Integration of Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach® to Care into Multidisciplinary Health Professions Courses

Abstract

<p>In 2015 over 46 million people worldwide were living with dementia; a number expected to affect 131.5 million people by 2050 (Alzheimer&rsquo;s Association, 2015).&nbsp;&nbsp; Up to 90% of people living with dementia in health care settings experience symptoms of aggression, agitation, anxiety, sexual disinhibition, and wandering (Surr et al., 2016) and require staff knowledge and skill to be adequately cared for.&nbsp; To improve knowledge and skills of undergraduate students in a college of nursing and health professions, three faculty members at a midsize university attended Teepa Snow&rsquo;s Positive Approach&reg; to Care (PAC) Certification course.&nbsp; Faculty achieved certification as PAC trainers or as a PAC coach. The PAC Certification course uses the train-thetrainer model to certify individuals as PAC Trainers and PAC Coaches to spread knowledge and learn techniques to care for persons living with dementia.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Content in the PAC course focused on understanding dementia and developing positive communication and care partnering techniques to change the way caregivers approach and interact with persons living with dementia (PLWD).&nbsp; Faculty used the PAC curriculum to teach content to students from the disciplines of nursing, occupational therapy assistant (OTA), gerontology, and dental hygiene as an innovative way to address challenges future healthcare professionals will face in caring for PLWD.&nbsp;&nbsp; The content on dementia knowledge, communication and care partnering techniques met curriculum and course objectives for student learning.&nbsp; Faculty used the Adult Experiential Learning Cycle (AELC) approach to teaching content and care partnering activities (Kolb, 1984).&nbsp; The AELC approach included engaging students in an &ldquo;experience,&rdquo; sharing or reflecting about the experience, processing how the activity felt by the students, generalizing about the activity, and discussion regarding application in various healthcare settings for PLWD. Specifically PAC certified faculty integrated the Positive Physical Approach&trade; (PPA) and hand-under-hand&trade; interventions into course content.&nbsp; Healthcare providers need knowledge of neurological brain change when working with PLWD and skills to provide care while recognizing and adapting to the changing brain.&nbsp; Faculty were able to integrate the content into undergraduate health professions courses using key components of the PAC curriculum.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>