Being alert to mental changes and reporting them is an important part of a frontline caregiver's responsibilities. Mental changes may signal an immediate threat to a resident's health or well-being. Changes or a decline in mental condition can make a resident more difficult to care for as well as place the resident at a higher risk for falls or other types of accidents. Because CNA's spend the most time with residents, they are most likely to notice changes in a resident's mental condition. The changes that a caregiver reports are an important first step in getting the help that a resident needs. Taking this first step may even turn out to be a lifesaving action.
This revised and updated program will help CNAs recognize changes in a resident's mental condition. It will review four basic types of mental changes, including depression, behavior problems, cognitive impairment and delirium.
After completing this course, the learner should be able to:
~ Describe signs of depression
~ Give examples of behavior problems and cognitive impairment
~ Describe signs of delirium
~ Describe the action that should be taken after observing a change in a resident's mental condition
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