Course Description
This course will focus on caring for the aging person with rehabilitation needs including body changes related to aging, and the concept of frailty. Common diagnoses, challenges, and risk factor impacting rehabilitation in the aging person will be explored in the context of different therapy modalities. The student will also understand the importance of person-centered care and knowing the patient story.
Prerequisite
- None
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Explain and describe person centered care.
- Summarize the importance of a holistic approach to the care of older people.
- Describe the changes seen in the body’s organ systems with aging and explain how they impact rehab in the older person.
- Summarize the concept of frailty in older adult.
- Describe how rehabilitation can help older people to restore or maximize their functional ability.
- Describe the role of the rehab team members.
- Describe the key challenges people may face when entering into rehabilitation.
- Describe the family impact of illness and the importance of providing rehabilitation services that are ‘family-minded’.
- Compare and contrast physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy
- Explain why knowing the patient as an individual is important.
- List the common causes of falls, dizziness and ‘funny turns’ in the rehabilitation setting.
- Summarize strategies for fall prevention.
- Describe how cognitive problems can impact on rehabilitation.
- Explain what polypharmacy is and how drugs and drug interactions impact on mobility, cognition, functional status and rehabilitation.
- Explain the impact of visual and hearing sensory impairments on rehabilitation.
- Describe the factors influencing eating and drinking for older people living with frailty.
- Identify person-centered approaches to rehabilitation for people with dementia.
Course Activities and Grading
| Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|
| Discussions (Weeks 1-8) | 40% |
Quizzes (Weeks 1-7) | 20% |
Essay (Week 1-7) | 20% |
Final Paper (Week 8) | 10% |
Final Exam (Week 8) | 10% |
Total | 100% |
Required Textbooks
Available through Charter Oak State College's Book Bundle
O’Hanlon & Smith. A Comprehensive Guide to Rehabilitation of the Older Patient. 4th Ed. Elsevier Publishing, 2021. IBSN-13: 978-0-7020-8016-6
Course Schedule
| Week | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1,2,10,17 | Topic: Person Centered Care
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2 | 2,3,4 | Topics: Effects of Aging
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3 | 5,6,7,8 | Topic: Rehabilitation of Older People
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4 | 6-10 | Topic: How Rehab Works
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5 | 11,12,14 | Topic: Falls and Polypharmacy
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6 | 13,17 | Topic: Cognitive Impairment in the Rehab Setting
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7 | 15,16 | Topic: Specialized Rehab Considerations
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8 | 1,2,8,10 | Topic: Considerations beyond the Rehabilitation Phase
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Final Exam Chapters:1-10,12,13,15,19,28,30,37,39,43,44,53,71,74,75 SLOs 3-16 | |||
COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.