ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH DEMENTIA CARE TRAINING COMING IN 2005
Public Law 91-744 instructed the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to establish basic dementia-focused training criteria for home health aides and direct care staff in skilled nursing facilities.  To meet this need, IDPH worked in cooperation with the Greater Illinois Chapter and the Central Illinois Chapter to develop this training. 

This past spring, the Alzheimer’s Association and IDPH contacted the Illinois Council for Long Term Care, Illinois Health Care Association, and Life Services Network to ask their help in identifying Alzheimer’s experts who could participate in three pilot programs/focus groups to gain feedback on the draft curriculum.  These programs were held in Chicago, Decatur and Peoria.  The feedback received at these programs was very helpful and resulted in several positive changes to the training curriculum. 

The program itself consists of four modules that can be delivered onsite as a four-hour program or as a series of hour long in-services.  The topics covered include:  Understanding Dementia, Communication, Understanding Challenging Behaviors, and Activity-Focused Care.  A Person Centered Care philosophy is introduced in the first module and woven throughout the training. 

The train-the-trainer program is six hours in length. CEUs will be provided through Oakton Community College.  The training cost will be $50 for the day, including a copy of the manual.

The Greater Illinois Chapter will begin offering these train-the-trainer programs in early 2005.  Watch our web site – as trainings are scheduled, you will find information there.  For more information, contact Melanie Chavin at 847-933-2413 or via e-mail at melanie.chavin@alz.org.