Online Training and Certification for Competency in Dementia Friendly Hospital Care

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant Alzheimerandapos s disease and related dementias ADRD are an urgent healthcare challenge facing st Century America In the U S in one person received an ADRD diagnosis every seconds by that number will be one every seconds Alzheimerandapos s Disease Facts and Figures ADRD are the third most costly disease sets in the U S In spite of ongoing research efforts at present there is no way to prevent onset decline or death related to ADRD Hospitalization is especially difficult for peopl with dementia PWD and their family members and presents special care challenges to staff Acute care is complicated because symptoms of dementia are often exacerbated by illness and a new environment There are few studies in the literature of the effects of dementia care on non professional hospital employees but studies in long term care and home settings suggest that the difficulties associated with ADRD care cause stress burden and lack of job satisfaction in paid caregivers In the acute care hospital setting nursing assistants and other non professional allied health workers NA AHWs such as dietary aides transportation employees and medical technologists generally interact with PWD without specialized dementia care training Studies in long term care suggest that education and skill training in dementia care will result in measurable positive effects on staff including greater knowledge sense of competence and job satisfaction and improved productivity due to reduced illness sick days and lateness This Fast Track effort aims to create a video based interactive online dementia care training program for NA AHWs working in hospitals The completed product will consist of one hour modules that will include real life and role played scenarios illustrating the effects of standard and best practices in the acute care setting and interviews with experts The effort will be completed in conjunction with the Alzheimerandapos s Association and researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center Hospital staff schools for CNA AHWs unions and individual trainees as well as hospitals will gain convenient consistent national access both urban and rural to top quality dementia training as well as an individual certification program anticipated to be accredited by the Alzheimerandapos s Association The Phase II Randomized Control Trial RCT research evaluation will include knowledge gained job satisfaction productivity stress self esteem and understanding of communication with PWD and family members An expert multidisciplinary national team of consultants will guide the content development and program evaluation In addition to its strong commercial potential applicants have commercialized of their SBIR awards during the past decade the proposed effort has the capacity to benefit NA AHWs and the PWD for whom they care in rural as well as urban venues as diverse as community and andquot minuteandquot clinics urgent care centers and physiciansandapos offices where quality dementia training resources are scarce PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE This Fast Track effort develops and evaluates an online educational training program that will make the best practices in dementia care available to direct care and ancillary personnel in hospitals across the nation As far as we are aware there is no such training available on the internet for these essential employees of the hospital who have such an important role to play in providing comfort and care A hospital workforce trained in dementia friendly person centered care may make a large positive impact on outcomes This effort is highly relevant to U S public health because the oldest old is the fastest growing population in the United States the most likely to undergo an acute hospitalization and the most at risk for chronic dementia This project will also evaluate evidence for the effectiveness of delivery of online training for the hospital workforce