Workforce Dementia Training Needs and Preferences for Residential Aged Care

Objective: To explore residential aged care (RAC) staff and volunteers' needs and preferences for dementia training. Design: A mixed methods action research study was conducted to codesign a new Dementia Model of Care for RAC homes provider Baptcare. This paper reports on one component of model development and implementation: understanding the training that staff and volunteers receive about dementia, and subsequently, through a needs assessment process, identifying their needs and preferences for dementia training. Setting and Participants: Staff and volunteers from 8 RAC homes participated in a survey (staff n = 275; volunteers n = 11), with a 77.5% completion rate (n = 241). Forty-five staff and 5 volunteers completed focus groups/interviews about their dementia knowledge, current training, future training preferences, and factors influencing access to training. Methods: The survey included the Confidence in Dementia (CODE) Scale and Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS) validated tools and additional training content and delivery questions. Survey data were analyzed descriptively. Transcripts were analyzed thematically and then mapped to training topics/approaches identified from the data. Results: Although staff and volunteers felt “somewhat confident” to care for residents living with dementia, gaps in dementia knowledge were identified. Staff and volunteers addressed this knowledge gap through internal training modules or external informal or formal training. Survey comments resulted in 3 key desired training topics identified: person-centered care, dementia knowledge and behavior management, and understanding the resident's experience. Four approaches to training were recognized: in-person over online training, self-directed learning, peer-to-peer learning, and training new staff/volunteers during onboarding. Conclusions and Implications: Additional staff and volunteer training is required to address knowledge gaps and promote the delivery of quality care. Considering staff and volunteers' needs and preferences as well as addressing barriers to training is crucial to building workforce capacity and improving dementia care provision in RAC.