NLN Offers New Teaching Strategies and Unfolding Case Studies for Specialized Care of Alzheimer's Patients and Caregivers

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Grant from MetLife Foundation Made Possible Expansion of NLN Advancing Care Excellence for Seniors (ACES) to Address Area of Growing Need

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC, February 18, 2014 —Ninety-year-old widower George Palo lives with his golden retriever, Max. Judy Jones, 85, is helped by her oldest daughter, Karen, who moved back into the family home to provide support. And Ertha Williams, 74, recently lost her husband, Henry. The three, all diagnosed with dementia, represent the faces of the latest unfolding cases in the National League for Nursings signature program for teaching care of older adults: Advancing Care Excellence for Seniors (ACES).

Thanks to a grant from the MetLife Foundation, Ertha, Judy, and George have now come alive on the NLN ACES website through monologues and simulation scenarios developed by the NLN. These new unfolding cases are a powerful resource to teach nursing students about the complexities of Alzheimers disease and related dementia conditions and help them master the analytical thinking, decision-making, and other critical skills involved in caring for this growing population.

Included in the specialized Alzheimers curriculum and resources now available online are four newly-created interprofessional teaching strategies, piloted by schools of nursing and vetted by content experts the NLN convened in the spring of 2013:

  • The Disease Mechanism of Alzheimers Dementia: Understanding Pathology, Progression, and Process
  • Recognizing Dementia, Depression, and Delirium in Older Adults
  • Managing Behaviors Associated with Alzheimers Dementia: A Non-Pharmacological Approach
  • Caregiver Strain with Alzheimers Dementia: Treating the Caregiver

Nurse educators will have an opportunity to learn more about how to use the teaching strategies and web-based unfolding case studies in a free webinar on Wednesday, February 26 from 1:00 - 2:00 pm (ET).

"By adding these specialized curricular resources for teaching care of patients with Alzheimers disease and their caregivers, the NLN has appropriately expanded ACES to meet the increasing demand for nurses to be prepared to provide rehabilitation, routine treatment and management, and social service referrals to older adults with cognitive impairments," remarked NLN CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN. Added NLN president Marsha Adams, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, "The NLN is grateful for the support of the MetLife Foundation, whose commitment to empower people to lead healthy, productive lives and strengthen communities dovetails with the NLNs mission to promote excellence in nursing education to build a strong and diverse workforce to advance the nations health."

Said MetLife Foundation president and CEO Dennis White, at the time the grant was made in the fall of 2012, "These tools will help health professionals be better prepared to handle the unique challenges of caring for older adults needing specialized care."

In addition to the MetLife Foundation-funded Alzheimers teaching strategies and unfolding cases, three new classroom-ready teaching strategies in geriatric nursing education were recently uploaded to the ACES site: Myths of Aging, Down Syndrome and Dementia, and Sexuality and the Older Adult.

All resources are available free of charge at www.nln.org/ACES.

Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 40,000 individual and more than 1,200 institutional members, comprising nursing education programs across the spectrum of higher education and health care organizations.

MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 to continue MetLifes longstanding tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. The foundations commitment to building a secure future for individuals and communities worldwide is reflected in its dedication to empowering older adults, preparing young people, and building livable communities. Since it was established, MetLife Foundation has provided more than $530 million in grants and $70 million in program-related investments to nonprofit organizations addressing issues that have a positive impact in their communities. For more information, visit www.metlife.org.