According to a research article by Jarmin Yeh, PhD, MPH, MSSW, et al. published online in a June 2025 edition of the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the rising prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in California’s aging population necessitates a specially trained care workforce.
The study article was co-authored by Dr. Yeh and colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and collaborators at the Center for Caregiver Advancement (CCA). The study found that home care workers’ dementia knowledge and skills improved significantly after receiving condition-specific ADRD caregiver training.
For this study, Dr. Yeh and the researchers evaluated a multi-week online training program created by CCA to help caregivers provide specialized support to care recipients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. The training was offered for free to IHSS providers through the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program in California. The researchers assessed caregivers’ dementia knowledge, self-efficacy, distress, and depression before and after training. They also assessed care recipients’ use of healthcare services and care resources before and after the training.
Study Results Show That Training Improves Alzheimer’s Care
The study results showed that ADRD training significantly improved caregivers’ dementia knowledge, caregiving skills, and confidence. Care workers learned how to better support consumers (care recipients) who experience memory loss, wandering, sundowning, and related symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
These findings are encouraging, but the study also showed that the ADRD skills training did not reduce caregivers’ distress and depression. Training also did not appear to decrease care recipients’ hospitalizations or visits to the emergency room.
The findings of this California-based study highlight the value of specialized dementia training for enhancing caregiver knowledge and skills. It opens up the possibility for similar training programs to be implemented across the United States. Future training curricula might include methods for bolstering caregiver self-care and well-being.
This is curated content using information from the original article. For details, please read the published article online in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
Source Citation: Yeh J, Beld M, Pond B, et al. Competency-based training boosts dementia knowledge and skills in home care workers. Alzheimer’s Dement. June 2025; Vol. 21, Issue 6:e70323. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70323
Image Credits: Alzheimer’s & Dementia, Wiley, Jarmin Yeh, et al; rawpixel/freepik
