There is a great wealth of resources available "out there" that many are not aware exists.
Learning Resources for Staff, Caregivers, and Advocates
Caregiver training is a need that encompasses all aspects of the daily life of the consumer, regardless of care setting. Staff receive basic training, but often special situations arise that are not covered in this training; and family caregivers may not have training or experience in dealing with emerging needs, issues or challenges when caring for a loved one. The following resources are for staff and family caregivers. While they cannot address all the challenges that may arise when facing long-term care for a loved one, they are useful to help caregivers learn about special challenges; and to empower families in their advocacy, not only for their own family members, but also for initiating system-wide changes in the long-term care arena as a whole.
Quality Improvement organizations (QIO) has a guide book containing best practices for preventing harm to residents in nursing homes from a variety of causes.
A personal story about the dangers of misdiagnosis and how that puts a life at risk when medical professionals stop looking for answers.
We mention inexpensive resources for staff training on our site, and CMS has just updated one FREE resource, its “Hand-In-Hand” training for staff working with people with dementia. Anyone can access it FREE. Feel free to PASS IT ON if a facility you know needs training (whether they claim they have trained staff or not!)
HQIN (Health Quality Innovations Network), the CMS project to provide training and technical support to nursing homes to assist them in meeting federal regulations, has produced a curriculum for a 9-week series of brief “stand-up meetings” to improve the quality of care for residents and skills of nursing staff. The entire series is available for download by anyone here.
The Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Homes offers a wealth of information, resources, training opportunities (including CEU credits and certification courses) for staff and advocates, covering numerous issues related to mental health, use and misuse of psychotropic and pain medications, and regulatory compliance. This resource is applicable not just to nursing homes, but the principles and practices are also applicable in any long-term care setting.
New! 2022 Resident Enrichment Booklet from Consumer Voice provides a resource for residents and caregivers which includes a wide variety of activities to foster engagement and broaden community participation.
Dr. Macie Smith, a South Carolina expert on dementia and caregiver issues, has published a downloadable training video for families, caregivers, and staff on the topic of dealing with some of the challenging behaviors that dementia often brings.
Dr. Smith also presents a down-home and practical approach to understanding dementia.
The Pioneer Network, trailblazers for culture change in nursing homes, has published a compilation of case studies demonstrating the life-changing outcomes of person-directed care in a variety of nursing homes – for both residents and facilities.
CMS has a series of “toolkits” to help nursing homes improve care and safety for residents. Scroll past the CMP section to see the Toolkit list and downloads.
The South Carolina Oral Health Coalition’s Older Adult Work Group, in collaboration with the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, has developed and distributed a training curriculum in oral health care competency for certified nursing assistants and other caregivers for those who need assistance with oral care. Oral health is essential for overall health, and especially so for those who are frail and at risk for nutritional deficits. This curriculum is available free online.
Oral Health America and their resources are now owned by Authority Dental, which features pages dedicated to oral care for seniors and common dental problems.
YouTube hosts many instructional videos, both stand-alone and in series, for providing oral care for those with dementia.
The University of North Carolina has produced a training course for trainers and for caregivers who provide daily oral care for those unable to meet their own oral care needs.
See how one nursing home is bringing new meaning to the lives of residents with dementia as they nurture orphaned kittens.
The Pioneer Network is considered a flagship for person-centered and person-directed care and culture change. They have many resources for staff, families, and advocates.
The Long-Term Care Community Coalition has published a Primer on Nursing Home Quality Standards including regulatory requirements considered most essential to resident safety, dignity and well-being.
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