With Alzheimer's and related dementias on the rise, and people with dementia residing in a variety of settings, individuals with cognitive impairments caused by dementia are coming into contact with not just nursing staff, but a variety of professionals including home health aides, adult day center staff, and first responders. Many of the individuals caring for and encountering people with dementia have little or no training in the special needs of individuals with dementia. States are grappling with how to best ensure that professionals and institutions serving people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias receive the training necessary to serve this growing population. In order to identify gaps in state law as well as best practices to inform future improvements, Justice in Aging undertook a survey of the statutes and regulations in 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The results of that survey were published in a five-paper series, Training to Serve People with Dementia: Is our Health Care System Ready? The survey and papers were created with the support of the Alzheimer's Association. Each of the five papers are available for download below. An accompanying webinar can be viewed here.
Training to Serve People with Dementia:
Is our Health Care System Ready?
- Issue Overview
- A Review of Dementia Training Standards Across Health Care Settings
- A Review of Dementia Training Standards Across Professional Licensure
- Dementia Training Standards for First Responders, Protective Services, and Ombuds
- Promising Practices: Washington State-A Trailblazer in Dementia Training
