{Dementia Care:

A Comprehensive Exploration of Certified Nursing Assistant Training

Background Research indicates that there isn’t proper care given to those

dementia patients living in long-term care facilities

Dementia is the most common diagnosis in nursing home populations

Nearly 90 percent of dementia sufferers will have at least one nursing home stay in their lifetime

Experts believe that nearly 4 million people in the United States are currently living with the disease

360,000 Americans are diagnosed each year

50,000 people are reported to die with the disease each year

DefinitionsCertified Nursing Assistant: A certified nursing

assistant, or CNA, helps patients or clients with healthcare needs under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

Dementia Special Care Unit: Dementia Special Care Units (SCUs) exist to better meet dementia residents' needs and to protect residents without dementia in nursing homes and residential care facilities.

Purpose Why?

Currently there is a lack of training and preparation given to certified nursing assistants in caring for older adults with dementia

In order to draw awareness to the lack of training further investigation of the current training needs to be considered

The CNA’s basic training includes competencies dealing with older adults who have dementia, but the training is not extensive

Research Questions What special care is given for dementia patients?

Do CNA’s receive adequate training to care for those patients with dementia?

Why is the current dementia training proving to be unsuccessful?

What improvements need to be made to the current training procedures for CNA’s in relation to caring for dementia patients?

Hypothesis There is a gap in what is expected from the residents and

families and what care the residents are actually receiving

The current training offered is inconsistent and ineffective

Current Dementia Training Vary depending on the state

Focusing on Indiana

In 2003 Indiana proclaimed the requirement of dementia-specific training in all facilities that had contact with dementia residents

In addition to the required in-service hours, staff shall have a minimum of six hours of dementia-specific training within six months and three hours annually thereafter

Alzheimer’s Association partnered with the Indiana State Health Department to develop training modules

There is no consistency between methods of delivery between facilities

Training (cont) The Alzheimer’s Association and the State Health Department

had visions but they have seemed to have failed

In result, CNAs aren’t receiving the needed theoretical knowledge because facilities are failing to offer adequate training

State regulated training

requirements

Alzheimer’s Association partnership

Idealistically: Facilities use what is provided

Facility Director’s discretion

Inadequate training

provided

Methods Qualitative Study

Systematic Approach evaluating the current dementia training approaches

Focus specifically on the facilities with Dementia SCU’s

Methods (cont) Interview 6 different facilities

Survey format

Executive director, Director of Nursing, and CNAs Important to get perceptions from all

Each facility will have 20 or more surveys completed

Combine common themes

Compare types of training administered and the effectiveness the CNA’s believe them to be

CNA’s perceptions of their ability to care for dementia patients vs. The training they are being offered

Significance to the field

Make state officials aware of the inconsistences

Ultimately require the same training procedures (i.e. materials, educators) across the state

Limitations Exaggerated training procedures given by the facility director

or director of nursing

Biases from the researcher