ODL 444: Dementia, Decision-Making, and Capacity: Understanding Neurocognitive Disorders

1 Credit Hour: This 1-hour training provides an introductory overview of common dementia-related conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and potentially reversible medical or medication-related contributors. Participants will explore how cognitive changes may affect memory, executive functioning, judgment, behavior, insight, communication, and decision-making capacity. Emphasis will be placed on practical and ethical considerations in senior living settings, including autonomy, informed consent, refusal of care, safety concerns, family communication, documentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and when further medical, psychiatric, or neuropsychological evaluation may be needed.