Dementia Care Training: What You Need to Know
Discover the essentials of Dementia Care Training and the training requirements imposed by most healthcare facilities. Here’s what you need to know about this certification.
Facilities that cater to individuals with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders are mandated to have their direct care staff and supervisors trained in dementia care. Required training covers several key areas, including an explanation of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, assistance with activities of daily living, problem-solving strategies for challenging behaviors, and communication skills.
Currently Dementia Training applies to those Healthcare Professionals who will be working with Genesis facilities, as well as certain states that may require additional Dementia training for Long Term Care facilities. Minnesota for example, whose state laws, effective January 1, 2016, require dementia training for home care staff delivering services in Housing with Services (HWS) assisted living settings or HWS establishments with specialized dementia programs.
For all direct care staff, a minimum of eight hours of initial training is mandatory. The training should encompass the following topics related to persons with dementia: an explanation of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, assistance with activities of daily living, problem-solving techniques for challenging behaviors, and effective communication skills.
New employees can fulfill the initial dementia training requirements by providing written proof of completing the required training within the last 18 months prior to their employment start date.
CARES® Dementia Certification™, available through HealthCare Interactive, offers a pathway to obtain the necessary certification. Healthcare professionals have the flexibility to choose from a variety of courses or a combination thereof, in order to fulfill the eight-hour training requirement. To become CARES® Dementia Certified, healthcare professionals must successfully complete a qualifying CARES online training program and pass the certification exam with a score of 80% or higher. Upon successful completion of the course, a certification certificate will be provided.
If you have questions about the Dementia Care Training Certification as it relates to the ShiftMed credentialing process, please contact us at (800) 485-9002.