DOI: 10.3928/00989134-20261019-01 ISSN: 0098-9134

Maintenance of a Dementia Skills Training Program in a VA Health Care System: Evolution and Outcomes Over the Years

Amanda Smith, Kate L. M. Hinrichs, Seneca Correa, Gayle Phaneuf, Caroline Madrigal
Show PDF Cite

Purpose:

With the population of veterans living with dementia projected to increase significantly, health care systems must adapt to provide consistent, person-centered care.

Method:

In alignment with the Age-Friendly Health Systems framework, this project evaluated the effect of the Dementia Workshop: Basics of Dementia Care, an in-person, interdisciplinary dementia training program. Staff ( N = 162) from acute, long-term, and outpatient settings attended this 8-hour workshop featuring lecture, interactive discussion, video-based scenarios, and hands-on practice.

Results:

Pre-post analysis using the Sense of Competence in Dementia Care Staff scale, Dementia Attitudes Scale, and Confidence in Dementia Scale revealed statistically significant improvements ( p < .001) in competence, confidence, and attitudes, with large and medium effect sizes.

Conclusion:

These findings support investment in interactive, multimodal training as a potential strategy to build a workforce equipped to manage complex care needs and reduce distress for veterans living with dementia.

More from our Archive