Feasibility of Internet Training for Care Staff of Residents with Dementia: The CARES ^® Program

Abstract

This study evaluated an internet-based training module, CARES,® (Connect with the resident; Assess behavior; Respond appropriately; Evaluate what works; Share with the team;) to determine its feasibility for certified nurse assistants in 3 nursing homes and 1 assisted living facility. Preand post-test questionnaires were administered to certified nurse assistants (CNAs; N = 40) to determine improvements in dementia care knowledge and perceptions of competence in dementia care. Dementia care knowledge improved significantly after CARES® training. Over 85% of the sample agreed or strongly agreed that the CARES® protocol improved mastery, care competency, and reduced stress related to dementia resident care. Open-ended feedback indicated that CARES® provided new information and skills to CNAs pertaining to dementia care. The results suggest that internet-based programs such as CARES® represent time-and cost-efficient methods to deliver dementia care training in long-term care settings.

Use of a Dementia Training Designed for Nurse Aides to Train Other Staff

“…Furthermore, an Internet training approach would be compatible with the culture-change movement to improve residential care (Rahman & Schnelle, 2008) by diffusion of best practices to existing staff, and as part of new employee orientation to establish normative behaviors for the LTC (Hobday, Smith, & Gaugler, 2010; Irvine et al, 2012a). Culture change is reported to offer organizational benefits as well as competitive advantages in the market place (Crandall, White, Schuldheis, & Talerico, 2007; Doty, Koren, & Sturla, 2008), and we believe that improvements in care are well received by families of the residents.…”

“…It is recommended for orientation of new employees to establish normative staff behavior for the institution (Hobday et al, 2010; Irvine et al, 2012a; Irvine, Billow, Eberhage, et al, 2012). Online training for continuing education credits is readily available for nursing staff and might be appropriate for the training tested here if supplemental content (e.g., reading materials) were added to increase the intellectual rigor.…”

Challenge Demcare: management of challenging behaviour in dementia at home and in care homes – development, evaluation and implementation of an online individualised intervention for care homes; and a cohort study of specialist community mental health care for families

“…There are preliminary studies of successful interactive online programs using actors to simulate common behaviours in context followed by demonstration of how effective responses can be achieved. [70][71][72][73] There is also increasing interest in online education. [72][73][74][75] Furthermore, emerging approaches towards personalised electronic decision support systems for targeting dementia care in community settings are being developed.…”

“…In essence we were building on preliminary work in the dementia literature that had separately demonstrated the value of clinical algorithms, 63,97,311 and current interest in and the use of e-tool technology, [70][71][72][73][74][75][76] as care staff appeared enthusiastic about access to e-learning dementia care opportunities. 127 If successful we would have produced a cost-effective programme that enabled staff to assess problematic presentations; identify causes and underlying needs; develop appropriate care plans; and, based on the learning from the earlier training modules, execute the plans effectively, with minimal external supervision.…”

CARES ® Dementia Care for Families™: Effects of Online, Psychoeducational Training on Knowledge of Person-Centered Care and Satisfaction

“…The primary objective of CARES for Families is to offer family caregivers education about the skills and tools to provide person-centered dementia care—care that “supports the rights, values, and beliefs of the individual; involves them and provides unconditional positive regard; enters their world and assumes that there is meaning in all behaviour, even if it is difficult to interpret; maximizes each person’s potential; and shares decision making” (Edvardsson, Winblad, & Sandman, 2008, Panel 1). To achieve this type of care, CARES for Families incorporates and instructs families in the practical and easy-to-learn CARES Approach (C—connect with the person, A—assess behavior, R—respond appropriately, E—evaluate what works, and S—share with others) (Hobday, Savik, Smith, & Gaugler, 2010). The CARES for Families program also includes home-based care interventions portrayed through a variety of textual, audio, and visual resources; passive and active modes; interviews in streaming video; and resources for interactive feedback and interpersonal follow up.…”