Being alert to mental changes and reporting them is an important part of a frontline caregiver’s responsibilities. Mental changes may signal an immediate threat to a resident’s health or well-being. Changes or a decline in mental condition can make a resident more difficult to care for as well as place the resident at a higher risk for falls or other types of accidents. Because CNAs spend the most time with residents, they are most likely to notice changes in a resident’s mental condition. The changes that a caregiver reports are an important first step in getting the help that a resident needs. Taking this first step may even turn out to be a lifesaving action.

This revised and updated program will help CNAs recognize changes in a resident’s mental condition. It will review four basic types of mental changes, including depression, behavior problems, cognitive impairment and delirium.

After viewing this video, the learner should be able to:
*Describe signs of depression
*Give examples of behavior problems and cognitive impairment
*Describe signs of delirium
*Describe the action that should be taken after observing a change in a resident’s mental condition

*Available closed captioned