Date of this Version

7-26-2024

Document Type

DNP Project

Abstract

Background: Many healthcare providers have expressed the lack of knowledge and skills needed to address the common issues presented by people with dementia (Pacifico et al., 2022). That is why education on dementia and its non-pharmacological and complementary interventions play an important part in positively affecting healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy (Rassmussen et al., 2023). Competent practice through continuing education can assist in meeting the high standard of care needed to resolve people with dementia’s behavioral and psychological problems (Mlambo et al., 2021).

Methods: The quality improvement project aimed to improve knowledge, attitudes, and skills in addressing behavioral/psychological symptoms presented in dementia through education on the various non-pharmacological/complementary interventions to healthcare staff and informal caregivers in an assisted living facility (focus: memory care). The project was conducted using the Plan Do Study Act model. The framework for this project involved The Self-efficacy Theory and the Social Learning Theory. A PowerPoint presentation was given on dementia and its non-pharmacological/complementary interventions. Eleven participants voluntarily signed a consent form and a demographics data form. Participants also completed a pre-test and post-test questionnaire on knowledge, attitudes, and perceived competence of dementia.

Results: The results showed marked improvement in dementia knowledge (p-value 0.012) and perceived competence (p-value 0.010). In healthcare providers’ and informal caregivers’ attitudes, there was significant improvement in average scores from pre-test to post-test to encourage a more positive attitude when interacting with people with dementia. A continuation of more dementia educational sessions is needed to retain the knowledge acquired post-educational intervention. Also, a follow-up feedback interview was acquired from 4 of the 11 participants who attended the educational confirming increasing awareness and change in attitude and skills when interacting with people with dementia.

Conclusion: Recommendations included increasing the frequency of the dementia educational sessions for healthcare staff and informal caregivers within the year. Its benefits consist of improving work the environment and the well-being of people with dementia. Testing knowledge and skills upon hiring to gauge their competency in dementia care. Provide healthcare providers’ and informal caregivers’ knowledge and skills in areas of deficiency. Additional research and analysis are needed to further implement policy and clinical guidelines in healthcare workplaces regarding the deficiency in dementia care knowledge. The strategy is to urge the need for a curriculum on non-pharmacological and complementary therapies in healthcare organizations to adopt guidelines to support healthcare staff and informal caregivers in addressing behavioral/psychological symptoms in people with dementia. This will improve the knowledge, skills, and positive attitude of healthcare providers toward people with dementia; therefore, significantly improving their quality of life (Warren, 2022).

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