By Harry Mills, PhD

Focus:

This course is designed for caregivers who are concerned with helping older adults follow and cooperate with treatment plans and recommendations. Motivational interviewing is the most effective way to understand an individual's willingness to cooperate, reasons for not cooperating, and to channel motivation in support of health goals. The approaches learned in this introductory program can be applied by caregivers in the older adult’s home, practitioner’s office, hospital, skilled nursing facility or an assisted living facility.

We all talk about patients who are unmotivated, and what it might take to get them motivated. But, motivation comes from within. Often when we say patients are unmotivated we are simply saying they are not motivated as we prefer. The key is deeper understanding of the patient’s real motivation at all times. The continuing question is how ready the person is for change. Once we can assess "readiness for change," and continually monitor readiness we can begin to identify barriers to change, and then promote change while maintaining the person's autonomy and decision making.

The objectives in this course are for you to learn how to interview the patient continuously to assess readiness. We want you to learn to develop an understanding of the patient’s real motivation with the right questions. You will learn how to use a much more flexible behavior coaching style keyed to the patient, and how to promote change while maintaining patient autonomy. Finally, and most importantly, you will learn how to mobilize and focus the patient’s motivational energies in the service of health.

This training conference is appropriate for anyone who works with older adults and meets resistance to positive health behaviors, including changing eating, smoking or drinking habits, high risk behaviors, refusing medications, declining rehabilitation programs, and not following medical recommendations.

Course objectives are:

1. Learn how to understand the patient’s real motivation and sources of resistance
2. Learn how to continuously assess and re-assess readiness for change
3. Learn how to match your coaching style to motivation level
4. Learn how to promote change within the context of personal autonomy
5. Learn how to mobilize and focus the patient’s motivational energy

About the Presenter

Harry Mills, PhD., is a licensed psychologist with over 30 years experience in health psychology training and education, and in the application of behavior medicine in hospitals, primary care, workplace health promotion, and online education. He has worked both as a practitioner and teacher in the development of health promotion, planning and management of healthcare delivery systems, and has had faculty affiliations with Ole Miss Medical School, the University of Alabama School of Gerontology, Vanderbilt University and University of Central Florida. He is a licensed psychologist in Florida, and has obtained NIMH Certification in consultation from Tulane School of Public Health, and Certification in Forensic Psychology from the State of Tennessee. Dr. Mills has developed numerous behavior medicine programs in self-care and disease management, and has held positions with AlignMark, Inc., MHNet, Inc., and Biodyne Provider Group of Florida. He is a Member of Concept Healthcare's Advisory Board, and applies his skills in health psychology and motivational interviewing regularly with patients in his practice in assisted living and SNF settings.

Audience: Health care professionals, home health and home care workers, facility administrators, nurses and nurses aides interested in learning about motivating older adults under their care

•  Online Participation: $39.95 Add to Cart