Quality Statement 6: Education and Training for Health Care Providers

Resources Quality Statements Advisory Committee About

Education and Training for Health Care Providers

Health care providers delivering care and services to people living with dementia receive education and training in dementia care.

Background

People living with dementia have complex needs and should receive individualized care from providers with education and training in dementia care. With the knowledge and skills required to effectively provide care for people living with dementia, providers can offer care strategies and treatments that meet people’s needs, optimize their strengths, and help improve or maintain their quality of life and level of functioning. Training and education materials and programs should be tailored to providers’ roles and responsibilities.

What This Quality Statement Means

For People Living With Dementia and Their Caregivers

Your team of providers should be trained to care for people living with dementia.

For Clinicians

Ensure you have the education and training required to effectively provide care for people living with dementia, in accordance with your role and responsibilities.

For Health Services

Ensure the availability of education and training in dementia care for providers caring for people living with dementia.

Quality Indicators

Process Indicator

Percentage of health care providers who care for people living with dementia who have received education and training in dementia care

Denominator: number of health care providers who care for people living with dementia
Numerator: number of people in the denominator who have received education and training in dementia care
Data source: local data collection

Structural Indicator

Local availability of health care providers who have received education and training in dementia care

Definitions Used Within This Quality Statement

Education and training

Education and training needs to be tailored to the providers’ scope of practice. This information should include, at a minimum, content related to:

Comprehensive assessment of people living with dementia and an assessment of caregivers’ needs
Dementia signs, symptoms and disease progression
Specific subtypes of dementia
Approaches to diagnostic uncertainty in persons with complex conditions
Person-centred care
Development of care plans that meet the goals, preferences, values, and cultural expectations of care of people living with dementia and their caregivers
Early identification of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and techniques for de-escalation and management
Early identification of behavioural risks and safety issues and techniques for de-escalation
Appropriate use of nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatments
Self-care and safety for health care providers
How to communicate with people living with dementia and their caregivers
How to coordinate multidisciplinary care
Impacts of dementia on people living with dementia, caregivers, families, and social networks
Outreach strategies to connect people living with dementia and their caregivers to available resources
Ethical and medical-legal considerations
Requirement for informed consent
Detection of and strategies to manage abuse
Advance care planning and palliative care

Evidence to Improve Care