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Becoming a Certified Dementia Care Trainer

By CarePatrol of Baltimore

Dementia is a spectrum of disorders of the brain, most commonly effecting memory, cognition, reasoning, mood, and coordination. It is an affliction that is growing rapidly in the United States with the aging of America. One in 10 adults 65 and older is afflicted with Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. Currently, more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s.

“As the number of older Americans grows rapidly, so too will the number of new and existing cases of Alzheimer’s. By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s dementia may grow to a projected 13.8 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent, slow or cure Alzheimer’s disease.” The Alzheimer’s Association.1

There are actually more than 10 different types of dementia. Each one with slightly different causes, all deriving from disorders of the brain. With overlapping symptoms and common challenges. The nuances and subject diagnoses make it a difficult disorder for both patient, and family, and finding the right memory care facility is not an easy task. It is for all these reasons that  I recently became a Certified Dementia Care Trainer through NCCDP (National Coalition Certified Dementia Providers), the global leader in dementia education and dementia certification.

By completing the NCCDP CADDCT, I now have comprehensive training materials and certification as NCCDP Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Trainer (CADDCT) and Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) certification. This enables me to teach and train on the program itself in addition to have practitioner training as a nurse and benefits the whole community that CarePatrol serves. I am able to train my staff, host nurse and social worker-oriented training for the communities we work with, and provide knowledge to professionals in this growing and demanding field of care. 2

There are actually more than 10 different types of dementia. Each one with slightly different causes, all deriving from disorders of the brain. With overlapping symptoms and common challenges. The nuances and subject diagnoses make it a difficult disorder for both patient, and family, and finding the right memory care facility is not an easy task. It is for all these reasons that  I recently became a Certified Dementia Care Trainer through NCCDP (National Coalition Certified Dementia Providers), the global leader in dementia education and dementia certification.

As senior placement advisor we work closely with the senior communities that we serve. There is a need out there to be knowledgeable in dementia care. By being certified to train, I can now help others get certified to train, and can give Social Workers CEUs for the 8-hour course as offered. I am able to set up trainings for an assisted living center, so that they can then train up any of their staff, or new members as they join. All of this in the end is designed to benefit dementia patients through better and more informed care.

This is important as my personal commitment to providing the best possible service to the families and patients we help place in care facilities. There is no doubt that the care system and medical professionals are going to be significantly challenged as the number of dementia patients steadily continues to rise. The best we can do as senior care specialists is to become knowledgeable and equipped with deeper understanding on dementia as we work with patients and families.

In the coming years, Alzheimer’s, already the 6th leading cause of death in the US, is expected to continue to outpace other diseases as breakthroughs and treatment has not had the same progress. Dementia is increasing whereas other diseases such as heart failure are down trending.

One of the biggest threats to care communities is dementia patients’ propensity to wander or worse exit seek, and in more severe cases, problematic behavior due to severe confusion, hallucinations and impaired reasoning and judgement. Being trained in how to manage these problematic situations helps us look for communities that offer the best accommodations.

Individuals suffering from dementia can still enjoy a quality of life when provided a safe and compassionate living environment. Patients can be expected to have good days and bad days, and the goal is to maximize the good days.  Dementia is a progressive disease, so adjusting activities and environment according to the stage of symptoms is important as is a huge amount of empathy and patience. The safer and less confused a patient can feel, the easier it will be. If you suspect dementia may be the cause of your loved one’s symptoms, seek medical help right away. And if you are not sure how to find the right placement, reach out and let us help you. It is what we are trained to do.

1 https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures
2 https://www.nccdp.org/