Dementia Dimensions: A Case Study in Efficacy-Based Training in the Assisted Living Directed Care Environment - Dissertation Example

Clients at this level may need more assistance with walking, eating and have limited verbal abilities to communicate wants and needs. Problem Statement The need for quality care for cognitively impaired individuals is on the rise. According to the 2010 United States Census Bureau data, the population of older adults over age 85 increased by 29.8 percent within the last ten years. The percentage change for to over 90 years old is even higher at 30.2 percent within the same ten year period. According to Mollica (2001), clients are choosing to live in ALF instead of nursing homes which may explain the higher acuity level of resident admissions. The training requirements for an assisted living caregiver consist of a sixty two hour training course (Arizona Senior Housing Institute, 2011) and one hour of continuing education per month. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore evidence of efficacy of the Dementia Training Program developed and implemented for dementia-affected residents at one Arizona residential care facility and, based on five years of structured documentation, to formalize a model of recommended dementia training protocol, grounded in evidence of efficacy. At this stage in the research, evidence of efficacy of the Dementia Training Program will be generally defined as family and staff satisfaction and patient safety. The Dementia Training Program covers multiple dimensions (interventions, medication administration, wound care, dietary knowledge to prevent weight loss, keeping the environment of care safe for this vulnerable population) Research Questions The following research questions guide this study: 1. What are the key components of the Dementia Training...
The paper tells that with a rapidly increasing population of older adults, particularly much older adults, and with the prevention of their rapid cognitive and physical decline relying on knowledgeable providers and dementia-friendly lifestyles, dementia is an escalating international issue. The General Assembly of the United Nations has adopted a declaration that includes Alzheimer’s as a major world-wide priority, citing the primary contributions of lifestyle and the critical importance of prevention in chronic, non-communicable diseases. The Political Declaration Annex, to that declaration, contained item 39, “Recognize that the incidents and impact of non-communicable diseases can be largely prevented or reduced with an approach that incorporates evidence-based, affordable, cost-effective, population-wide and multisectoral interventions.” This research study, proposed here, is an effort in line with these goals, identifying best practices that give dementia residents a lifestyle that will maximally prevent or reduce rapid cognitive and physical decline, and identify a training approach that is evidence-based, affordable, cost-effective, can be shared to spread to other assisted living resident populations, and involves multisectoral interventions. A research investigation of Florida's AD training program review process found that out of 445 curricula received over four and a half years, more than 90% were substandard, and frequently had “content with inaccurate information, language that was not person-centered, and missing required training components”. ...Show more