The Three D's: Depression, Dementia, and Delirium Teaching Module

This PowerPoint teaching module covers symptoms, epidemiology, assessment tools, warning signs, types of dementia, cultural considerations related to Native Americans in the Southwest, and differential diagnosis of depression, dementia and delirium, in particular for the oldest-old, 85 and older. Also covered are: demographics, population distribution by race and Hispanic/Latino origin, symptoms of mood and physical or cognitive changes, incidence of depression among older adults in clinical settings, increased mortality and morbidity rates, untreated depression, suicide, co-occurrence with substance abuse, physical illness, prolonged grief, indigenous forms of illness, cultural metaphors and world-view, DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, rates of depression for Latinos/Hispanics and especially women, facilitation of effective mental health care, spiritual forces, folk healers and prayer, mental health related terms in the Mexican culture, the Indian Depression Scale (IDS), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Also included: Alzheimer’s epidemiology, difference between Alzheimer’s and normal memory difficulties, stages, recognition, interpretation and cultural considerations of Latino/Hispanic elders and Native Americans, medical testing and cognitive assessments that may be influenced by education, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, literacy, acculturation and cultural bias of assessment tools. Describes three types of delirium: hyperactive, hypoactive and mixed, as well as criteria for diagnosis, primary causes of underlying medical conditions, medications or drug withdrawal, plus increased risk factors for Native Americans and Hispanic/Latino population.

Advanced Competencies Addressed in this Module:

• Application of concepts, theories, and research of biological, psychological, and social aging to social work assessment and intervention
• Conduct differential mental health diagnosis regarding dementia, delirium, and depression with the interdisciplinary team and using diagnostic tools that are appropriate for use with older adults (e.g., depression scale, Mini-Mental Status Exam)
• Ability to incorporate, into treatment and service planning, the relationship of race, ethnicity, and culture on health status, health beliefs, help-seeking behaviors, health practices (i.e., traditional medicine), and health outcomes. Include knowledge of:

                  a) Immigration and its impact on service use
                  b) Acculturation /assimilation