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IDD & Dementia Workshop
Whether you’re a healthcare professional, direct support staff, family caregiver, or advocate, this training offers valuable insights into dementia-capable care for adults with intellectual disabilities. The workshop highlights early recognition, effective communication, environmental adaptations, and compassionate responses to changing needs. Interactive discussions will foster deeper understanding and equip you with the tools to provide empathetic, informed care.
The first two days of the workshop cover the topics outlined in the
2 Day Basic Workshop. A third day is added and is devoted to understanding and delivering the full NTG Dementia Capable Care Curriculum. NTG Affiliated Trainers are authorized to use the NTG branded and copyrighted training materials to train within their own organization or to conduct training for outside agencies and organizations. Affiliated trainers have access to greatly expanded topic modules, trainer manual, NTG continuing education webinars, and are mentored by NTG Master Trainers.
FREE to Virginia residents and staff.
Two-Day Foundation Workshop
October 21-22, 9 AM – 4:30 PM daily
Full Three-Day Train-the-Trainer
October 23: optional third half-day to become an NTG Affiliated Regional Trainer and part of the NTG’s Affiliated Trainer Network
Topics Covered in Workshop:
- Dementia: What it is…and isn’t
- Accelerated aging in DS and its impact on age of onset of Alzheimer’s disease
- Does dementia present differently in adults with ID?
- Potentially treatable medical conditions that mimic Alzheimer’s
- Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease: Increased risk, younger age
- Challenges of diagnosing dementia in adults with ID
- How diagnostic overshadowing can result in misdiagnosis
- Behavior is communication…ALL behavior has meaning
- Why people with dementia do the things they do
- How dementia impacts the brain, senses, and behavior
- Why being an effective health care advocate for your client is so important
- Early Detection Screen for Dementia (EDSD): How to use the NTG’s free screening tool
- Guidelines for diagnosis of dementia in adults with ID: What you need to know
- The shift in philosophy of care from lifespan goals to dementia-capable goals
- Tips and strategies for effectively communicating with people with dementia
- Behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD)
- Key “triggers” of behavior and how to avoid them
- Strategies for managing and accommodating common behaviors
- Non-pharmacologic management of BPSD…why medication should be a last resort!
- Easy and affordable modifications to the physical environment to support function
- End of life care – challenges, opportunities, and ethical considerations
Why Send Staff to This Workshop?
- Build dementia-capable capacity within your organization or region
- Train-the-trainer model supports scalable and sustainable workforce development
- Aligns with best practices in aging, IDD, and person-centered dementia care
- Strengthens cross-system collaboration between healthcare, aging, and disability networks
- Enhance your team’s ability to meet the growing needs of aging adults with IDD