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About professional training
The Alzheimer's Association is committed to helping professionals improve their knowledge and skills, build stronger teams and deliver better care to people with dementia and their families. Our training and education programs are geared to professionals working in both community-based and residential care settings. Our programs and meetings have been attended by activity professionals, administrators, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, social workers and staff trainers. Many of our programs offer CEUs.
Choose from any of the following program offerings. Cost of the program includes handouts for 25 attendees. For facilities requiring additional handouts, copies may be made by the Alzheimer's Association for a fee or by the facility.
Contact: Karla Bohle, 712 279 5802
Director, Education/Outreach
Training programs
- Foundations of Dementia Care
- Dementia Care Specialist (DCS)
- Beyond the Basics
- Adult Day Care Specialist
- Activity-Based Alzheimer Care (ABAC)
Foundations of Dementia Care
Cost: Varies (depending on module) + mileage
Our newest evidence-based professional training package, and the most up-to-date curriculum available.
More about Foundations of Dementia Care (PDF)
The Foundations of Dementia Care classroom training covers 12 hours in five modules. One module is for supervisors and four are for all staff.
For supervisors, nurses and other group leaders:
- Learning to lead - improve team-building skills, motivate staff, reinforce care practices (3 one-hour sessions)
For direct care staff and supervisors:
- About dementia - understand dementia and behavioral approaches (3 one-hour sessions)
- Enhancing mealtimes - increase food and fluid consumption (2 one-hour sessions)
- Pain management - recognize and prevent pain (2 one-hour sessions)
- Making connections - improve interaction with residents (2 one-hour sessions)
Complete module descriptions (PDF)
Additional modules coming soon:
- Wandering
- Resident falls
- Physical restraints
Dementia Care Specialist (DCS)
(6:00) Cost: $300 + mileage
An updated version of the basic 6-hour education program.
Meets State of Iowa guidelines for dementia care trainings. This training addresses:
- Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias and “normal” aging
- On-the-job stress reduction and family caregiving issues
- Specialized Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Philosophy and Environment
- Effective communication strategies
- Creative interventions for behavior management and modification
- Effective interventions for Person Centered Care and Activities of Daily Living
- Simple and successful activities for individuals at any stage of Alzheimer’s, i.e. Life Stories
Beyond the Basics
(6:00) Cost: $300 + mileage
Advanced training for for multi-disciplinary audiences, this education program is recommended for staff who have completed DCS and are currently working in the long-term care environment. This training addresses:
- Alzheimer’s disease and reversible/irreversible causes of dementia
- Assessment and monitoring of pain in persons with dementia, indicators of pain and types of pain
- Principles of Person-Centered Care for persons with dementia and how to apply them
- Impact of Alzheimer’s disease on the four major areas of communication
- Ways to effectively communicate with persons with dementia
- Environmental strategies for maximizing independence while completing ADLs
- Strategies to incorporate successful ADL care into a care plan
- Effective Person-Centered programming and its benefits to residents
- The importance of environment for nutrition and hydration intake
- Ways to incorporate hydration into programming activities
- Strategies for help with swallowing
- Advanced stage Alzheimer care
Adult Day Care Specialist
(6:00) Cost: $300 + mileage
Developed specifically for adult day service professionals to address concerns and challenges common to their field.
Meets State of Iowa guidelines for dementia care training. The training addresses:
- Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias
- Adult day services' philosophy of care
- Effective strategies for communicating with the individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, their families and friends
- Identification of family issues that develop
- Strategies to incorporate planned and spontaneous activities as well as activities of daily living into the individual’s care
- Effective interventions in providing assistance with activities of daily living
- Establish the importance of care planning and social history information
- Effective skills and techniques for behavior management and modification
- Simple and successful skills to increase staff support and decrease caregiver stress
Activity Based Alzheimer’s Care (ABAC)
(6:00) Cost: Varies + mileage
An interactive training program designed for activity professionals who have a basic understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and whose primary job responsibilities include activity programming design and implementation. ABAC helps participants learn a range of skills from assessment and program design through teamwork and evaluation strategies.
More about Activity Based Alzheimer's Care
Additional in-services
Cost: $85/hour + mileage
If you are not able to participate in the aforementioned established education programs, please feel free to choose from one of the following topics for your monthly in-services. For facilities 30 miles or more from Sioux City, there must be a minimum of 2 hours of training.
ABC’s of Alzheimer’s Disease
The purpose is to improve cognitive understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and empathy for persons who have the disease. It presents common causes of dementia, other causes of minor forgetfulness and reversible-like symptoms, basic components of the brain and the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. (1:00 to 1:30)
Communication: The Key to Success
This in-service focuses on improving one’s ability to communicate with individuals who have Alzheimer’s disease, and builds on the understanding of the disease. It defines communication, the process of communication, state specific effects of Alzheimer’s disease on communication, and the verbal and nonverbal forms of communicating. (1:00)
Overcoming Challenging Behaviors
This in-service is designed to improve one’s ability to interpret and cope with problematic behaviors of people with Alzheimer’s disease. The in-service provides general guidelines for dealing with a variety of behaviors and then focuses on specific problem behaviors. (1:00)
Intimacy and Dementia: The Whole Story
This in-service is to assist staff in understanding the anxiety and concern about sexuality and how it can intensify in someone with dementia. The main concern of nursing staff should lie in understanding the individual’s ability to ‘consent’ or make judgments regarding sexual behavior. This in-service will provide staff with general guidelines for appropriate responses to exhibited sexual behavior. (1:00)
Everything You Needed to Know About Pick’s Disease
The purpose of this in-service is to educate participants on the signs and symptoms of Pick’s disease, a rare form of dementia, and builds on the understanding of the disease. It also defines communication, challenging behaviors, and other related issues that a person with Pick’s disease experiences as the disease progresses. (1:00)
Web-based training
CARES: A Dementia Caregiving Approach
This affordable, Web-based program has six one-hour training modules that are geared primarily to direct care workers, particularly nursing assistants. Each module uses text and streaming video to illustrate how to best care for people with dementia living in residential care settings. Topics include:
- Clara Jones and her Care Team
- Introduction to Dementia
- Understanding Behavior as Communication
- Making a Connection with the Resident
- Eating Well
- Recognizing Pain
For a description of the modules, pricing plans and a free demo, go to www.caresprogram.com
Dementia Care Training for Team Leaders
This program provides guidance for those who supervise others involved in the care of people with dementia: nurses, unit coordinators, administrators, activity directors or others in leadership positions. After this training you will be able to:- Identify and implement methods to facilitate teamwork.
- Select and use improved communication and supervisory practices.
- Identify techniques and deliver meaningful feedback to members of your team.
- Recognize and create an environment that motivates staff.
This course costs $25 per person and volume discounts are available. For a free demo and to register, go to: The Dementia Care Training for Team Leaders site.
Seminars and conferences
Education Conference (Every August)
