May 4, 2009: Preconference Intensive
Fall Prevention in Persons with Dementia
Speaker: Margaret P. Calkins, PhD
Tampa VA Patient Safety Center Annual Falls Conference
Clearwater Beach, FL.  

This session will provide information about risk factors for falls caused by Alzheimer’s disease and other progressive dementias and describe strategies and programs for all stages of dementia that can be used to prevent calls and falls-related injuries.

 November 20-22, 2008
Creating Successful Mealtimes
Speakers: Jennifer A. Brush, MA, CCC/SLP and Mary Casper, MA, CCC/SLP
American Speech-Language Hearing Association Conference
Chicago, IL

This seminar discusses promotion of functional abilities to increase healthy intake during meals in clients who may or may not have dysphagia

 September 13, 2008 and October 18, 2008
Creating Successful Mealtimes
Speakers: Jennifer A. Brush, MA, CCC/SLP and Mary Casper, MA, CCC/SLP
Northern Speech Services CEU Workshop, go to www.nrs-nss.com for more information
Cincinnati, OH and Boston MA

This seminar discusses promotion of functional abilities to increase healthy intake during meals in clients who may or may not have dysphagia.  Innovative approaches to assessment, intervention, food service, programming and staff training will be presented.  Participants will leave with strategies for improving oral intake that can be implemented in long-term care or other settings serving older adults. 

August 27, 2008
Environmental Modifications to Manage Continence in People with Dementia
Speaker: Margaret P. Calkins, PhD
Alzheimer’s Association Dementia Care Conference
Garden Grove, CA

This session explore the differential impacts of three distinct but related interventions on continence in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.  The interventions included high toilet contrast with the floor, contrast with the walls, and increased visibility (modified door), on people with different levels of dementia in different settings—home, assisted living and nursing home. 

June 16, 2008: full day workshop
 Creating Supportive Care Settings for People with Dementia.
 Speaker: Margaret Calkins, Ph.D.
 Taiwan Alzheimer's Disease Association

 Taipei, Taiwan

 This all day workshop will help care providers understand environmental principles of
 residentialdesign and resident-centered care for people without dementia as well as
 people with dementia. It will help the participants learn how to use the environment to
 achieve key therapeutic goals, such as privacy, meaningful social interaction, and
 functional independence. Finally, it will address specific practices that can be
 followed to being the change process within a facility, including learning circles
 and coaching staff.

 June 15, 2008; 9:00 – 10:00 am
 Keynote Address: Evidence-Based Design for People with Dementia
 Speaker: Margaret Calkins, Ph.D.
 11th Asia-Pacific Regional conference of Alzheimer's Disease International

 Taipei, Taiwan

 Design affects the functional and emotional state of individuals with dementia. From unit size
 and configuration to the design of bedrooms and toilets, there is a host of evidence-based
 information about ways to create supportive environments for this population. Results show
 that design impacts agitation, restlessness, sleep, as well as functional abilities such as
 eating and continence. This Keynote Address summarizes the latest research-based information
 about design of shared residential settings for people with dementia, for both new construction
 and even modest renovation projects. Case study and graphic illustrations will be used to
 illustrate each result.

May 19, 2008

 ACHCA, Sage Long Term Care Environments
 Speaker: Margaret Calkins, Ph.D.
 Handouts

 April 27-30, 2008
 Meal Time Matters
 Speaker: Margaret Calkins, Ph.D.
 National Council on Aging/American Society on Aging Joint Conference

 Washington DC

 This project developed and evaluated a training program to build skills related to dining,
 swallowing disorders, and safe feeding assistance. Reports have shown that inadequate staff
 training is one of the main factors that leads to malnutrition and dehydration. Research
 has confirmed that that many CNAs lack dysphagia and feeding knowledge despite current
 training curriculum. Session covers key content areas that CNAs need to know about and
 includes two interactive demonstration activities.

 April 19, 2008; 8:00 am-4:00 pm
 Successful Methods to Increase Oral Intake in Older Adults Living in Long Term Care
 Speakers: Jennifer A. Brush, MA, CCC/SLP and Mary Casper, MA, CCC/SLP
 CEU workshop for Northern Speech Services

 Cleveland, OH

 This workshop is for speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, dietitians, and
 nurses who work with older adults and want to learn more about promoting functional
 abilities and increasing healthy intake during meals. Innovative approaches to assessment,
 intervention, and food service will be discussed. Leave with strategies for improving oral
 intake that you can implement in the long term care or other setting serving older adults.

