Competency-based training boosts dementia knowledge and skills in home care workers.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Public Health

Background:

• Rising prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) in aging populations.
• Need for a skilled dementia care workforce, particularly in home-based settings.
• Importance of training for caregivers in programs like California's In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a competency-based, online dementia caregiver training program.
• To assess the impact of the training on caregiver knowledge, self-efficacy, distress, and depression.
• To examine the effect of the training on care recipients' healthcare utilization.

Main Methods:

• Quasi-experimental design.
• Multi-week, online, competency-based training intervention for IHSS caregivers.
• Assessment of caregiver outcomes (knowledge, self-efficacy, distress, depression) and care recipient healthcare use pre- and post-training.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in caregiver dementia knowledge post-training.
• Significant increase in caregiver self-efficacy in managing dementia symptoms.
• No significant reduction in caregiver distress or depression.
• No significant decrease in care recipient emergency room visits or hospitalizations.

Conclusions:

• Specialized dementia training enhances caregiver knowledge and skills, with potential for broader implementation.
• Clinical implications include focusing on caregiver well-being to improve support for individuals with cognitive impairment.
• Policy implications involve expanding training access and workforce development to improve outcomes for both caregivers and care recipients.