General Session and Keynote Speakers

SUNDAY, January 18, 2009
6 to 7:30 pm

Opening General Session

Opening Remarks and Welcome:
Val J. Halamandaris, President, NAHCMark Heaney, Chair, Private Duty Homecare Association

Featured Speaker:
Jane M. Thibault, MA, MSSW, Ph.D.Director, Geriatric Evaluation and Treatment Program, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky

Dr. Jane Thibault Featured Speaker

Dr. Jane Thibault is a practicing clinical gerontologist who has worked clinically with elders and their families for more than three decades. Understanding the nuances of dementias and related cognitive disorders is her specialty, including how best to prepare the person, the family and the support system to work with those who suffer from cognitive impairments.

Dr. Thibault is a clinical professor in the Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine, School of Medicine and Adjunct Faculty in the School of Social Work at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. She has served at the University since 1981, teaching geriatrics and gerontology to medical students, residents, geriatric fellows and social work students. She helped develop and is now Director of the universityís Geriatric Evaluation and Treatment Program, a geriatric assessment program. In addition she teaches gerontology at the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville and when needed at the Louisville Presbyterian Seminary. She recently taught "Successful Aging" at Oxford University in England.

She also counsels middle-aged and older clients, advising caregivers of elders. She is a clinical consultant to Humana, Inc.'s "Humana Active Outlook" product for senior adults where she writes a column called "Ask Dr. Jane..." She has also designed a restraint-free chair for elders and holds its patent. Among her many community service activities, she is co-chair of the Kentucky Governorís Council on Alzheimer's disease, a member of the Kentucky Institute on Aging and is a member of the board of Mercy Sacred Heart Village, a teaching nursing home.

Program Description

Statistics reveal that a majority of persons receiving care at home have some form of dementia. Understanding first how to identify dementia, and then planning how to best provide care allows for a more successful relationship between a home care provider and a client, the client's family and the client's support system. A caregiver is then also better equipped to make care at home more meaningful for the client by providing care with specific, proven tools to assist in daily activities.

Oftentimes a first meeting does not unveil a client's true needs. Families might "cover up" the extent of the client's inability to cope with daily living, and it is not until care is underway and a problem has occurred that the situation comes to light. Avoiding those surprises in care and having a clear understanding prior to providing care will make for a better initial caregiver placement and a better plan of care.

Providing in-home care to a person with dementia presents special challenges, and gaining a basic understanding of the vast difference between caring for a person with a physical frailty and a person with a cognitive impairment will give an in-home care relationship a better chance of long-term success.

Top notch private duty agencies understand the importance of conducting a thorough initial in-home assessment, including the best questions to ask in order to determine the mental status of a client in the home and how best to work with employees to provide service that is targeted to the specific needs of the client and the family. Having a good Ògame planÓ for daily care, and coming equipped with activities that make the day a pleasant one will create an in-home care scenario that fosters success and long term compatibility for the home care agency, its staff and the client.

Objectives:

• Showcase ways to do a basic in-home assessment with a new client to determine if dementia is present and to what extent;
• Discuss options for the client to best determine if the dementia is organic and progressive or treatable due to diet or depression; and
• Relate activities that the caregiver can use in the home with the client to maintain a better quality of life.

Course level: Basic; 1.0 nursing CEs; 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/PHR).

MONDAY, January 19, 2009
8:30 to 10 am

General Session–Keynote Address

Simon T. Bailey Keynote Speaker

Release Your Brilliance -
Four Steps to Transforming Your Workplace and Creating Lasting Value

What untold successes could we achieve – in our lives, our workplaces, our world – if every one of us knew how to unleash our inherent brilliance?

Simon T. Bailey has a visionary ability to identify brilliant potential in people and organizations and ignite that brilliance into action for amazing results.

An internationally known speaker, author and consultant, he inspires individuals to take charge of change and transform their lives from the inside out. A thought leader and fresh voice in the business world, Bailey connects the dots between individual and organizational brilliance. He challenges and teaches businesses and organizations to clear obstacles to brilliance in their cultures, processes and people, thereby achieving higher levels of engagement, retention and productivity – and a brilliant bottom line.

Bailey founded The Brilliance Institute, Inc., an organization dedicated to building the world’s most valuable resource – people. Fortune 500 companies, national associations, government agencies and educational institutions both in the United States and abroad look to him to help transform their cultures and processes and release the potential in their people.

His newest book, Release Your Brilliance, is receiving rave reviews and having a profound impact on people’s lives. He has authored three other books: Simon Believes … Brilliant Service is the Bottom Line, Simon Believes … Success is an Inside Job and Simon Says Dream: Live a Passionate Life. 

Bailey’s expertise has been honed over two decades with Hyatt Hotels, the Orlando Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and the Walt Disney Company. Bailey has a master’s degree from Faith Christian University, which also recently awarded him an honorary doctorate for his global impact.

Building on proven concepts from his book, Simon will guide you through the steps needed to create lasting change using a memorable diamond metaphor. Be prepared to leave this session ready to identify, tap into and maximize your individual brilliance and energy to increase focus and balance; initiate, sustain and nurture trust in business relationships with your peers, colleagues and customers; use the power of presence to increase value when interacting with clients and focus energy on strategic activities that support desired business outcomes.

TUESDAY, January 20, 2009
8:30 to 10 am

General Session

Chip R. Bell Founder, The Chip Bell Group

Chip R. Bell is founder and manager of the Dallas office of The Chip Bell Group, a confederation of highly seasoned consultants around the country who collaborate to help organizations build a culture that supports long-term customer loyalty. Prior to starting The Chip Bell Group in 1980, he was Director of Management Development for NCNB, now Bank of America. Dr. Bell holds graduate degrees in organizational psychology and human resource development from Vanderbilt University and George Washington University. He was a highly decorated infantry unit commander in Viet Nam with the elite 82nd Airborne Division. 

Bell is the author or co-author of several best-selling books including Service Magic, Customers As Partners, Managing Knock Your Socks Off Service and Managers as Mentors. His recent book, Magnetic Service:  Secrets for Creating Passionately Devoted Customers, has won numerous awards and made several best-seller lists. His latest book is Customer Loyalty Guaranteed: Create, Lead and Sustain Remarkable Customer Service (Sept. 2007).  

His articles have appeared in an array of trade and professional journals, including Management Review, Journal of Quality and Participation, Leadership Excellence, Customer Relationship Management Journal, Leader to Leader Magazine, T+D Magazine, Sales and Marketing Management, Bank Marketing Journal, Advanced Management Journal, Harvard Business School Management Update, and many others. His work has been featured on CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg TV, NPR, and Reuters and in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, USA Today, Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc. Magazine, Fast Company Magazine, and BusinessWeek.