WEB-BASED DEMENTIA CARE TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONALS

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Web-based course will provide training to nurses, nursing assistants, and health aides on care of dementia patients in long-term care settings, including those in nursing facilities, assisted living, residential care, home care, and day care. It will be divided into six modules, each covering a specific aspect of dementia care (What Is Dementia?; Creating Supportive Physical Environments; Positive Interaction Techniques; Managing Behavioral and Physical Care; Choosing and Adapting Therapeutic Activities; Leading Successful Group Activities; Planning a Day of Activities; and Family Dynamics; Support Systems for Caregivers). Each module will be designed to be complete in itself, and each may be used independently of the others, depending upon each student's and each facility's needs. Interactive glossaries, links, and bibliographies will also be provided in each module. In Phase I we will develop and evaluate a prototype of the Web-based dementia training course by producing two prototype modules (What Is Dementia? and Creating Supportive Physical Environments). Specifically, we will: 1) develop and focus group test a preliminary version of the prototype to evaluate subjects' reactions to the overall concept, content, and interface; 2) expand prototype development and focus group testing to further evaluate appropriateness of the content to target users, their interest in the concept, logic and rules, utility of the interface, and overall strengths and inconsistencies; 3) complete prototype development by: a) focus group testing the multimedia elements of the prototype Web-based resource, and b) evaluating changes in subjects' knowledge, skill and behavioral intentions in introductory dementia care through pre- and post-test questionnaires; and 4) conduct quantitative and qualitative data analysis. This Web-based resource will be marketed and sold through a distribution agreement with 360Training, Inc., of Austin, Texas. Health Media Lab is currently contracting with 360Training to conduct the hosting, marketing, and sales of our Web-based food safety training course (Learn2Serve: Food Handlers' Safety Course(tm)), as well as our introduction to child care (Introduction to Child Care(c)). 360Training specializes in the development, hosting, marketing, and sales of Web-based instruction courseware.