Abstract
Between 54% and 80% of people residing in nursing homes are living with dementia, and these numbers appear to be growing. A knowledge gap exists among nursing home staff who care for people living with dementia. The following poster reports knowledge gained and perceptions changed among 24 nursing home staff who completed Teepa Snow’s innovative Positive Approach® to Care Certification course as a regional initiative. A quasi-experimental, within subject, longitudinal design (two time points) assessed within group differences before and after staff participated in the certification course. Paired responses for the Dementia Knowledge and Training/Coaching Perceptions survey questions were compared using McNemar test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test to analyze the improvement in the knowledge and perceptions of dementia. Statistically significant differences were found in knowledge growth in how staff approach a person living with dementia in relationship to spatial awareness and vision changes (p=0.002), and knowledge growth related to neurological changes associated with dementia in areas related to working memory (p=0.006), hippocampus (p=0.004), and temporal lobe function (p=0.031). Statistically significant changes in various areas of staff perception about dementia were found (p<0.05). The results reported are the first in a series of outcomes for this project. Understanding symptoms of neurological brain change and improving perceptions about dementia are critical issues for nursing home staff. The Positive Approach® to Care Certification course appears to improve knowledge about dementia and change perceptions of dementia. Implementing this pilot program as a regional initiative may improve workforce development in an industry challenged with turnover.