Geriatric Care Foundations and Older Adult Support Course

Overview

Geriatric Care Foundations and Older Adult Support Course is a one-week foundation programme for nurses, allied health professionals, care coordinators, social care staff, support workers, and healthcare administrators beginning work with older adults. Participants build an Older Adult Support Portfolio connecting healthy ageing, functional ability, dignity, person-centred communication, observation, mobility, nutrition, medication awareness, safety, safeguarding, family engagement, and coordinated care. Agile Leaders Training Center emphasizes respectful support and timely escalation without diagnosing conditions, prescribing treatment, or replacing local policies and authorized professional judgment.

Who Should Attend

• Nurses and allied health professionals new to older adult services
• Care coordinators, social care staff, and support workers
• Healthcare assistants and community support teams
• Administrators involved in older adult pathways and transitions
• Family-support and workforce-development professionals

The course is designed for participants starting or consolidating work with older adults. It develops observation, communication, support, documentation, and coordination practices; clinical assessment, diagnosis, prescribing, and treatment decisions remain with authorized professionals.

Departments and Industries

The course supports organizations providing health, social, residential, community, and transitional support for older adults.

• Hospitals and ambulatory services
• Primary and community care
• Residential, long-term, and home-care services
• Rehabilitation and social care
• Care coordination, safeguarding, education, and support services

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain healthy ageing, functional ability, intrinsic capacity, and environmental support
• Use person-centred care for older people in communication and daily support
• Observe and document changes in mobility, cognition, mood, sensory function, and vitality
• Support nutrition, hydration, mobility, comfort, and daily activities within role boundaries
• Recognize medication-related concerns and follow escalation procedures
• Apply older adult safety and safeguarding practices
• Coordinate transitions, family involvement, follow-up, and geriatric care coordination

Course Agenda

Day 1: Healthy Ageing and Person-Centred Foundations

• Ageing Diversity, Dignity, and Rights
• Healthy Ageing and Functional Ability
• Intrinsic Capacity and Environmental Support
• Goals, Preferences, Culture, and Daily Priorities
• Role Boundaries and Escalation Pathway

Day 2: Communication, Observation, and Daily Function

• Respectful Communication and Consent Check
• Hearing, Vision, and Communication Adaptation
• Cognition, Mood, Behaviour, and Wellbeing Observation
• Activities of Daily Living Support Map
• Objective Documentation and Handover

Day 3: Mobility, Nutrition, Medication Awareness, and Safety

• Mobility, Balance, Transfer, and Assistance Awareness
• Nutrition, Hydration, Weight, and Swallowing Concern Observation
• Medication List, Adherence Concern, and Adverse-Effect Awareness
• Falls, Environment, Equipment, and Access Safety
• Change Recognition and Timely Escalation

Day 4: Psychosocial Support, Safeguarding, and Families

• Loneliness, Social Connection, and Meaningful Activity
• Anxiety, Low Mood, Distress, and Supportive Response
• Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation, and Safeguarding Indicators
• Family and Carer Involvement with Permission
• Caregiver Communication and Support Boundaries

Day 5: Integrated Care and Coordination

• Health and Social Care Role Map
• Person-Centred Support Plan
• Appointments, Referrals, and Follow-Up Tracker
• Transfer and Transition Communication Checklist
• Capstone: Older Adult Support Portfolio

Practical Exercises

The course uses non-diagnostic scenarios from hospitals, community services, residential care, rehabilitation, and home support.

• Suggested activity: adapt communication for hearing, vision, cognition, and personal preference.
• Suggested activity: document an observed change and use the correct escalation pathway.
• Suggested activity: review a daily-support scenario for mobility, nutrition, medication awareness, safety, and safeguarding.
• Suggested activity: build a coordinated support plan with goals, roles, family involvement, transitions, and follow-up.

FAQs

Who should attend a geriatric care foundations course?

It suits health and social care staff, support workers, coordinators, administrators, and allied professionals who are beginning or consolidating work with older adults.

What is person-centred care for older people?

It means understanding the individual’s goals, values, abilities, relationships, environment, culture, and preferences, then coordinating respectful support and authorized care around what matters to that person.

Does older adult care training teach diagnosis or treatment?

No. This foundation course develops awareness, observation, communication, daily support, documentation, safety, and escalation. It does not authorize diagnosis, prescribing, treatment changes, or clinical decisions outside a participant’s role.

How are families and carers involved?

Participants learn to clarify the older person’s wishes and permission, communicate within confidentiality and role boundaries, recognize caregiver concerns, and include agreed responsibilities in coordinated plans.

What practical outputs will participants complete?

Outputs include a functional-support map, communication plan, observation record, safety checklist, safeguarding response path, family-engagement plan, transition checklist, follow-up tracker, and integrated support portfolio.