NCCDP Alzheimer's Dementia Staff Education Week

For the third year, the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners is offering The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners Alzheimer’s and Dementia Staff Education Week February 14th to the 21st Tool Kit. The Tool Kit is free and available at www.nccdp.org. The tool kit includes many free Power Point in-services for download beginning November 15th to March 1st 2011. Each in-service is designed to be taught in 30 minutes to health care professionals and front line staff.

The Tool Kit and the declaration by the NCCDP Alzheimer's and Dementia Staff Education Week February 14th to the 21st was developed to bring national and international awareness to the importance of providing comprehensive dementia education by means of face to face interactive classroom environment to all healthcare professionals and line staff and to go above and beyond the minimum state requirements regarding dementia education.

Currently there are no national standards for dementia education. The regulations are different from state to state. The NCCDP recommends at minimum an initial 8 hours of dementia education to all staff. Throughout the year, additional dementia education should be provided that incorporates new advances, culture change and innovative ideas.

In addition to facilitating the Train the Trainer programs, The NCCDP promotes dementia education and certification of all staff who qualify as Certified Dementia Practitioners (CDP®). The NCCDP recommends that at minimum there should be one Certified Dementia Practitioner® per shift. The NCCDP recommends a trained and certified Alzheimer’s and dementia instructor by the NCCDP to utilize up to date NCCDP training materials.

The NCCDP recognizes the importance of educated and certified dementia unit managers and certifying the Dementia Unit Manager as Certified Dementia Care Manager (CDCM®).

Dementia Unit Managers report that they have received little training as a Dementia Unit Manager.

Front Line First Responders and Law Enforcement need comprehensive Dementia training and the NCCDP provides Alzheimer’s and Dementia training to First Responder and Law Enforcement educators and certification as Certified First Responder Dementia Trainer®.

The free tool kit includes:

• Free Power Point In-services (Many topics) for Health Care Staff which includes pre test, post tests, hand outs, answers, in-service evaluation
  and in-service certificates.
• Nurse Educator of the Year Nomination Forms
• Nomination Forms for NCCDP Alzheimer’s and Dementia Staff Education Week Contest
• Proclamations for Senators and Mayor
• Letters to the Editors Promoting Your Program
• 97 Ways to Promote Alzheimer’s and Dementia Staff Education Week 2011
• Resources and Important Web Sites

The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners®, LLC was formed in 2001 by a group of professionals with varying work and personal experiences in the field of dementia care. The Council was formed to promote standards of excellence in dementia and Alzheimer's education to professionals and other caregivers who provide services to dementia clients. As the number of dementia cases continues to increase nationally and worldwide, there is a great necessity to insure that care givers are well trained to provide appropriate, competent, and sensitive direct care and support for the dementia patient. The goal of the Council is to develop and encourage comprehensive standards of excellence in the health care profession and delivery of dementia care.