State-level nursing home in-service dementia training requirements and inappropriate psychotropic medication use

Although non-pharmacological interventions, which are staff intensive, are recommended for behavioral symptoms of dementia, psychotropics are often prescribed in nursing homes (NHs), with insufficient nurse staffing levels and dementia care training. Since 2017, deficiency citations can be assigned for inappropriate psychotropics use (F-758 tag). Some states require in-service dementia training above federal minimums, but it is unknown whether extra dementia training requirements were related to fewer F-758 citations for residents with dementia and whether nurse staffing influenced the relationship between receiving F-758 citations and having additional state-level dementia training requirements.

To relate F-758 citation occurrence to extra in-service dementia training regulations and to explore how the relationships are affected by nurse staffing levels.

Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine F-758 citation occurrence in relation to state-level in-service dementia training regulations. Stratification was also conducted to compare the effects in NHs with low versus high nurse staffing.

Requiring in-service dementia training with extra hours was inversely related to receiving F-758 tags. That relationship was also noted in NHs with lower registered nurse and certified nurse assistant staffing.

In-service dementia training may be helpful in reducing inappropriate psychotropics use, particularly in facilities with lower nurse staffing.