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Challenges to intervention use among family caregivers of individuals with dementia include availability and timing of delivery. The current study sought to determine whether an online, psychoeducational intervention for dementia family caregivers, CARES® Dementia Care for Families™ (CARES for Families), improved and enhanced dementia caregivers’ knowledge of person-centered care approaches. Forty-one family members completed pre- and posttest surveys that assessed improvement in dementia care knowledge, and multiple close- and open-ended items examined how the CARES for Families online modules benefited users at posttest. A paired t test demonstrated a significant and considerable increase in dementia care knowledge among family caregivers (p < 0.001); caregivers also indicated that CARES for Families’ content, flexibility, and use of actual family caregivers and individuals with dementia in video care vignettes were strengths. The findings suggest that CARES for Families can offer an efficient supplement to holistic dementia care that gerontological nurses provide.

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Introduction: Certified nurse assistants (CNAs) spend the most staff time with nursing home residents, yet they receive little training in addressing the mental health needs of residents with Serious Mental Illness (SMI). Methods: Forty CNAs from four long term care facilities took the online interactive CARES® Serious Mental Illness™ training consisting of two modules guided by the Recovery Movement philosophy of care. Results: Responses from pre-post testing, Likert-items, and open-ended questions indicated that CNAs gained information, changed their perspectives, and had more confidence in dealing with SMI. Although there were minor concerns regarding length, clarity of content, and technical issues, CNAs found the online format acceptable and easy to use, and many said they would recommend the training. Discussion: CARES® Serious Mental Illness™ online training appears to be a viable way of helping CNAs address the mental health needs of long term care residents. Conclusion: Additional testing on CARES® Serious Mental Illness™ is planned.

Only a handful of online training programs are available for direct care workers (DCWs) to acquire the strategic skills needed to improve dementia care in instances of challenging or inappropriate behavior. Utilizing pre- and post-test data from a convenience sample of 40 DCWs, the present study sought to determine (a) whether DCWs’ knowledge of responding to dementia-related behavior increased following participation in the CARES® Dementia-Related Behavior™ Online Training Program (or CARES® Behavior) and (b) if CARES® Behavior was acceptable and useful. The average number of correct scores on a dementia care knowledge measure was significantly higher among DCWs after viewing the online modules when compared with pre-test scores (p < .01). Descriptive empirical and open-ended data also suggested that the interactive, “real-world” content of CARES® Behavior was feasibly delivered online, acceptable, and may influence how DCWs deliver clinical care to individuals with dementia-related behavior.