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Dementia Care Certification

Dementia Care Training: What You Need to Know

Shiftmed Care Team Leadership avatar
Written by Shiftmed Care Team Leadership
Updated this week

Many healthcare facilities—especially those serving individuals with Alzheimer’s or related conditions—require Dementia Care Training for their direct care staff and supervisors. Here’s a quick overview of what that means for you.


Who Needs This Training?

  • Healthcare professionals working at Genesis facilities

  • Healthcare professionals in Long Term Care settings in states with specific dementia training laws

    • For example, Minnesota requires dementia training for home care staff delivering services in Housing with Services (HWS) assisted living settings or HWS establishments with specialized dementia programs

What Does the Training Include?

The required training (minimum 8 hours) covers:

  • Understanding Alzheimer’s and related disorders

  • Helping with activities of daily living (ADLs)

  • Managing challenging behaviors

  • Effective communication techniques

Already Completed Dementia Training?

If you’ve completed an approved dementia training program within the last 18 months, you may be able to use that to meet your requirements—just provide written proof.

Getting Certified: CARES® Dementia Certification™

You can meet the training requirement through the CARES® Dementia Certification™, offered by HealthCare Interactive. To earn your certification:

  1. Complete an approved CARES online training course

  2. Pass the certification exam with 80% or higher

  3. Receive your official certificate upon completion


Questions?

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