Advanced Competency in Home Health - Elective Course 

This 1.0 CEU elective course satisfies 2 HOURS of credit for PTs towards their ACHH Certification. It is also a stand-alone course & you are not required to participate in the ACHH program in order to complete this course for CE credit.  Click here to Learn more about the Advanced Competency.

Level: Basic

Course Description 

Heart failure (HF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes mellitus (DM) and peripheral vascular disease (PVD) are four chronic conditions that are often either a primary or secondary diagnosis in our home health patients.  These conditions can complicate a patient’s ability to progress with physical therapy.  This 2-hour course focuses on understanding the role that a physical therapist can play in facilitating patients to become independent in managing their chronic disease(s).   

Course Objectives 

Upon completing this online module, the participant will be able to perform the following: 

1. Identify the signs and symptoms of an acute exacerbation of HF and COPD.
2. Identify signs and symptoms of increased and decreased blood sugar levels with DM.
3. Understand the components of a lower extremity vascular exam.
4. Describe critical components of a patient education for a patient with a chronic disease.
5. Describe the benefit of aerobic exercise for a patient with a chronic disease. 

Meet Our Presenter 

Melissa Bednarek, PT, DPT, PhD, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy 

Dr. Melissa Bednarek received her Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Biology and Psychology from St. Bonaventure University, followed by a Master of Physical Therapy from MCP Hahnemann University. Following four years of acute care experience, she returned to graduate school to complete a PhD in Physiology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Upon completion in 2009, she joined the faculty in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA, where she is currently an Associate Professor. Dr. Bednarek teaches exercise physiology, cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy and the pharmacology thread in the curriculum. To enhance her teaching, she has continued to practice in outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation and home health and became a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy in 2014. 

Course Fees

• APTA Home Health Member - $54.00
• APTA Member - $60.00*
• Non-Member - $100.00

* APTA Members who are NOT Home Health members - please email us atadmin@homehealthsection.orgto receive a discount code to register with APTA Member pricing.

To purchase this course, click here. If you have already purchased the course, please make sure you are logged in to access the material. 

References 

1. Pinto DS, Kociol RD. Evaluation of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure. UpToDate. Waltham, MA; UpToDate; 2017. Accessed December 21, 2017.
2. Frownfelter D, Dean E. Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy: Evidence to Practice. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier; 2012.
3. Patient Education: Heart Failure (The Basics). UpToDate. Waltham, MA; UpToDate; 2017. Accessed December 21, 2017.
4. Patient Education: Heart Failure (Beyond the Basics). UpToDate. Waltham, MA; UpToDate; 2017. Accessed December 21, 2017.
5. De Maeyer C, Beckers P, Vrints CJ, Conraads VM. Exercise training in chronic heart failure. Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 2013. 4(3): 105–117.
6. Han MK, Dransfield MT, Martinez FJ. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Definition, Clinical Manifestations, Diagnosis, and Staging. UpToDate. Waltham, MA; UpToDate; 2018.  Accessed January 1, 2018.
7. Patient Education: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Including Emphysema (The Basics). UpToDate. Waltham, MA; UpToDate; 2018.  Accessed January 1, 2018.
8. Global Initiative for Chronic Lung Disease. GOLD 2017 Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of COPD. Available at http://goldcopd.org/. Published 2016. Accessed April 23, 2017.
9. Pignataro RM, Ohtake PJ, Swisher A, Dino G. The role of physical therapists in smoking cessation: Opportunities for improving treatment outcomes. Phys Ther. 2012. 92: 757-766.
10. Stoller JK. Management of Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. UpToDate. Waltham, MA; UpToDate; 2018. Accessed January 1, 2018.
11. McCulloch DK. Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus in Adults. UpToDate. Waltham, MA; UpToDate; 2018. Accessed January 2, 2018.
12. McCulloch DK. Initial Management of Blood Glucose in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. UpToDate. Waltham, MA; UpToDate; 2018.  Accessed January 2, 2018.
13. Patient Education: Low Blood Sugar in People with Diabetes (The Basics). UpToDate. Waltham, MA; UpToDate; 2018.  Accessed January 28, 2018.
14. Patient Education: Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar) in Diabetes Mellitus (Beyond the Basics). UpToDate. Waltham, MA; UpToDate; 2018.  Accessed January 28, 2018.
15. Sussman C, Bates-Jensen. Wound Care: A collaborative practice manual for health professionals. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2012.
16. Brunelle CL, Mulgrew JA.  LEAP: Exercise for intermittent claudication. Phys Ther. 2011. 91: 997-1002.