Dementia Therapy Program Development Author:Peggy Watson M.S., CCC-SLP, Nancy Shadowens M.S., CCC-SLP) This book was developed for occupational, physical and speech therapists working with patients with dementia across all facility settings. Dementia Therapy & Program Development is uniquely designed to provide the therapist with step-by-step guidance to develop appropriate protocols for this population from the moment they receive the order for ... more »an evaluation, to discharge. Watson and Shadowens deliver a comprehensive guide and one that therapists should utilize with every patient with dementia. Written by practicing speech-language pathologists, the content is outstanding, accurate, essential, informative, and teaches the therapist the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to working with the dementia population. This book includes candidate identification, proper screening and evaluation tools specific to dementia, how to stage the patient and why this piece of information drives goals and interventions for all disciplines. The book teaches how to write an evaluation and overcome the uncertainty of how to determine medical necessity for dementia (the #1 Medicare denial reason), delivers the essentials of goal writing along with a goal bank for OT, PT and ST, how to use evidence-based interventions for successful goal outcomes and dozens of free or low cost activities to utilize during interventions. In addition, this book addresses dysphagia, how swallowing problems relate to dementia, dining interventions and when to utilize a modified barium swallow study. One Medicare reviewer states that dysphagia with a dual diagnosis of dementia is one of the most denied due to lack of understanding proper medical necessity and goal writing. There is not another book like it on the market.« less