Week 2 Competencies & Reflection

Competencies (1)

1.1 Plan Assessment

1.1.1 Define the purpose and scope of the assessment.

1.1.3 Identify existing and available resources, policies, programs, practices, and interventions.

1.1.5 Recruit and/or engage priority population(s), partners, and stakeholders to participate throughout all steps of in the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation processes.

Summary: During my meeting with Sarah and Janay, we refined the purpose and plan of my care guide project to separate the care guide into 4 books, each representing a stage of dementia (early, early-middle, middle-late, and late) that clearly outlines help and resources for caregivers at each stage (1.1.1). To clearly understand our goal of the care guide, I was given many different dementia care guides to compare and see what could be added to the care guide (1.1.3). Meeting with Janay and discussing the project with her recruited her into supervising the creation of the care guides through each step of the process (1.1.5).

1.3 Analyze the data to determine the health of the priority population(s) and the facts that influence health.

1.3.4 Assess existing and available resources, policies, programs, practices,
and intervention.

1.3.5 Determine the capacity (available resources, policies, programs,
practices, and interventions) to improve and/or maintain health.

Summary: Using other care guides, data, and models, I was able to understand what information was important to add in the care guide for the CARE Center versus what is redundant or overwhelming (1.3.4 & 1.3.5). The care guide for the CARE Center will ultimately look different than other care guides because some information on brain health and dementia diagnosis are already given to patients, and the purpose of the care guide would be for caregivers to understand the steps of dementia and their role in providing care (1.3.5). The care guide being split into 4 books gives a clear delineation of the changing roles of a caregiver, as well as how to best prepare for the expected and unexpected.

1.4 Synthesize assessment findings to inform the planning process.

1.4.1 Compare findings to norms, existing data, and other information.

1.4.2 Prioritize health education and promotion needs.

1.4.4 Develop recommendations based on findings.

1.4.5 Report assessment findings.

Summary: My last task for the week was to create a rough draft outline for the 4 books with chapters and information to be included. I used the previous care guide as well as other resources to compare what should be added, removed, or edited (1.4.1). I then created an outline that prioritized important information for caregivers, and even adding in new information such as how to be aware of your loved one engaging in fraud calls or emails, something that was not previously mentioned in the care guide (1.4.2). I made the outline to mimic the previous care guide and added in bullet points of information that could be discussed (1.4.4). Once I completed this task, I went to my supervisor, Sarah, to report my outline as well as ask for feedback. Sarah plans to share the outline with members of the team so that I can begin working on designing the book as well as adding information (1.4.5).

Reflection: What, So What, Now What?

This week at the CARE Center, I really began to understand the depth of knowledge and understanding that I needed to be able to create the new books. I was grateful for the opportunity to meet with different members so that they could share their expertise and also what their visions are for the books. I found it interesting that there are so many different resources for dementia caregiving, yet all of them look drastically different. Some care guides are from personal perspectives with many opinions and personal experiences, while others were based on health behavior theories and logic models. The books we are making are somewhat of an in-between, sharing research information in a way that can be understood by the audience while also giving it a personable feeling. The books are more “action-based” instead of idea-based, giving caregivers real examples of what they can do for different situations.