior in Alzheimer's patients, such as observing patterns and adjusting the environment.

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What Others Are Saying

"Extraordinarily Helpful"

★★★★★

I really enjoyed this class, as a person who dealt with someone who had Alzheimer's I wished I would've known about this before. This class showed me how to deal with different stages of Alzheimer's and what is normal. Also taught me that being frustrated is totally normal and it is ok to ask for help.

Maria B.

"Extraordinarily Helpful"

★★★★★

Excellent experience for me and I've shared with several coworkers.

Brandy H.

"Extraordinarily Helpful"

★★★★★

Everything about this course was very helpful. THanks....

Michelle P.

"Extraordinarily Helpful"

★★★★★

Everything was helpful...I am a caregiver to my mom who has Alzheimer's.