Communication necessary to carry out life's activities is impaired early in the course of dementia and requires specialized knowledge and skill of those who provide care. The goal of this application is to develop a prototype program and training module for Interactive Internet dissemination that TRANSLATES the best of COMMUNICATION IN DEMENTIA CARE research into concepts and terms that care managers and caregivers can understand, adopt, and consistently apply in the care setting. In the process, an ON-LINE system will be created, that harnesses the collaborative technology of the Internet, linking researcher, caregiver, and manager in the development, dissemination, and evaluation of dementia care materials. The prototype communication module will be generated in consultation with nationally recognized experts in dementia care through: 1) prioritizing the most important issues in communication in dementia care; 2) identifying critical dementia care research to support the teaching; 3) developing a teaching plan that explains the care approaches and incorporates adult learning principles, while maintaining the integrity of the research; 4) creating user-friendly interactive Internet versions of the module with the potential for self-evaluation and feedback to researcher's and program developers; and 5) recreating the prototype module in Spanish and Navajo language and culture.
