Dementia Friendly Toolkit
In response to family caregivers’ stories of challenging medical appointments, community groups’ requests for dementia friendly training materials, and the increasing number of people living with dementia, the School of Nursing's Center for Aging Research and Education (CARE) developed training materials to build communication and advocacy skills to respectfully engage people living with dementia. These include four short training videos and a toolkit with all the information needed to lead people through any of six role-play simulations based on common challenges that people living with dementia face in daily life or when accessing health care.
Outcomes
Surveys when piloting the training materials showed that the number of participants who reported that they feel confident around people living with dementia more than doubled following the training session (22% before versus 55% after). The number who disagreed with the negative statement “I feel frustrated because I do not know how to help” people with dementia also more than doubled (20% before versus 51% after). Both training videos and role-play simulations are being used in classrooms and in the community. In 2018, CARE was able to make available 100 free Dementia Friendly Toolkits with simulation equipment to community groups in 52 counties across Wisconsin.
Focus Areas
Project Leader
Diane Farsetta
Senior Outreach Specialist, Center For Aging Research And Education
- Department/Unit
- Nursing
- School or College
- School of Nursing