Behavior Management:
Achieving BEST Outcomes for Residents with Behavior Concerns
A CHA Pre-Assembly

8:00-8:30 AM Registration

8:30-8:45 AM Welcome /Call to Prayer

8:45-11:00 AM
The Team Approach is the Best Method
Sr. Peter & Alf Norwood
Education of staff and caregivers is critical when caring for residents with challenging behaviors. When these behaviors are approached in a pro-active manner, caregivers can limit and even eradicate these unwanted, often difficult behaviors. Team approach to educate staff is the best method, and Al Norwood and Sr. Peter Lillian will discuss how to implement such an approach with a Behavior Management Team (BMT). With years of experience, both have traveled extensively, working with many facilities, helping them to form and train their BMT’s, educate their staff, and offering consultation. Sr. Peter Lillian and Alf Norwood will demonstrate their process for diagnosing behaviors and developing alternative interventions and techniques. Tools will be provided on how to track behaviors, measure resident progress and to achieve best outcomes.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Changing Our Behavior to Improve Resident Behavior
Marilyn Steffel
Knowing that Dementia and other memory impairments inhibit residents from being able to control and change their behaviors, St. Patrick’s Residence in Naperville, Illinois, needed a new approach to address these behaviors. The facility worked closely with Sr. Peter Lillian and Al Norwood and successfully implemented a Behavior Management Team. This team provided education to staff and designed care plans to meet the specific needs of the residents, creating a pro-active, person-centered environment that reduced resident behavior concerns. Marilyn Steffel, one of the BMT leaders will discuss the experiences and results of implementing a Behavior Management Team at St. Patrick’s Residence and how it improved the daily life for residents and the work life for caregivers

12:00 -12:45 PM       Lunch

12:45-1:45 PM
Problematic Behaviors and Caregiver Reaction: The Impact on the Caregiver and the Care-giving
Francis L. Battisti, PhD
Challenging behaviors can be very stressful for the caregiver causing them to feel frustrated and angry. It is important to manage the impact of these behavior challenges and recognize if care-giving is putting too much stress on the caregiver. When not addressed this could negatively affect both caregiver and resident. In this session, Dr. Battisti will discuss the relationship between the behavior symptoms of the residents, the behavior related reactions of the caregivers and caregiver stress. He will review coping strategies to help reduce and even prevent caregiver stress, promoting caregiver health and the caregiver’s ability to meet the needs of the residents.

1:45 - 2:00 PM      Break

2:00 – 3:00 PM
The Body-mind Connection: How Food and Nutrition Influence Behavior
Helen E. Battisti, PhD, RD
Feeding residents with dementia can be very challenging for caregivers, often the biggest hurdle is just ensuring that they are eating enough nutritious food and drinking enough fluids. However, when it comes to unwanted behaviors, it’s important that the right foods are being consumed. Deficiencies of several essential nutrients can result in negative behaviors. Poor nutrition, too much sugar, food additives, food sensitivities and food allergies can exacerbate and cause problem behaviors as well. Understanding this body-mind connection is important and speaker, Dr. Helen Battisti will provide an overview on food and nutrition and their effect on behaviors. She will discuss effective feeding interventions and strategies for feeding residents with dementia to help effectively manage behaviors.