Seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias often exhibit challenging behaviors such as aggression, agitation, disinhibition, mood and sleep disturbances. Wandering and elopement are also concerns. Managing these behaviors can be difficult, especially in senior living and memory care communities. Senior care staff training can help improve the quality of care for residents with dementia, while reducing liability and increasing employee job satisfaction.

Strategies for managing challenging behavior

To provide quality care and mitigate the inherent risk and liability involved, senior living administrators utilize a variety of strategies to manage challenging behaviors. These include pharmacological and general interventions such as senior care staff training.

Non-pharmacological approaches were found to be more effective than pharmaceutical approaches (including pain medication and antidepressants) in reducing disinhibition behaviors in people with dementia, according to a study in International Psychogeriatrics.

Training and education empowers employees with the knowledge they need to provide quality care and communicate effectively with residents, families and co-workers. Effective training provides staff with a solid understanding of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. It also addresses behavior management techniques, communication issues and strategies, caregiving approaches, characteristics of a safe environment and how to support family members. It can help build empathy and reduce stress for residents and staff, too.

Of course, challenging behaviors are not only exhibited by residents with dementia. That’s why senior care staff training that emphasizes person-centered care and effective communication strategies is also beneficial for senior living communities without memory care, too.

Professional training from SeniorLivingU<.h2>
Whether you’re looking for a general overview or an in-depth understanding, SeniorLivingU offers essential educational products developed by senior care experts to keep staff up-to-date on a wide range of subjects. To facilitate training, we provide a variety of delivery options. Our dementia educational products include:

  • Online training. The Anytime Learning Portal offers flexibility and is often less expensive than purchasing hard copy materials. The online learning management system (LMS) allows users to work at their own pace while providing tracking and reporting for managers. Courses are available for staff at all levels and cover four major areas: Dementia, Clinical Training, Direct Care and Onboarding.
  • DVDs. SeniorLivingU DVDs and DVD sets allow senior living administrators to effectively train staff by showcasing real-life examples and creating a visual for steps in caregiving processes. We offer 5 DVDS for dementia training (Introduction to Alzheimer’s Disease, Communicating with Residents Who Have Alzheimer’s, Wandering, Resisting Care and Agitation).
  • Certificate programs. For an in-depth understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, we offer an Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders – Certificate Program. The manual and exam are available conveniently as a set or may also be purchased separately. Participants who successfully complete the exam may be eligible for 3.25 continuing education hours from NAB (National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards).

For common questions about our senior living education or information about how to purchase our educational products, visit our FAQ page. Contact us today to learn more about SeniorLivingU and the services and resources we provide.