This course explores the signs and symptoms of alcohol dependence, studies the effects of withdrawal from alcohol in the dependent drinker and educates health and social care professionals on how to assess dependence and clinically manage the process of detoxification and treatment
Detoxification requires specialist care, requiring specific knowledge of the effects of alcohol withdrawal on the body. With a high level of understanding, empathy and medical knowledge related to detoxification, the health or social care professional can provide the right level of medication, testing and support.
You can read more about how this training course has enabled professionals to improve their practice here.
Who’s the training for?
Health and social care professionals working with people who may be alcohol dependent. It is particularly relevant to those who work in primary care and hospital settings, but will also benefit those who work in other areas, such as health, community and criminal justice.
Course Overview
The course will enable health and social care professionals to understand alcohol dependence assessment, withdrawal and detoxification and how to clinically manage these conditions and processes. We’ve designed the course to be highly adaptable and can modify it to mirror actual case scenarios within your own setting.
Key Objectives
- Learn about alcohol dependence, diagnosis, precipitation, and prognosis for condition with and without treatment
- Understand signs and symptoms of withdrawal from alcohol, including differentiation from other substance withdrawal and diagnoses
- Understand individual’s experience of alcohol dependence and alcohol withdrawal symptoms
- Develop a broad understanding of investigations, tests and associated health issues for individuals with alcohol dependence, including Liver Function Tests (LFTs)
- Build up knowledge around alcohol-related and alcohol-complicated conditions
- Explore associated conditions including Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s Psychosis, re-feeding syndrome, seizures, and Delirium Tremens (DT)
- Be equipped to complete a Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (CIWA-Ar)
- Practice conducting CIWA-Ar through action-learning as a group
- Develop knowledge of medication options, including effects, side effects, contraindications and best practice prescribing guidance during and post detox
- Learn about observations used to determine overall health during a detoxification (pulse, blood pressure, respiration rate)
- Explore the best practice pathway and consider how to integrate this into their own practice
- Understand wider alcohol treatment needs including psychosocial interventions beyond detoxification with medication
‘Feedback from all staff who attended the course was that Dylan was an excellent trainer, engaging and the course was set at the right level. Dylan used a variety of presentation styles and gave out useful hand-outs’
James Peacock, CQC Registered Manager, PCP
