Dementia Care Staff Training and Education

Dementia care staff training and education encompass structured programmes designed to equip healthcare and social care practitioners with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for high-quality, person-centred care. As the global prevalence of dementia rises, the workforce faces complex challenges including behavioural and psychological symptoms, ethical decision-making and interprofessional collaboration. Effective training spans classroom teaching, practical simulation, digital learning and reflective practice, often underpinned by adult-learning theory. Key objectives are to enhance staff competence, confidence and job satisfaction, to reduce adverse outcomes among people living with dementia, and to foster sustained organisational change. Critical factors for success include relevance to daily care tasks, integration of feedback, strong leadership support and ongoing evaluation of impact on staff behaviour and resident wellbeing.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Dementia Care Staff Training and Education publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in dementia care staff training and education across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Person-centred care: An approach that respects the individuality, preferences and rights of people living with dementia in all aspects of care delivery.

Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD): A spectrum of non-cognitive disturbances, such as agitation, depression and aggression, commonly experienced by individuals with dementia.

COM-B model: A framework for understanding behaviour change in which Capability, Opportunity and Motivation interact to influence staff practices.

Train-the-trainer model: A capacity-building strategy in which selected staff are trained as facilitators to deliver education locally and sustain learning within organisations.

Non-pharmacological intervention: Therapeutic strategies that do not involve medication, such as environmental modifications, activity programmes or behavioural therapies, aimed at managing dementia symptoms.

References

1. Effectiveness of dementia education for professional care staff and factors influencing staff-related outcomes: An overview of systematic reviews. International Journal of Nursing Studies (2023).
2. The barriers and facilitators to implementing dementia education and training in health and social care services: a mixed-methods study. BMC Health Services Research (2020).
3. Establishing the effectiveness of technology-enabled dementia education for health and social care practitioners: a systematic review. Systematic Reviews (2021).