 April 5, 2008; 11:00 am-12:30 pm
 Environmental Interventions to Improve Communication and Care in People with Dementia
 Speaker: Jennifer A. Brush, MA, CCC/SLP
 ASHA Health Care/ Business Institute Conference

 St. Louis, MO

 Changes in the physical environment and the way things are done can significantly support
 or impede communication success in persons with dementia. This session focuses on
 environmental factors and presents evidence-based interventions to improve individuals'
 participation in conversations and daily activities.

 April 5, 2008; 2:00-3:30 pm
 Environmental Interventions to Improve Food Intake in People with Dementia
 Speaker: Jennifer A. Brush, MA, CCC/SLP
 ASHA Health Care/ Business Institute Conference

 St. Louis, MO

 This session examines environmental barriers and facilitators to oral intake and meal
 participation for people with dementia. By manipulating the physical environment and
 how food is prepared and presented, you may provide significant support for clients'
 swallowing goals without attempting to change their behavior. The emphasis is on
 evidence-based approaches that can be adapted to various environments.

 April 3, 2008
 Can You Afford NOT to Build Private Rooms?
 Speaker: Margaret P. Calkins, Ph.D.
 Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services and Pioneer Network

 Baltimore, MD

 Evidence based research regarding the efficacy of private resident rooms in a long term
 care setting has, until now been non-existent. This program reveals the economic, clinical
 and psychosocial results of the Commonwealth Fund sponsored research on this hotly
 debated issue that has far-reaching ramifications for the sustainability of resources as well
 as quality of life of elderly individuals and the staff who care for them.

 April 3, 2008
 Home vs: Homelike: Can You Really Re-Create Home?
 Speakers: Margaret P. Calkins, Ph.D. and Dr. Lois Cutler, University of Minnesota.
 Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services and Pioneer Network

 Baltimore, MD

 The debate about what makes a place feel like home, and whether a nursing home can
 ever really be experienced as "home" has been raging for a decade. Home is clearly
 more than carpeting and chintz, but what does it take to create home, and how well does
 Tag 252 capture the essence of home?

 April 2, 2008; 2:00 - 3:30 pm
 Creating Person-Centered Care Environments in Your Existing Building
 Speaker: Margaret P. Calkins, Ph.D.
 Life Services Network

 Chicago, IL.

 Whether you call it culture change, resident-directed care or person centered care, there
 are several core concepts that reflect a person-centered approach to care. This session
 helps participants understand strategies for creating smaller households and
 neighborhoods within existing buildings, and explore ways to structure daily routines
 around the residents' preferences.

 April 2, 2008; 8:00 - 10:00 am
 Dementia Care Environments: Tools for Well-Being
 Speaker: Margaret P. Calkins, Ph.D.
 Life Services Network

 Chicago, IL.

 This session explores the ways in which the environment supports the well-being of people with
 dementia, particularly focusing on supporting identity, enhancing comfort and enabling familiar
 routines. Examples will be drawn from both new construction and renovation projects. Open
 ended discussion will explore how participants can create an environment to support well-being.

 November 28, 2007
 Improving Communication, Memory, and ADLs for People with Dementia-free CEU seminar for healthcare professionals
8:00-9:30am
 Speaker: Jennifer Brush, MA, CCC/SLP
 Harbor Court Retirement Community, Rocky River, OH

 For more information call Patrick Robinette at Harbor Court 440-356-2282

 November 20, 2007
 Modifying the Home to Support Safety and Independence of Older Adults
 Speakers: Margaret Calkins, PhD, Anna Nguyen, OTRD, Jon Pynoos, PhD, and Jon Sanford, MArch
 Scientific Meeting of the Gerontologial Society of America
 San Francisco, CA

 November 19, 2007
 Private vs. Shared Bedrooms: Evidence based literature review and construction cost analysis
 Speaker: Margaret Calkins, PhD
 Scientific Meeting of the Gerontologial Society of America
 San Francisco, CA

 November 15, 2007
 Environmental interventions: Improving communication and care in people with dementia
 10:30-11:30am 

 Speakers: Jennifer Brush, MA, CCC/SLP and Carrie Bruce, MA, CCC/SLP
 American Speech-Language Hearing Association Convention
 Boston, MA

 November 15, 2007
 More Than Just A Disorder:  Promoting Personhood in Adult Treatment
 8:00-10:00am 

 Speakers: Steven Sabat, Barbara Shadden, Jennifer Brush, MA, CCC/SLP and Margaret Calkins, PhD
 American Speech-Language Hearing Association Convention
 Boston, MA