Resource Center

This guide from The Conversation Project, an initiative of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, aims to help people talk to their health care team about their wishes for end-of-life care. This guide can be used as a workbook to make notes to prepare for the conversation. Example talking points and questions to ask at the visit are included.

The AGS/ADGAP COVID-19 Educational Toolkit is a compendium of resources created by AGS and ADGAP members and available to all members. The toolkit includes a variety of teaching tools and resources intended to help providers care for older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. All educational tools are organized by their intended setting. It is free to create an account and download the material.

Source: American Geriatrics Society, 2020.

Ariadne Labs’ Serious Illness Care Program developed a COVID-19 Response Toolkit to help patients have important conversations with people they trust within their support networks. Additionally, the Toolkit includes resources for health systems and clinicians to address the communications needs of patients in the community, hospital, and long-term care. Simulated video conversations for multiple settings are included. Translations are available in six different languages. 

This link from AGS's Health in Aging Foundation provides a Caregiver Self-Assessment Questionnaire iwhich s designed to help caregivers understand and maintain their well-being while caring for their loved ones. The assessment includes a series of yes or no questions as well as rating one's stress on a scale from 1-10. At the end of the assessment, the caregiver is given a score and description of things that may help them maintain or improve their well-being as a caregiver.

This toolkit created by the Alzheimer's Association assists clinicians in obtaining required assessments and create a care plan that meets Medicare's comprehensive care planning service code (G0505) for patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. It provides a variety of validated assessment tools and patient and family resources, along with commonly used ICD-10 codes for dementia and mild cognitive impairment. It also highlights which CPT codes that cannot be billed with G0505 on the same day of service.

This toolkit contains resources to help staff in senior living communities promote nonpharmacologic behavioral health strategies to address behavioral and psychological symptoms of distress (BPSD) that frequently occur in long-term care residential settings, especially among residents with dementia. It is divided into sections that cover the topic of promoting positive behavioral health.

This fact sheet from the National Institute on Aging covers various topics about Alzheimer's disease. Topics discussed are: how Alzheimer's Disease affects the brain, signs and symptoms, stages of Alzheimer's Disease, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and support for families and caregivers.

Source: National Institute on Aging (NIA), 2023.
https://www.nia.nih.gov/

This toolkit is designed for facilities to help implement an antibiotic stewardship program centered around the idea of improving the management of urinary tract infections (UTI). Materials include clinical recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of uncomplicated cystitis in long-term care residents, a physician order set, monitoring sheet for improving documentation of urinary symptoms, clinical vignettes for staff education, frequently asked questions about antibiotic treatment of uncomplicated cystitis, and a pocket card.

This toolkit is designed for care managers who have been designated as Dementia Care Specialists. Topics covered include, how to use the toolkit, cognitive assessment, caregiver identification, care needs assessment instruments, care plans for managing challenging behaviors, activities of daily living and functional needs, and safety, along with specific tips. Information about caregiver needs and tips for coping are also included. Caregiver education handouts in English and Spanish are provided.

The Alzheimer's Association provides a glossary of various words that caregivers may encounter while caring for a patient with Alzheimer's disease. Each word provides a definition and links to more information.

Source: Alzheimer's Association, 2023.

https://www.alz.org/