In the sea of dementia care training, leaders can be overwhelmed when evaluating options. This article provides practical guidance if you are just getting started in creating a dementia training program or if you are re-evaluating current practices. 

Before you learn the six components that define quality dementia care training, I'm going to discuss four fundamental truths: 

We Must Educate, Engage, and Retain Employees

Aging service providers are experiencing dangerously high staff shortages that impact the quality of care, employee retention, and family satisfaction. These together directly affect the bottom line. 

Studies reveal a correlation between the lack of investment in care team education and turnover, with staff reporting feeling ill-prepared for their work with older adults, especially those with memory loss. It's time for a change!

By 2050, the world's population of people ages 60 years and older will double (2.1 billion). The number of persons aged 80 years or older is expected to triple between 2020 and 2050 to reach 426 million (WHO).   

Global communities face the complex challenges of an aging population that far outpaces the current capacities of healthcare and community services.   

Aging service providers across the landscape urgently need practical and effective education and training that prepare and equip the workforce, families, and those who, in any capacity, serve the aging population. 

Is one of your organization’s goals to invest more in learning, growth and development opportunities for team members?  Or to focus on the customer experience?  Maybe it's to be more of a resource for the industry? 

A key way to begin chipping away at any goal is to gather information that can support strategies to achieve success. 

Here are a few quick resources in these top categories: 

• Staff Training and Education 
• Resident or Client Engagement 
• Family and Professional Caregiver Support 

Staff Training and Education Resources

How Training has Evolved over the Years

Take a listen to a conversation between two industry leaders talking about training and education evolutions and strategies for success. 

(Make 2023 a Year Committed to Goals that Matter)

"Our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant, and to face the challenge of change." – Martin Luther King Jr.

 

 

 

 

As a provider of care services to elders, you know all too well that difficult conversations with family members are a common course of business. There are many situations where a family member is unable to physically visit their loved one except when traveling or off of work or school around the holidays. Naturally, after not seeing their loved one for a length of time changes will have taken place, and this can cause a variety of responses – all of which necessitate a helpful and informative reply. The goal is to make them feel comfortable and at peace like after the first sip of hot cocoa on a cold winter day. How do you prepare for those tough interactions? Do you feel as though the conversations are effective and well-received?