Person-centered care and the workforce crisis: A statewide professional development initiative

The care of individuals with dementia requires knowledge and competencies across a wide range of physical and psychosocial aspects of the disease. Yet the quality of care for persons with dementia suffers from staff shortages and inadequate training about the treatment and optimal care strategies for individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Attention has turned recently to the importance of increasing incentives and improving training in order to attract, train, and retain qualified workers. A collaborative dementia training program was implemented in Virginia to promote a greater understanding of person-centered care techniques, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of care given to people with dementia. The 12-hour multidisciplinary program emphasized a team approach and was recommended for all levels of staff in a variety of long-term care settings. Statistically significant knowledge gains provided empirical support for the effectiveness of an educational program of this type. The training not only increased knowledge levels about person-centered care, but also provided trainees with a better understanding of individuals with dementia. The initiative illustrated the benefits of top-down collaboration among organizations combined with the involvement and commitment of key individuals at the grassroots level. The implications for person-centered care training as a potentially valuable approach to addressing the current workforce crisis are discussed.