Healthcare workers learn about dementia, human trafficking at Wallace State Alumni Connection

HANCEVILLE, Ala. — As healthcare professionals working in an area nursing and rehab facility, Debbie Hamilton and Christy St. John weren’t sure how a lecture on human trafficking would relate to their work. The pair attended the Wallace State Alumni Association’s Alumni Connection event for Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy professionals in the area, where along with a lecture on human trafficking, they learned ways to deal with patients who may be suffering from some form of dementia.
“Human trafficking I wasn’t sure about,” Hamilton admitted, since the people she cares for on a daily basis aren’t targeted by human traffickers. But the speaker also talked about medicine exploitation, financial exploitation of the elderly, and elder and domestic abuse, which they do sometimes see in their line of work.
St. John said in regards to human trafficking, they did learn signs to look for when it is suspected, which they can use in their every day life and share with others. She said she wished her daughter, a nurse, could have attended the event to learn about the subject.
According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, Alabama has reported 202 cases of human trafficking from 2007 through 2015, with 252 victims. In 2016, there have been 53 reported cases of human trafficking in the state. Nationwide, there have been 5,544 cases of human trafficking reported in 2016.
In regard to dementia, both Hamilton, a graduate of the WSCC OTA program, and St. John said they learned some new things about helping their patients with dementia. The day’s last speaker, Lori Coleman, gave the group of more than 40 tips on “Practical Approaches in Rehabilitation of Patients with Dementia.”
For example, patients with advanced dementia may forget they are injured and try to be as mobile as they would be if they weren’t hurt. Among the suggestions Coleman gave for a patient with a hip injury who is restricted from putting weight on their leg is to wrap the foot of the affected side with bubble wrap or brightly colored cloth. That will have the patient question why their foot is wrapped that way and the caregiver can explain they are hurt and shouldn’t put weight on that foot.
St. John, who attended Wallace State before the college established a Physical Therapy Assistant program, said she would most likely implement the bubble wrap idea with her patients.
Those attending the Alumni Connection event on Thursday earned continuing education credits. The Alumni Association is hosting another event on April 22 for nurses in the area, with the focus on pharmacology.
The event is open to the public. Registration is $35 before April 20 and $40 at the door the day of the event. Participants may register at www.wsccalumni.org/nursinga2016. For more information, call 256.352.8071. Nurses should bring their licenses to be scanned for CEU credit.
The college will host another speaker on Human Trafficking on April 19 at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., in Room 109 of the Physics Building. Lynn Caffery, Executive Director of the Tennessee Valley Family Services/Koru Silver House will speak. Students and the public are invited, but seating is limited.